The Pew Research Center found that 81% of Americans text regularly. Since the cell phone became something we couldn’t be without, text messages have been a big part of how we communicate. That’s because text messages can be a personal assistant that goes wherever you do.
Start Texting Effectively
For starters, they can help people communicate quickly, confirm appointments, or collect a receipt. However, you wouldn’t send the same sort of message to a friend that you would a customer. That’s because there is a certain amount it etiquette that people need to follow to properly send a text message.
Watch those abbreviations.
When text messages first came out, people were limited to the amount of characters that they would send. As a result, people used abbreviations to get a message out quickly and efficiently.
While you can send a quick “LOL” to your buddies, you should avoid sending them out when it comes to your customers. Some acronyms or abbreviations may come across as unprofessional. How can you quickly know the difference? Think about how well saying the entire word, or phrase. Would it go well if you said it out loud to the intended receiver?
Avoid sarcasm
Ever get a text message and wonder what the sender truly meant? That’s because 93% of communication is non-verbal. When you send a text aspects like voice tone and body language are gone. So if you try to use sarcasm, there is a good chance it may be misinterpreted. When it comes to texting, mean when you say and say what you mean.
Have a little patience
If your recipient isn’t getting back to you promptly, don’t start spamming them and wondering why they haven’t written back. Sending too many text messages will annoy the person that is receiving your messages. Perhaps they are driving, or tending to something else. Either way that would prevent them from getting back to you right away.
Identify Who You Are
Maybe the reason you haven’t gotten a return text yet is that the intended receiver got a new phone. Maybe they haven’t put you in as their list of contacts and are wondering who you are. When you identify yourself right away, your receiver will be more likely to respond accordingly.
When sending out a mass broadcast to your customers, this can be accomplished with a signature or by listing out your company’s name at the beginning of the message.
Review before you send
As great as Siri is, sometimes things can be lost in the translation. Because of this, it’s a good idea to review what is about to get sent to your intended receiver.
As great as autocorrect is, sometimes it can also cause a few headaches. Slow down and review that your intended message it about to be sent.
Ready To Simplify Communication?
IVR Technology makes mass communication easier with Compass Broadcast; a tool that can deliver automated voice, text and email messages.
Best of all your customers don’t need to download an app to hear from you. It’s also customizable to their needs. If they don’t want to receive a text and prefer email, you can customize it to meet their message needs.