Building Relationships By Text

Okay … that headline might startle you, but texting (SMS-Short Message Service) is part of your phone, and its growth as a communication tool cannot – should not –  be ignored.

I’m honoured to introduce you to Trumpia, a team of hard-working, forward-thinking entrepreneurs who have not only garnered the attention of major media in North America, but are working with some of the world’s largest brands, helping these companies connect, communicate and book appointments with both customers and prospects … by text. They want to share with you a recent case study – and give you some facts:

Recent research published by IT industry authority eWEEK indicates that the majority of consumers are more likely to text a customer support agent and would even prefer texting over their current method of communication. About 33% of those surveyed said that it was important to them to have text as a support option and almost 50% said that texting would improve their overall satisfaction with customer support. Over 60% said they would prefer to use text over phone for customer service. But SMS communication reaches far beyond customer service.

As Trumpia has discovered, SMS is also a great tool for reliably setting up appointments with your customers and prospects.  A large-format department store chain based in Los Angeles did just that, setting up one-on-one appointments for their credit service representatives.

First, they set up landline texting, enabling them to both send and receive text messages through an existing business phone number. With landline texting, the credit service could operate both their phone and text communications through the same number.

A rep at the credit service noted that some consumers find it daunting to make the initial contact with what can be seen as a large financial institution. By offering texting as an alternative, they saw significantly more engagement.

Another method that proved successful was mobile keywords, which they advertised during a commercial on a local news program with the prompt, ““text ‘CreditCard’ to this number to apply for your card”. Reps at the credit service then personally contacted anyone who texted the keyword, and set up an appointment with that consumer to come into the store and apply for the card. Once an appointment was set, the rep would also send appointment reminders leading up to the day.

Through this mobile keyword approach, they were able to collect over 800 new leads, with approximately 20% of them completing the entire process of applying and getting approved.

These are just two illustrations of how SMS is becoming a gateway to setting up one-on-one contact between reps and customers. By using the channel most customers prefer, and giving them easy-to-use ways to contact you, SMS enables you to boost engagement resulting in more sales.

While I know that some of you are shaking your heads (or even rolling your eyes), I caution you not to dismiss the growing power of SMS. The key to business success is strong communication with both customers and prospects, and if they are responding to text … .

Trumpia has offered to keep us informed throughout the year so … let us know your thoughts. What’s your reaction to this information? Please share your comments below.

Enjoy your phone work everyone!