Reaching out to customers and having a conversation with them is often perceived to be a monotonous chore by the frontline teams. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Customer outreach can be quick, exciting, and profitable but only if done through the right channel and in the right manner.
Where most businesses miss the mark is with identifying the right channel to get hold of the customers. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear understanding of your customers’ preferred channels of communication.
Phone calls, ideal for retail conversations that need a detailed exchange of information, are often considered intrusive by many. In fact, 90% of the people surveyed by this study say they would rather receive communication from businesses via text messages than phone calls. Email, which is perfect for communication that needs to be archived, lacks the personal touch that a text message has. Social media platforms are great for mass visibility and inbound messaging but are not so great for one-to-one outbound conversations between businesses and customers.
How a business text messaging software like Statflo’s TextKit can help you streamline text-based customer communication:
In our templates, we use customizable fields and Statflo’s Chat Starters. Customizable fields allow you to personalize the outreach by giving you the freedom to add relevant information. Chat Starters are Statflo’s pre-set message templates for starting customer conversations the right way.
If texting is a major part of your customer engagement and customer outreach strategy, we recommend creating a workflow that lets you assign conversations to your team with minimal training. Also, use a compliant business text messaging platform that gives your team a complete view of the customer’s historywith your company and places you in control of the content being sent.
Text message templates by customer outreach type:
First interaction with a new customer
“Hey {{first_name}}, this is {{your_name}} from {{company_name}} (the one on {{location}}). Hope you’re all set up on {{product_service_name}}! I just wanted to reach out and let you know that if you have any questions or comments, feel free to text me on this number. I want to personally make sure you have everything you need. Again, thank you for choosing {{company_name}}!”
New Offer/Promotion
“Hey {{first_name}}, this is {{your_name}} from {{company_name}. How’s that new {{product_service_name}} working for you? As one of our preferred customers, I just wanted to let you know that you’re eligible for {{new_offer}}. If you drop by at {{location}}, I can get you set up. Or you can also book time with us for a virtual conversation about the offer. What day works best for you?”
Up-sell/cross-sell Opportunities
“Hi {{first_name}}, this is {{your_name}} from {{company_name}}. Noticed that you have {{current_product_service_name}}, so I thought you would be interested in the new {{new_product_service_name}}. I can place a hold on it for you and set it aside if want to drop by this week. What time works best?”
Customer Service
“Hey {{first_name}}, {{your_name}} from {{company_name}} here. Just following up about your question regarding {{support_request}}. I went ahead and cleared that up for you so it shouldn’t be a problem anymore. Anything else I can help with?
Updates
“Hi {{first_name}}, this is {{your_name}} from {{company_name}}. I just wanted to reach out and let you know that due to the latest lockdown measures that came into effect yesterday, we are currently not accepting any walk-ins. Don’t worry though, you can still book an appointment here {{appointment_link}}. Looking forward to seeing you soon.”
Customer Feedback/Surveys
“Hey {{first_name}}, how are you? This is {{your_name}} from {{company_name}}. I know you just {{called_or_visited_us_}}, so I’d love to get your feedback on your experience. Would you mind leaving us a review on {{review_platform}} – won’t take more than a minute, I promise! This stuff really helps us improve our service. Here’s the link – {{review_link}}.”
What to include in your text messages?
Here are some Statflo recommended texting tips to help you craft the perfect text for your customers -
- Introduce yourself: Be informal but state your name and where you work
- Build rapport: Remind them who you are and how you got their contact info
- Check-in: Ask how they’re doing
- Inform: Clearly communicate the reason for contact
- Outline next steps: Try to clarify the next steps for the customer – whether it’s scheduling an in-person visit or booking a telephonic appointment
Statflo's TextKit is the leading, most impactful one-to-one business text messaging platform for customer-facing teams. Learn more about how you can integrate texting in your customer outreach strategy and grow retention by 25% with Statflo’s TextKit.
