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5 reasons why text messaging is a sales team’s best friend

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Todd Kamp

Content writer

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7 Oct 2022
6 min read

If there’s one thing humans love, it’s finding new ways to avoid phone calls. In fact, 75% of people would rather text than talk on their phones – making SMS the logical route for anyone trying to get their messages read – especially for those in sales roles.

Often referred to as SMS by phone carriers and communication platforms (like Whispir), texting provides a quick, typically stress-free, and private way to communicate on the fly. This means, that for people that avoid even the friendliest of person-to-person interactions, SMS messages can be a real lifesaver.

With at least a third of the world’s population identifying as introverted – with some believing it's high as 50%, it’s no surprise that traditional phone calls are falling by the wayside. Which is cause for concern for the countless companies that rely on cold calls to meet sales quotas.

 

A collection of statistics from BankMyCell.com including the company's logo.

 

Now, let’s look at 5 reasons why phone calls are losing favor and how text message marketing can help sales teams across the globe re-engage their customers.

1. They’re time-consuming

On the off chance that you don’t end up playing phone tag with the person you’re trying to connect with, phone calls often seem like overkill when all you need is to ask a question, confirm a location, or let someone know you’ve arrived. Plus, most of the time you’re sent straight to voicemail, which can drive anxiety through the roof when you’re in need of an immediate response.

The benefits of text messaging: The benefits of text messaging: SMS allows for transactional messages that avoid the dreaded “Missed Call” or “I’ll Call You Back” notification. At a glance, the recipient can gather all the information they need to make a quick decision.

Best practice: a communication platform worth its weight will allow you to send rich messages that lead to custom microsites where recipients can get all the information they need, as well as fill out any necessary forms and request more details.

 

2. There’s a lack of privacy

We’ve all been around someone that uses their cell phone like it’s a walkie-talkie, but most people don’t want strangers knowing their whereabouts as they make plans to go out of town, recall a recent doctor’s appointment, or even discuss simple dinner plans.

The benefits of text messaging: SMS delivers a sense of privacy (not that your phone provider cares how your last date went anyway), because the conversation ends up between you and the recipient. Plus, a text can always be deleted, whereas anyone in the vicinity can capture and recall the audio themselves.

Best practice: if you or your recipients do require the assistance of audible messages, utilize an SMS messaging platform that provides text-to-voice capabilities, so no one is left out of the conversation.

 

3. Scammers can be pretty convincing

As you’ve probably noticed, most of the phone calls coming in today are from bots inquiring about your car’s extended warranty, asking you to consolidate your loans, offering up a “free” vacation package, or pretending to be a long-lost relative in need of emergency funds. As humans, we’re prone to influence no matter how odd the situation may be, which is why scammers prefer to get you on the phone so they can catch you off guard verbally. 

The benefits of text messaging: a text allows you to see the scammer’s pitch right away. And while they can still be clever enough to fool some recipients, most people can usually tell when grammar or punctuation is off – especially when it’s supposed to be coming from a professional.

Best practice: if you’re responsible for sending bulk messages as part of an SMS marketing campaign, you’ll want to make sure your audience can trust you implicitly with their data. So, make sure to go with an SMS marketing platform that is secure and always up to date with the latest ISO certifications.

 

4. Phone calls are disruptive

For those in work meetings, in lecture halls, or those trying to ensure spouses or children aren’t awoken by an intrusive phone call, text messaging is a quiet and innocuous way to communicate that doesn’t require interrupting any peace and quiet. Plus, it’s usually the moment you step into a meeting that your phone will start to ring. Inevitably, you’ll have every head on a swivel as you frantically try to silence your phone.

The benefits of text messaging: unless you require the chime of message notifications, most texts don’t do much more than vibrate, so you can remain alerted to important information without disrupting anyone else in the room. Not to mention, you can have two-way conversations without all the awkwardness.

Best practice: choose an SMS marketing software that allows you to schedule text messages ahead of time and release them when it’s most convenient to customers – and most advantageous for conversions. With automated workflows, you can trigger a text to be sent out during times of emergency or when time is limited, such as during flash sales or before upcoming events.

 

5. Introverts hate voice calls

We’ve all received a phone call from someone that notoriously communicates via text, or from someone we haven’t heard from in a while. Which, can cause immediate panic as the human brain comes to expect the worst. After all, with the rarity of phone calls these days, bad news is usually reserved for a more formal communication method like voice, as it’s more personal.  

The benefits of text messaging: SMS removes the confusion and anxiety barrier by getting info to you right away – while also demonstrating the level of urgency. For marketing messages, this is crucial – ensuring that timely promotional messages and appointment reminders don't get lost in all the noise.

Best practice: give your customers a choice in the way they communicate. By making them feel as comfortable and in charge of their interactions with your team as possible, you can expect better open and response rates in return – as high as 98% and 45%.

 

How Whispir can help

When cold calls just don’t cut it anymore, sales teams need a better, more reliable marketing strategy to get the word out. For many, business SMS is the light at the end of the tunnel – reaching the target audience in real-time on their mobile phone – which leads to near 100% open rates. Best of all, it's a channel where Whispir truly shines.

As an omnichannel communication platform, Whispir provides businesses with easy and cost-effective text marketing, email marketing, video, social media, and yes, voice. Whispir is ready to keep conversations flowing while opening more doors in the process via rich messages, microsites, bulk text, automated workflows, and more. Get in touch to learn how we can help you reach those that no longer pick up the phone.

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