Every second, robocallers place 3,961 phone calls, the majority of which are imposter scams attempting to sell, swindle, and scam consumers out of money or personal information.
With robocall scams reaching epidemic proportions, many people now refuse to answer their phones to people outside of their circle of friends and family. This poses a challenge to businesses that need to reach customers by phone.
In this article, we explain how texting can help your business reach people by phone and form personal connections that foster customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Robocalls Harm Your Phone Outreach
More than half of people now receive at least one robocall per day, according to new research by Clutch.
An overwhelming majority of consumers (71%) now prefer that businesses contact them by text, email, or physical mail instead of by phone.
On Twitter and Reddit, people express their frustration with robocalls and share ways to manage the risks, which sometimes include blocking anyone that doesn’t leave a message.
In 2019, if you want customers to pick up the phone, you’ll most likely need to adjust your approach to placing calls.
The Trick to Getting Your Calls Answered: Send a Text First!
Sending a text before you call a customer lets them know that your call is legitimate, so they don’t confuse your call with a robocall.
When texting a customer before calling, keep the following etiquette in mind:
- Personalize your texts with the recipient’s name or information, to build trust.
- Introduce yourself to confirm your identity.
- Keep your text message short, free of errors, and to-the-point.
Additionally, asking customers to add your number to their contact list is an excellent way to ensure they know it’s you calling.
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You may even consider a vanity phone number, such as 1-800-FLOWERS, which helps people recognize your number immediately.
Texting before you call increases the likelihood that your call will get answered, and also serves as a courtesy to customers who prefer you to call them at another time.
Consider Communicating Exclusively Over Text
Businesses may consider replacing phone calls with texting for many of their communication needs, such as appointments, customer service, and sales.
According to the State of Texting 2019 report by ZipWhip:
- 39% of businesses use texting to communicate with customers
- 67% of people would rather use texting for appointments, reminders, and scheduling.
- 74% of customers respond to business text messages within an hour.
- 74% of consumers read 100% of their texts.
Texting with customers helps you avoid playing phone tag or leaving voicemail messages that are never heard.
When texting with customers, use your brand tone and style to communicate. Tone and style are part of your brand consistency, which is essential to building trust and maintaining customer loyalty.
For example, if your brand tone is positive and helpful, make sure to keep your texts upbeat and supportive. If your brand is known for a casual or silly style, then carry those traits into your texting communication.
Texting customers doesn’t mean you need to pull out your phone and awkwardly press buttons with your thumbs. There are several apps, such as Avochato and TextMagic, that can help businesses organize and send professional text messages.
Most texting apps include user-friendly interfaces, analytics, and advice on how to navigate the professional texting experience.
Texting is Essential to Businesses in 2019
Using text communications to contact customers before placing a phone call, or to communicate directly with customers, is a well-accepted and effective way to communicate with people.
Following text etiquette and staying true to your brand’s tone and voice will help build trust and a personal connection with your customers when texting.
