Can U C me at 8? That was the text message that just buzzed my blackberry. It was a text message

Text Me for Sales?

that came from my 14 year old daughter, the queen of texting in our home. Thank goodness for unlimited text plans as my daughter used 7,400+ text messages last month. If you are the parent of a teenager, God bless you as I am there with you, most of us tend to write off the use of text messaging as something teenagers “do”. I ask my daughter when she has time for school work and dance if she is texting all the time and she just rolls her eyes at me because she is a straight A student, on the honor roll and just got her point shoes in ballet (an accomplishment I don’t yet understand the significance of).

Pay attention. Texting is not just for kids. If your firm is not using text messages to stay connected to your customers, you are missing out.

Progressive companies with automated drip or follow up sequence systems are using text messaging as an effective tool to stay in touch with their customers. Here are a few examples of businesses large and small using text messaging as part of “The Attention Connection” which I write so frequently about. You get attention by paying focused attention.

The dental office that sends out automated appointment reminders 48 and 24 hours prior to a patient appointment  saw cancellation rates drop by 80%.

The fitness center who sends text reminders of group classes and birthday wishes to its membership.

The innovative pizza chain that sends text message coupons to the members of their customer loyalty program members gets a 17% response rate with zero printing costs. The  text message costs 1/5 of a cent.

I can go on and on of examples of text messaging being used as a sales tool. I dare not even go down the whole Twitter path as that is a topic of it’s own. . Staying connected to your customers is more important today than at anytime in history. Its a juxtaposed situation because even though we are all connected via technology through Focal PointsTM ( websites, social media, hand-held devices like blackberry, iphones, cell phones, broadcast and print media), we are insulated because we communicate more through technology and less in person and are overwhelmed with the information overload.

Ok, so how do you do it, how do you implement text messaging into your business to maintain attain and maintain their attention?  Its easy. Strategy, process, content and technology.

Strategy

First make the decision that text is appropriate for your business and will be effective. I cant see a funeral home texting people for casket specials, that just might not fly from a taste perspective.

Process

Define as to what steps in the sales process can text be used effectively to stay connected. You may come up with two or three effective communication points to maintain the customer’s attention.  How will you collect their cell phone number and also ask permission to send them text communications. You need to give people the chance to opt out. You will also want these to be automated text messages because I doubt you have cycles of current staff to sit and send text messages to your clients. If  you decide on this path, maybe this is a job my daughter should apply for!

Content

Content is king. You only have 160 charachters so you must send compelling content that keeps the customer engaged and in your sales funnel

Technology

First you need a customer database that permists you constaantly communicate to your customers or Customer Relationship Management (CRM).  Second you will need an outbound text software. There are many tools available in the market today to accomplish these tasks.  One I love and recommend to many business owners is Infusionsoft. They are the first company that has brought together all the aspects of CRM systems, automated follow up sequence engines digital broadcast( email and text) in a single system.

Text messaging is here today and can be used to make the cash registers ring, it not just for your teenagers or the 20 something crowd.  Keep in mind there is an entire generation being raised where texting is their communication choice. Capitalize and monetize this.

More to come on the technologies of The Attention Connection.  Stay tuned…