There is a lot of room for improvement in business communications. People have been trying to figure out where the improvements might come. The answer may have been right in front of us all along.
For example, the higher up the corporate ladder a person rises, the more difficult it is to communicate with them. It seems that there are obstacles every step of the way. Quite often, although a message might be critical, the executive doesn’t receive it because he doesn’t have time to plow through his email, or he is insulated by an army of underlings determined to protect him from the minutia.
When the executive does seem to have a spare moment, his cell phone magically appears. Most likely, he is receiving a phone call from his top minion.
Wait a minute…cell phone? Could text messaging be the solution? Could a simple SMS API be the answer? Many busy business professionals might be afraid to answer a phone call out of a fear that it will eat up his or her time. However, that same executive might not hesitate to respond to a quick text message. How many other uses might text messaging have in business?
Why Text Messaging? Why Not?
Communicating via text messaging has some benefits. It is the simplest and quickest form of communication. Texting is secure and applies a personal touch. It is easier to access than an email. It also holds a promising possibility for other business uses.
Marketing
It only takes moments to send a short text blast to a large number of people. Want to get a simple marketing tease out to all your customers? Text it. They will get the message immediately. Many customers would prefer to receive a text message from a sales representative over a phone call.
Inner-Office Communications
Do you need to tell your entire department about the emergency meeting at 7:30 the next morning? A short text blast should do the trick. Text messages can be easily saved to calendars. There have been too many times when there is no time to read through your 100 new emails. A text message can be located quickly and from anywhere. Most people are more aware of receiving a text message than receiving an email.
What to Avoid With Business Texts
It is best not to get too informal when texting in a business capacity. Most people treat texting outside of the business environment as very casual. Things like emojis have no place in business texts. Just because your message is a lot shorter than an email, you should be as cautious with spelling and grammar as you would be if you were writing an email.
Main Takeaway
Text messaging has an appropriate place in a business environment. It can be a great way to get out marketing blasts and for those inner-office communications. It can also be useful for time-strapped upper managers who need to stay organized. Ultimately, while it can be the right choice in many situations, take a moment and evaluate whether you can get the right message across in a short text message or if an email is more appropriate.
