Every sales and marketing professional has, at one point or another, been frustrated by voicemails. They are rarely returned, due to being hard for the recipient to understand, or there just isn't enough time to listen to them. However, text messaging may be providing professionals with an easier way to communicate with customers and prospects.
According to a report from USA TODAY, voicemail is on the decline, and text messaging is a primary reason for the trend. The internet voice provider Vonage reported an 8 percent year-over-year decline in voice messages left in July. The company also said messages retrieved by Vonage users fell by 14 percent in the month.
Michael Tempora, senior vice president of product management at Vonage, told the news source users simply lack the time to listen to all of their voice messages.
"They hate the whole voicemail introduction, prompts, having to listen to them in chronological order," Tempora said.
Sales and marketing professionals cannot afford to have their voice messages go unheard. Business opportunities can be lost if messages are completely dismissed, but they can also be lost if recipients don't listen to his or her message until a later date. Moreover, if prospects or customers lack the time to listen to voicemails, they may not get an important message and not respond.
By texting, the message can be read quickly and clearly. The nature of SMS messaging means communication will be concise and to the point. It's much easier for recipients to read and respond to a text than listen to a voicemail, understand it and call back.
Companies that market themselves via text messaging may find greater success than making calls and leaving voicemails. Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools businesses need to launch effective SMS campaigns.
