Challenges Faced by Doers and Sellers in Professional Service Selling

One of the core challenges faced by Doers and sellers in Professional Services is the simultaneous demand to deliver high-quality services while actively engaging potential clients. This duality often leads to missed opportunities, as time spent on one aspect can detract from the other. Moreover, in industries like finance, education, and health & wellness, the stakes are high, and the nature of client interactions is crucial to the success of the service being offered.

To further understand the challenges, here are a few that we came across after talking to our clientele. 

• Dual Responsibilities – Balancing the roles of delivering services and selling them.
• Opportunity Costs – The risk of missed opportunities when focusing on one role over the other.
• Client Interaction Importance – Ensuring client interactions are optimal, especially in critical industries like finance, education, and health & wellness.
• Pressure of Quality Delivery – Maintaining high-quality services while being proactive in client engagement.
• High-Stakes Decisions – The weight of every client interaction, especially when the success of the service is directly linked to client satisfaction.

The Power of Integrated Messaging: Deep Dive

Multichannel Messaging – In an era where clients are omnipresent across various platforms, SMS-Magic’s omnichannel capabilities ensure that Doers and sellers in Professional Services can engage on any platform of choice, from SMS to LINE, ensuring no opportunity is missed.

Messaging and CRM Integration – Imagine the power of having a unified view of all client communications within the CRM you use daily. It’s not just about convenience but about harnessing data for more potent, personalized engagement.

Global Coverage – In our interconnected world, professional services aren’t bound by geographical barriers. With messaging support for 59 carriers across 190+ countries, SMS-Magic ensures doer-sellers can truly cater to a global clientele.

Compliance – Particularly for industries like finance or health & wellness, adherence to regulations is non-negotiable. SMS-Magic’s compliance features, which adapt in real-time to global regulatory shifts, are a boon. Whether it’s GDPR in Europe or TCPA in the U.S., compliance is ensured.

Case Studies Showcasing the Transformation

• Finance Industry – A leading financial advisory firm leveraged SMS-Magic’s platform to engage with potential investors. Through personalized messaging campaigns, they could generate inquiries for loans, insurance, and investments. The platform’s compliance feature ensured all communications were in line with regulatory standards, resulting in a 40% increase in conversions.
• Health & Wellness – A wellness center utilized the platform’s multichannel messaging capabilities to counsel and register new patients. With a  HIPAA-compliant solution, they could share health tips and ensure timely treatment follow-ups, resulting in a significant boost in patient trust and engagement.
• Real Estate – A real estate agency implemented SMS-Magic to drive open house promotions and negotiations. With CRM integration, all interactions were informed and tailored, leading to faster property turnovers and increased referrals.
• Education Sector – A premier university utilized SMS-Magic to enhance its student admission process. Through automated yet personalized messaging campaigns, prospective students received timely counsel, reducing admission drop-offs by 30%.
• Legal Domain – A top-tier law firm harnessed the power of SMS-Magic for client engagement. They implemented multichannel messaging to update clients about case progress, resulting in enhanced client trust and a 20% uptick in client referrals.

These are just a few examples of the transformative impact messaging can have across different industries.

Role of Messaging in Transforming Engagement

This is where the magic of messaging steps in. Founded over 15 years ago, SMS-Magic has been at the forefront of the messaging revolution, recognizing the unique challenges faced by doers and sellers in professional services. With features like 24×7 inbound messaging and omnichannel support, the platform ensures that professionals can maintain constant communication with their clients across various channels – be it SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or others.

Moreover, the integration capabilities with CRMs like Salesforce and Zoho ensure that these communications are seamlessly woven into the broader sales and service process. This means professionals can focus on what they do best, while the messaging system takes care of engagement.

Conclusion – Future of Doer and Sellers in Professional Services with Integrated Messaging

As we gaze into the future, one thing becomes abundantly clear: The line between service delivery and client engagement is blurring. For doer-sellers in Professional services, this intersection is where magic happens. With platforms like SMS-Magic, this magic is not just about enhanced communication but about crafting measurable client experiences.

In essence, the future for doers and sellers in professional services is not just about offering or selling, but about communicating, engaging, and resonating. And in this narrative, integrated messaging emerges not just as a tool but as a catalyst for change. SMS-Magic, with its vast array of features and dedication to continuous innovation, stands poised to lead doer-sellers into this brave new world of empowered communication.

What are High-Stakes Services?

High-consideration services involve consumers making major decisions where they expect positive, or even life-changing outcomes. With so much on the line, these services must offer engagement that builds trust and meets individual needs. A few defining characteristics of these services are:

• Highly personalized to everyone
• Time-sensitive or urgent
• Require access to private information/records
• Decisions carry substantial consequences
• Frequently complex or emotionally charged

How Consumer Preferences Have Shifted

Rigid communication channels like email and phone calls restrict the ability to deliver personalized, convenient engagement.

• 73% expect transparent, honest communication from businesses.
• 68% want providers to inform them of the issues that may affect them.
• 62% are more loyal to providers who understand their specific needs.

Shortcomings of Email Communication – For High-Stakes Services

Email communication has notable drawbacks and constraints. The rapid accumulation of emails can lead to an inbox overloaded with information. Sifting through an abundance of messages can be a tiresome task that causes critical messages to get lost in the shuffle. Some examples are:

1. The sender can’t ensure messages reach recipients and get read promptly – A patient emails their doctor about unusual symptoms, but the doctor doesn’t see it for several days.

2. Inability to express subtleties and emotions when discussing delicate subjects – An attorney attempts to explain legal risks in an email, but the tone seems harsh.

3. Inconsistent hand-offs between departments create disjointed experiences – A client gets bounced between departments and must re-explain their issue each time.

4. Privacy issues with sensitive information – Financial details get put in an insecure email exposed to hacking risks.

Shortcomings of Phone Calls – For High-Stakes Services

Using a phone for business can be convenient, but it may also have many drawbacks. The biggest roadblock with phone calls is that the person being called must be available. If they are not available, we run into these problems:

The Growing Need for More Responsive Channels

The digital age has fundamentally transformed how consumers interact with businesses. With the rise of social media and instant messaging platforms, people now anticipate real-time responses. Traditional modes of communication like emails and phone calls, though still prevalent, are increasingly perceived as archaic for high-stakes services.

Factors Influencing Today’s Communication Standards Several underlying factors shape the current expectations:

• Instant Gratification: In an era where we can order food, hail a cab, or get answers to queries within seconds, waiting for responses via emails or missing phone calls can be frustrating.
• Shift to Visual Communication: With platforms like Instagram and TikTok dominating the digital space, people prefer visual and interactive communication over long text emails or auditory phone calls.
• Mobile-First World: Most consumers access services via their mobile devices. Emails and phone calls often disrupt the flow, whereas direct app-based or SMS-based interactions feel more seamless.

Evolution Beyond Emails and Calls

Text Messaging and Its Benefits Text messaging, particularly SMS and chatbots, has rapidly risen as a preferred communication method. Here’s why:

• Direct and Immediate: Texts get read, typically within 3 minutes of being received. This immediacy ensures that crucial information isn’t overlooked.
• Visual Aids: Modern texting allows for the incorporation of images, videos, and gifs, making communication more engaging.
• End-to-End Encryption: Text messaging can offer enhanced security measures ensuring the confidentiality of private information.

These factors show why legacy channels fall drastically short of meeting the engagement requirements of high-stakes services. Businesses and professional services need modern solutions to facilitate convenient, compliant, and trusted communication between providers and consumers. Companies that embrace text messaging to connect with customers on their terms will gain a substantial competitive advantage as we move deeper into the digital future.

Connect with us today to get your high-stakes conversations started. 

In an era where every transaction holds immense significance, understanding the intricacies of Customer Engagement in High-stakes Services becomes paramount. These services, encompassing sectors such as finance, healthcare, and real estate, don’t merely entail transactions but define crucial life choices with long-lasting impacts. The challenge lies in the paradox of their nature: while the stakes are astronomically high, customer trust and loyalty remain precariously fragile. 

Therefore, it’s about selling a service and ensuring a partnership rooted in trust, value, and mutual understanding. The subsequent intricacies of this engagement arena are often overlooked, potentially leading to missed opportunities and compromised relationships. Recognizing and addressing the unique demands of these high-stakes sectors is what this discussion intends to delve into, underlining why it’s absolutely essential to refine our approach and elevate the dialogue between businesses and their clientele.

Let’s explore why and how a sophisticated messaging strategy, such as SMS-Magic, becomes invaluable when talking about Customer Engagement in High-stakes services.

1. High Consideration
   Industries requiring heavy investments like finance and real estate need a holistic approach to communication. This is where omnichannel messaging can make a real difference.

SMS-Magic Advantage: We excel with our omnichannel messaging and 24×7 inbound messaging, ensuring customers have an avenue of communication anytime, anywhere.

2. High Value
   Higher education sectors are significant in terms of both investment and consequence. In such fields, personalized communication holds the key to successful engagement.

SMS-Magic Advantage: Our platform offers seamless, personalized communication, one-to-one whenever required, so you can help your service seekers make informed decisions. 

3. Impact on Self-image
   The healthcare sector is intrinsically linked to one’s well-being. Here, communication should foster trust and support, emphasizing the importance of one’s choices.

SMS-Magic Advantage: Our multichannel messaging system ensures that patients can always find timely advice and an empathetic ear, no matter the platform.

4. Consultative Selling:
   In legal or staffing sectors, it’s the expertise that’s for sale. Effective communication is about delivering the right insights, at the right time.

SMS-Magic Advantage: Our mobile application, which comes fully equipped with CRM integration, enables consultants to offer real-time advice, tailored to the client’s needs.

5. Time-sensitive Matters:
   In financial services, every second counts. Delays can lead to missed opportunities or escalating risks, highlighting the need for intelligent automation in communication.

SMS-Magic Advantage: Our platform incorporates intelligent automation, ensuring that businesses act swiftly and effectively in time-sensitive scenarios.

6. Long-Term Consequences:
   Education and financial decisions impact one’s future. The communication in these sectors should reflect this longevity, emphasizing continuous support and guidance.

SMS-Magic Advantage: With our customer lifecycle engagement approach, we promise a long-lasting relationship, providing valuable insights throughout the client’s journey.

7. Long Customer Lifecycle:
   Real estate is a long game, with transactions spanning months or even years. Such a prolonged customer lifecycle demands persistent, consistent, and informative communication.

SMS-Magic Advantage: Through CRM integration, we ensure that every engagement is informed, context-aware, and tailored, nurturing valuable long-term relationships.

8. Multiple Stakeholders:
   In sectors like staffing, the challenge is to ensure clarity among multiple parties. Effective communication should bring everyone onto the same page.

SMS-Magic Advantage: Our centralized messaging portal is designed to streamline interactions, ensuring synchronized and clear communication among all stakeholders.

9. Strict Regulations:
   The finance and healthcare sectors come with a slew of regulations. Navigating these while ensuring effective communication is a challenge in itself.

SMS-Magic Advantage: We excel in messaging compliance, ensuring that whether it’s HIPAA requirements or 10DLC registration intricacies, businesses remain compliant without the associated stress.

Charting Success in Customer Engagement in High-Stakes Services

The intricate nature of customer engagement in high-stakes arenas requires a strategic, versatile, and secure approach. SMS-Magic, boasting over 15 years of expertise, stands as a beacon for businesses venturing into these waters. From compliance to omnichannel messaging and CRM integrations, we’ve curated a platform that resonates with both the business and its clientele. In an era where a personal touch signifies distinction, SMS-Magic ensures every conversation is purposeful, timely, and impactful.

Key Takeaway – In high-stakes sectors, each interaction bears weight. Choose SMS-Magic – where every conversation genuinely matters. Because when it comes to Customer Engagement in high-stakes services, you do want perfection.

Get in touch with us today – And let’s get your conversations going!

SMS Marketing Myth 1: One Size Fits All in Messaging Solutions

Reality: Every car isn’t a Lamborghini, right? Initiated in 2008, SMS-Magic has never stopped evolving. Beyond traditional text messaging services, we focus on creating genuine engagement and fostering customer relationships. Our SMS platform prioritizes results, evidenced by clients experiencing a staggering 40% hike in conversions.

SMS Marketing Myth 2: It’s Just… Texting

Reality: Think of a master chef crafting a gourmet dish: whether they use secret ingredients or everyday food, they always deliver something fantastic. That’s how we view messaging! SMS-Magic elevates business text messaging into an art form. By prioritizing genuine, resonant content, we’ve become the go-to choice for high-stakes conversations such as finance and healthcare.

SMS Marketing Myth 3: Platforms are Too Complex

Reality: Ever tried assembling a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle? Daunting, right? But with SMS-Magic, the experience is more like snapping together Lego bricks. By designing a user-friendly interface, we let businesses focus on what they excel at, leaving the SMS intricacies to us.

SMS Marketing Myth 4: Compliance is a Constant Battle

Reality: Imagine a world where you can set-and-forget rules and regulations. Welcome to the SMS-Magic realm! We actively monitor and adapt to regulatory updates and changes , ensuring your SMS campaigns remain compliant. Say goodbye to those tedious manual updates.

SMS Marketing Myth 5: Integration Nightmares Await

Reality: Imagine effortlessly blending paint on a canvas so every color is clear, bright, and tells a story. That’s the integration experience with SMS-Magic. Whether you’re using Salesforce, Zoho, or other CRM systems, our seamless integration ensures fluidity in your communication processes.

SMS Marketing Myth 6: Setting Up is Like Climbing Everest

Reality: With us, it’s more of a walk in the park! Begin your SMS marketing journey with SMS-Magic in a day. Should you encounter any challenges our top-notch support team is just a call away.

SMS Marketing Myth 7: Termination Equals Data Loss

Reality: Consider us the guardians of your digital memories. Even post-cancellation, your data is safely and securely maintained, ensuring your hard work and customer interactions aren’t lost to the void.

SMS Marketing Myth 8: Texts Play Second Fiddle to Emails

Reality: In our digital age, timeliness is the name of the game. While emails sit unread, SMS messages boast a jaw-dropping 98% open rate. Makes you wonder: Who’s truly leading the customer engagement race?

SMS Marketing Myth 9: Bulk Messaging Equals Spam

Reality: We believe in quality over quantity. Rather than bombarding users, our personalized SMS strategies ensure that each message feels personalized, leading to a whopping 75% of users feeling more connected to brands.

SMS Marketing Myth 10: SMS Lacks Engagement Power

Reality: If engagement was a dance, SMS would be leading the Conga Line! Brands that weave SMS into their strategies witness a soaring 30% uptick in engagement. It’s time to join the dance!

SMS Marketing Myth 11: Serious Businesses Don’t Text

Reality: Think of professional SMS communication as the modern-day briefcase: sleek, efficient, and indispensable. From appointment reminders in healthcare to transactional updates in finance, secure business messaging has become a keystone in professional communication.

SMS Marketing Myth 12: SMS Isn’t ROI Friendly

Reality: Here’s some economics 101: for every dollar channeled into SMS campaigns, businesses often see returns exceeding $40. It’s an investment that truly pays dividends.

The prowess of SMS marketing isn’t just about numbers or open rates. It’s about resonance. It’s about conversations that matter. Dive deep with SMS-Magic and watch your business narratives turn magical, one message at a time. After all, in this age of fleeting attention spans, it’s not merely the message, but the connection that counts. Stay ahead, stay engaged, and remember: Magic is just an SMS away! 

Inspired by a favorite holiday song, we’ve collected 12 holiday-themed marketing strategies to boost seasonal sales this year, no matter what industry you’re in. Pick and choose from these suggestions, complete with text marketing examples that are friendly, fun and effective.  

12 Drummers running limited-time flash sale campaigns

Create a small window of time when you’ll slash prices on some of your most popular items or products. Worried about losing money with big discounts? Limit the number of items along with your timeframe.

Psst…Hey Gina, our 48h holiday flash sale Starts NOW! Use code Gold48 and enjoy 35% off select items. Ho-Ho-Go! http://tmc.co/12445

11 Pipers promoting attention-grabbing holiday offers or events

Personalized, holiday-themed messages are a quick and inexpensive way to grab your customer’s attention. Use warmth and cheer in your seasonal messages to advertise a special holiday sale, open house or client party. For real estate agents, relocation buyers may use the holidays to plan a house-hunting visit or locals will use their time off to look at potential houses. Here’s an example of how to promote an open house this season:

Happy Holidays! Stop by for warm drinks, treats and a special gift at our holiday open house on 11/15 See you there! RealEstateCA

10 Lords-a-leaping for free gifts with purchase

Do you have a special gift to offer customers when they make purchases? Free gifts not only attract customers, they benefit your business too. By making this free gift contingent on customers spending a target amount, you can see an increase in your average order.

TechFamz: Hey Rob, get a Free software upgrade with any $xxx purchase during the month of December: http://Tef.co/12345 Text STOP to opt out

9 Ladies creating festive holiday bundles

Who doesn’t love a theme? When you attract business with emotion-stirring, holiday-themed bundles, you’re sure to stuff lots of stockings, packages, and bags.

Hey, Terani! Holiday dinners for the win with our festive feast bundles. Cookbooks, cookware, & delicious goodies for every home! http://abc.co/12345

8 Maids triggering cart abandonment flows

This time of year comes with a slew of promotional messages that can easily distract customers from finishing purchases. But you can cut through the marketing chaos with cart and browsing abandonment messages. These triggered automated messages should create a sense of urgency, encouraging customers to act so they don’t miss out on your fabulous holiday offers.

Use Get15 code at checkout and load up your cart full of gifts for your loved ones with a 15% discount Happy Holidays! Save Now

7 Swans a-swimming toward a BOGO offer

Messages promoting buy-one-get-one offers are a simple way to draw shoppers to your products and services.

Santa is coming to town early this year with BOGO add-on services Get yours now at: http://smsbogo/12345

6 Geese a-laying down gift shopping and shipping deadlines

Timely delivery is crucial during the holidays. With a solid holiday messaging strategy around shipment deadlines, you can ensure your customers’ gifts get here, there and everywhere in time.

Get your gifts in time for the holidays. Order by 12.20 and get your gifts in time with 2-day shipping! http://bit.ly/AV456

5 Golden rings around visually appealing holiday graphics

Visually appealing holiday images and GIFs are the perfect complements to any offer. Some promotions are designed to work with stunning holiday graphics. If plain text isn’t quite enough to make an impact, use multimedia messaging (MMS) instead. With MMS, you can include the graphics in the message, including images, videos and GIFs. You can also link to images and videos from SMS messages.

4 Calling birds sending out alerts for upcoming sales

Now that you’ve created holiday-themed sales, you should also set up a campaign to remind your customers the deal is coming, going on now, almost over and even extended.

Afraid you’ve missed our best deals? Don’t worry, save 20% on select items all week long. http://SMSluv.12345

3 French hens creating hype with messaging campaign flows

Creative messaging campaign flows can build hype around new releases, promotions, seasonal gifts and holiday offers. Unveiling snippets of info about your upcoming reveal or new product can get people excited and ready to click and buy.

Stay tuned, stocking stuffers. The new 202# ultimate holiday travel deal is coming soon. Limited stays available. One sale 11.28

2 Turtle doves promoting friendly self-love purchases

Holiday deals are appealing for both gifting and self-care. This holiday, encourage your customers to give the gift of self-care by spending a little time, and money, on themselves.

Cami, you’ve been a good elf all season. It’s time to take care of you with 15% off your entire order at http://SMSsl/goodelf

1 And a partridge in a pear tree with loyalty discounts and cross-sell opportunities

Once SMS-Magic integrates with the CRM, you can use messaging to power your segmented marketing campaigns. Have frequent shoppers or clients? Show them love by sending them a loyalty discount message. How about customers who haven’t bought anything in a while or a job contract that is nearly up for employees you have placed? Check in with them during the holidays and create a cross-sell in the process.

Try this for a product cross-selling opportunity for frequent buyers:

[Kate], you’re on our nice list! Here’s a holiday treat just for you– 50% off our [xyz product add-on] in Jan. Book now: [URL]

Here’s a staffing and recruiting discount idea for your loyal clients:

Hey Keri, how is your new locum job going? We’re here for what’s next for you in 202#. Join job search premiere at 15% off this December. http://NewP/12345

No matter how you package your special holiday offers, discounts, bundles, or upgrades, messaging can help get the word out faster than calling birds or turtle doves. And with 98% of messages opened within three minutes of receipt, it’s the perfect time to add a messaging channel to your digital marketing strategy.

Ready to give messaging a try in time for the holidays? Contact SMS-Magic for a demo today!

Your clients will love this option too. In fact, The National Association of Realtors reported that 62% of all home buyers prefer to receive property info through text messaging. With a high open rate —98% — and ease of scalability, messages are being read and responded to faster than other messaging channels.

With those statistics in mind, here are 5 tips and templates that convert in the real estate industry:

1. Start building relationships with a welcome text

A warm welcome is a great way to start building a relationship with leads. After they agree to receive text messages from you and your agency, you can get the conversation started with a personalized message. Use this initial message to introduce yourself, provide your contact info and gather some details. This message can open the door to future conversations that change leads into clients.

Want to go a step further? Try setting up autoresponders (or auto-replies) triggered by keywords to start a conversation flow. These responders save you time by gathering vital information about your leads without any manual intervention from your real estate team. When creating these auto-replies, make them conversational —160 characters or less — and assign each one a keyword trigger. Keep in mind that one autoresponder may not cut it. You may need a series of responses to gather the information you need from your lead to move them to a client and then a satisfied customer.

Here’s a simple welcome template with autoresponders:

2. Use messaging to get clients attending open houses

Sending messages to buyers with open house details can get them exploring homes, bringing you closer to finalizing deals. With messaging at your fingertips, you can send out open house particulars and reminders to increase client attendance. At 160 characters or less, messages can list multiple properties or a single property with more details. And since everyone’s busy these days, it’s a good idea to send these invites out a couple of days in advance, with reminders one day out and the day of.

To ensure you’re sending the best matches to your clients, gather and store details about your client’s preferences from forms or autoresponders. With that intel, you can create segmented lists to receive messages about specific open houses that match their interests, such as location, size and the number of bathrooms and bedrooms.

Here’s an example to get you started:

Hi [Name], we’d like to invite you for an open house scheduled for [date & time] at [house address]. It’s a huge 4 bedroom house I’m sure you’ll like. [Agent name]

3. Messaging for follow-ups and to reignite cold leads 

Sometimes great leads fall off your radar. Perhaps they got busy, or they just need more time to think. Regardless of the reason, messaging is a fantastic way to nudge them back to life by reminding them of what you have to offer along their real estate journey.

Try something like this:

Hi [Name], it’s been a while since we spoke. Are you still interested in [buying/selling]? Please let us know if there’s anything you might need.

Have you already spent time looking at homes or attending open houses? Use messaging to send a follow-up to help move your client’s decision-making process along.

4. Keep clients engaged with updates or price drops

Messaging your clients about crucial changes that can lead to closings is easy with messaging. Maybe a new listing has popped up in their area of interest, or a home they are interested in had a price drop or has another potential buyer. Sending simple updates will keep your clients engaged while saving everyone time.

Here’s a price drop sample:

Hi [Name]. The home you toured at [Address] just dropped from [price] to [price]. Reply YES to place an offer.

5. Close more sales with viewing and reminder messages

Sending sellers quick messages to plan and manage viewings can help move the home sale towards closing. Messaging can help you schedule viewings and send auto-reminders to ensure your sellers are ready for buyers to see — and hopefully put an offer on — their home.

Here’s a sample script:

Hi [Name], potential buyers wanted to schedule a viewing for your property. Does [Time]on [Date] work well for you?

With SMS-Magic, you can get ahead of the competition with quick and engaging conversations that convert. Ready to start using SMS-Magic for your real estate team? Contact us for  a demo or a free trial!

How you implement conversational messaging, however, will depend on several factors. Here are our suggestions for evaluating your messaging readiness:

1. How many messages do you expect to send per month?
   SMS-Magic is a powerful tool, no matter how many messages you send, but our platform really shines as your volume increases. You can send thousands of text messages in just a few minutes, or you can send eye-catching multimedia files at a slightly slower pace. It’s easy to tailor your message volume to your goals and budget.

2. Do you work with a CRM like Salesforce or Zoho?
   If you send just a handful of messages each month, you can use SMS-Magic without using a customer relationship management tool like Salesforce or Zoho. If, however, you have conversations with more than a few clients or customers, a CRM can help you track your conversations, segment your delivery lists and customize your messaging campaigns. SMS-Magic is a top-rated partner for Salesforce and Zoho, and it integrates with them seamlessly.

3. Do you need to track all your conversations in one place?
   Once you’ve integrated messaging and your CRM, SMS-Magic will store all your messages to a single customer in one record. If you use a practice management tool like Litify, you can see the conversation history in Litify – there’s no need to open both applications. Accessing a conversation history allows contact centers to work more efficiently and reduces customer frustration. Customers don’t have to repeat their stories time and again because the conversation is available to the rep immediately.

4. Do all your employees need the ability to message?
   We can provide messaging access to all your employees – not just your marketing team – if that helps you respond to your customers faster. Some of the law firms that use SMS-Magic have found that empowering all their employees with messaging access allows their staff to respond to client questions and concerns, even if the lead attorney on the case is in court. The message history is available to everyone, so staff members can relay information to clients, follow-up on missing documents or send appointment reminders.

5. Do your employees need messaging access on the go
   The SMS-Magic Mobile App is a great solution when your staff members can’t be in the office. One of our customers, a property management company, has streamlined maintenance requests by converting to messaging. Tenants can use their preferred communication method to report maintenance issues, and staff members can respond promptly, even if they are visiting a property at the time. Because SMS-Magic is integrated into Salesforce for this customer, all conversations are stored for easy access back at the office.

You know how powerful conversational messaging can be. Your customers love it! They read 98% of the messages they receive and respond within three minutes to 95% of them. You can deliver a message at your convenience and your customer can respond at theirs.

Billions of people use messaging platforms like SMS, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp – allowing them to make payments, talk to their bankers, and submit applications from their mobile phones. Conversational messaging has become the preferred business communication channel around the world.

Are you ready to switch to conversational messaging? We’d like to help make your decision easier. Our customer support team would love to show you how SMS-Magic can make reaching your customers easier and more effective with a demo or a free trial!

Billions of people use messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and SMS – allowing them to make payments, talk to their bankers, and submit applications from their mobile phones. Conversational messaging has become the preferred business communication channel around the world.

Now you have a chance to test drive the newly updated version of SMS-Magic!

If you already have created a sandbox environment, we would like to push an Early Release Preview to your sandbox in the next two weeks. We’d like you to try it and let us know what you think. Here’s all you need to do:

• If you have a sandbox in Version 1.68 now, do nothing. We’ll push the new release to your sandbox automatically.
• If you’d rather not play, send an email  to marketing@sms-magic.com to tell us to exclude your sandbox from the push.
• Be sure to save your work before the auto-push.

Once you’ve tried the new version of SMS-Magic, we need your feedback. We’ll give you some time to try the new release out, then we’ll send you an email with a feedback link. Your input will help us create a better product for you.

What’s New in the Early Release Preview?

SMS-Magic is known for sophisticated, easy-to-use APIs designed for CRMs like Salesforce and Zoho. The upgrades in the new release make those integrations even easier and give you more control over how you engage your customers.

• Enhanced User Experience: Personalize your user experience with additional role-based permission sets and organize the records detail page with conversation component resizing.
• Multimedia Conversations: Send bigger rich-media files over instant messengers and set Salesforce as the storage location for them.
• Tame the Templates: Enjoy quick access to org-wide templates from SMS-Magic Global Navigation.
• Find Your Conversation Flows: Search by “app name” or “PA-Key” and view process builders, workflows and flows linked with any Converse App.
• Launch Conversations at Scale: Manage multiple high-volume campaigns directly from SMS-Magic Global Navigation.
• Engage with Customers at the Right Time, Every Time: SMS-Magic’s Early Release Preview keeps track of your conversations from start to finish in a single thread – before or after you create the record. Modifying objects and templates? No problem. Your conversations are always on. You can immediately spot conversations assigned to you and keep them uninterrupted and synched with Salesforce at all times.
• Enjoy Stronger Compliance & Support: We’ve enhanced the back-end so you can track all SMS-Magic user activity in one place and access all activity logs when you need them. Configure opt-in and opt-out keywords, templated messages, and message tags. Maintain audit trails and enable reporting for multichannel compliance, opt-out rates, message delivery, and more. Have a question? Our support team is ready to help resolve any issues you encounter. You can turn on full- or limited-access to the support team for seven days at a time.
• Confidently Continue Conversations On the Go: You can spot new messages anytime, anywhere. The upgraded SMS-Magic Mobile App prominently displays how many unread messages you have. The app also lets you continue conversations from your mobile phone and tracks them in your CRM. You can share exact map locations in conversations to improve any in-person meeting experience.

The new release of SMS-Magic’s Early Release Preview is your perfect partner to power high-stakes conversational messaging for moments that matter. Help us make it the best it can be with your feedback. If you have questions, please contact customer support.

If you haven’t tried SMS-Magic yet, our customer support team would love to show you how SMS-Magic can make reaching your customers easier and more effective. Ask for a demo or a free trial!

When you craft a messaging campaign, you should establish your goals and decide how you will measure success. Is your campaign designed to provide information to prospective customers? Are you helping customers with their buying decisions? Are you helping solve problems with a customer service team?

Whatever your campaign goals are, you are sending messages to reach your audience with a specific intent. You might want your customers to learn something, to do something or to decide something. Your messages help them take action.

Analytics help you understand how effective you have been in accomplishing the goals of the campaign. The SMS-Magic team is proud of our easy-to-use dashboard with standard analytics that are ready for you as soon as you send your first message. We can help you analyze and report on the metrics that matter most to you. We can even provide a free trial or a demo.

Of course, we think our messaging platform is the best, but let’s get back to what you should know about your campaigns. Here are some of the key metrics you’ll want to review:

• Message Delivery
  You’ll want to be sure that your messages are reliably delivered, so be sure your software solution for text messaging provides end-to-end delivery statistics across all involved carriers. You can’t help customers if you can’t reach them. Message delivery stats will help you understand how many of your messages are reaching your customers and may highlight issues that prevent delivery. You might have a problem that is easily remedied, if you know about it.

• Response Rates
  If you’re sending a campaign to a list, you’ll want to measure how many of your leads or contacts responded to your message. Low response rates should spur testing of both your message and content to improve results.

• Response Times – Messaging Users
  One of the key values of messaging is the ability to create a conversation. This means that when you receive a response from one of your target audience members, you need to respond quickly, either with an automated message or with a message from a team member.
  Be sure to evaluate response times for your individual users and teams overall. When you see slower response times, be sure to understand why they are occurring, perhaps refining your process to eliminate slow responses. Pay attention to response rates for your industry. What is a “quick” response in one industry may be a very slow response in another.

• Managing Consent to Text
  Privacy laws around the world require you to track who opts in and who opts out of your text marketing campaigns, and you must have explicit consent to collect and process a customer’s personal information. Campaign analytics help you monitor each recipient’s status and can provide reports to prove compliance individually and in aggregate. It’s critical that you abide by a customer’s requests for compliance reasons, as well as to foster good relationships with customers and prospects.

• Pipeline Progress
  As you create and deliver campaigns and individual messages designed to move your prospects through your pipeline, you want to be sure that you monitor their progress. Be sure to evaluate measures such as which content moves a prospect forward, which content gets little reaction, and which content or messages drive conversions.

• Conversion Rates
  If you’re using conversational messaging to drive any type of conversion – a product sale, a subscription, signing up for a course, a candidate accepting a job – be sure to measure your true success rates. All too often we focus on getting a response, responding in a timely fashion, meeting dates, etc. Yet the ultimate measure of a successful conversational messaging campaign is converting your prospect successfully into a customer.

Test and Refine Your Message

If your analytics indicate that something is wrong – response rates have declined, conversions are not what you’d like, customer-service rates are fluctuating wildly – it may be time to do some testing. The most common type of message testing is called A/B or split testing. It’s a proven method of learning what content works and what doesn’t.

Create two messages or two pieces of content. If you’re testing your messages for example, Message A is your control message, and it stays the same. Message B is the test message, and you’ll change only one element in this message.

• Send the two messages to enough of your list to be able to draw conclusions about the entire list. That means your test group is large enough to be statistically significant.
• Check your analytics. If Message B rates a higher response, you’ll know that the element you changed made the difference. You can then send to the entire list, expecting a higher response.
• Response rates aren’t the only way to test effectiveness. Depending on the type of message you’re testing, you could check your dashboard for other changes due to the test message – requests for information, participation in a contest or survey, or sales.
• Use a similar procedure for content testing. 

Don’t change more than one element at a time. If you change two or more elements, you won’t know which change made the difference. If you have several items to test, conduct an individual test for each element.

The elements often tested include, but aren’t limited to:

•  Changing the first line of the message.
• Adding or deleting a single image or a video in a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message.
• Moving the call to action (CTA) from the bottom of the linked content to the top.
• Changing the color of the CTA button or link.
• Personalizing the message or removing the personalization.

The more you know about how your messaging campaigns perform, the easier it will be to reach your best customers. You’ll know more about what products or services they want and what approach is best for them.

We suggest that you segment your audience as much as possible and personalize all your messages to your customers, patients, clients and applicants. Integrating your messaging platform with your CRM makes communicating effectively very simple.

Our customer support team would love to show you how SMS-Magic can make reaching your customers easier. Ask for a demo. Or you can test drive SMS-Magic with a free trial.