Debbie Mayo Smith: Texting the key to working smarter

May 2009: My article "Business users not getting the text message" questioned why SMS messaging was so rarely used in business.

Here we are a year later and the same question needs to be asked. Why is SMS messaging significantly underused? Let me qualify that. I'm not referring to marketing text messages, bulk blasts. Rather, the quick questions, answers and prompts that replace a phone call or email between two people doing business. It is much swifter, cheaper and beneficial for all involved. We have more Smartphones, so why hasn't business usage picked up?

I believe it to be unwarranted prejudice.

I have posed the SMS question to many businesspeople over the year. Their answers were almost universally negative.

* "Many of my clients are elderly and don't have cellphones," a risk insurance broker said.

* "My clients don't always have their cellphone with them," a dentist told me.

* "My clients don't text message," a physiotherapist replied.

* "Why would I want to type on the tiny keyboard of my phone?" I was asked by a sales rep.

* "Email is good enough," a mortgage broker stated.

* "My clients would not welcome a message from me," almost all others concurred.

Yet when you look at SMS, the benefits as a vehicle for simple business communication are significant.

It reduces the time needed for a phone call. A text message can be answered quickly, often immediately, circumventing delays in response or getting your message to them (I'm running a touch late, looking forward to our meeting tomorrow, where is it?, confirming lunch, the paperwork is on the way). Using SMS, I've got through to many people in meetings.

As an alternative to the quick email, SMS does not have an IT manager, ISP or company filtering it out.

It's permanent and can be documented (think Tiger Woods) where a phone call (unless recorded) isn't.

On average an SMS is answered within four minutes, an email within 48 hours.

Yes, sending an email is free, while a text can cost up to 20c. But for those in business where time is money, I'm sure 20c is more than recouped in time saved.

And many industry software programs have SMS merging built-in for computer-generated SMS. Vodafone web2TXT; Telecom eText and Skype have SMS distribution from your computer. Many online companies such as Red Oxygen in Australia offer the merging service via Outlook.

Several industries where I think SMS would have fabulous use are:

* The trades - building, gas, plumbing, electrical: to communicate appointments and to cross-market services and provide updates.

* Medical - GP, specialist and dentist: to remind patients of appointments, checkups, prompts for future appointments.

* Retail services - any business that deals with pick-ups and deliveries.

* Professional services and other appointment-based businesses.

To date, I have only received one business SMS (over 15 months ago) from a jeweller. I would be receptive to receiving more.

Out of interest I asked the SMS question in my newsletter and blog this month.

Here is a sample of the response:

Jenny Basnec. Acompli: "My hairdresser and drycleaner uses it. I even reply with extra services which I did not think I would need until the day before the appointment."

Helen Bennett, practice manager, the Physiotherapy Clinic: "We have managed to cut our DNA (did not attend) rate by about 50 per cent since we introduced text reminders about 12 months ago. Texts are automatically generated from our computer software and patients are encouraged to opt into this service."

David Harris, MeCount Business Systems: "We are heavily involved in setting up a new enterprise monitoring bugs on avocado, citrus and flower crops for growers. It is our intention to use SMS to report pest 'over threshold' reports direct to growers, communicate with our monitors in the field, check with growers if their orchard has been sprayed and ask if we can go into their orchard to carry out our monitoring. I use SMS to tell me when someone has left a message on the answerphone at my office when it is unattended."

Bruce Parkes: "The NZ Blood Service has an opt-in text reminder service for donors for appointment reminders. It seems to work for them and would be far less time-consuming than ringing donors or incurring the opportunity cost of a missed donation."

Michael Abbott, Real Base Live: "Our property management customers often have to chase tenants for rent arrears. The tenant name and amount owed is sent via SMS and we send about 12,000 per month via the internet from our Palace Live software. The tenants can reply and texts are stored in our software. Property managers have won cases at the Tenancy Tribunal because they could prove a tenant knew of the overdue rent because they responded to the text and it was recorded."

Debbie Mayo-Smith is a bestselling author and international speaker. Twitter mseffective

www.debbiespeaks.co.nz