Rate yourself: On a scale of 1–10, how effective is your communication with your customers?
If you are sending a message and that message never makes contact with the eyes/ears of the receiver, give yourself a 1.
You can spend all the time in the world preparing that perfect, genuine message, but if it doesn’t actually make it to the customer, you’ve wasted your time.
On average, only 22% of the emails you send will be opened and read. With the recent changes to Facebook rankings, the likelihood of your message hitting your followers’ feeds without some serious advertising money is close to zero. It’s time we look at an alternative method of communication: text messaging.
Did you know that 98% of the texts you send are opened and read? (It’s pretty hard to ignore those text message notifications!) Bonus? Within 90 seconds, 45% of those messages will receive a response. Customers have moved out of their email inbox and onto their mobile phones.
So, if you truly want your communication to be a 10, your message must be where your customers’ eyes are.
I recently had the chance to interview Brandon Steiner, the CEO and founder of Steiner Sports, and asked what makes texting so different:
Texting is great, but what if I have a lot to say? Here at Skipio, we allow text messages of up to 320 characters. And, if you still want more, there are options:
1. Send a Video Message
With the social trend leaning towards authenticity, there is no better way to authentically communicate than with your face and your voice. The Skipio platform allows you to record and send these videos directly to your customers.
2. Send a Picture Message
Graphics and pictures can be sent in addition to a text message. For example, many gym owners send a graphic with a list of the class schedules for the week. When customers have access to the schedule on their phone, it becomes easier to share with family and friends as well.
3. Send a Voicemail Drop
No, I am not telling you to call all of your customers; chances are you wouldn’t even get in touch with most of them. Ringless voicemail gives you the ability to record your message and send it directly to one or several customer’s voicemail inboxes. It’s quick, easy, and personal.
The way in which you communicate with your customers truly does matter. Great, effective communication leads to deeper connections and deeper connections lead to lifelong customers.
Curious to see how all of this works? Watch this video.
