How to Introduce SMS & WhatsApp Into Your Salesforce Processes?
Are you a Salesforce user? Are you dilly-dallying over whether to start SMS-ing and WhatsApp-ing your customers and leads? You are at the right place.
Text messages, whether through SMS or WhatsApp, have higher opening rates than email. Short and crisp, these can be viewed effortlessly by customers on their mobile phones. Text messaging, done right, empowers businesses to add value to customers significantly across business functions – from sales and marketing to services and support.
Introduction of SMS and WhatsApp into Salesforce Processes
With the wide range of in-built and plug-in tools available, integrating SMS and WhatsApp into your Salesforce processes is often simple.
For instance, Communicat-O from Manras (a Salesforce Gold Consulting Partner) is a native Business Text-Messaging Solution for Salesforce users that works automatically with the platform. It can be set up with a few easy steps with NO additional configurations. Communicat-O offers industry-specific solutions that can be seamlessly tuned to meet any additional requirements.
However, integration and introduction of text messaging is not the same. To capitalise on all benefits of text messaging, you need to understand effective ways to introduce and incorporate it. Here are a few strategies and best practices to help you.
Start Early and Progressively Profile Customers
It is good to collect customer contact information at the early stages of engagement (or lead stage). This way, setting up appointments/ demos, sending offers, timely alerts, etc. to customers are effortless.
It is equally important to build a 360-view of customers gathering all information from multiple, siloed sources. This is a straightforward process with tools like Communicat-O. You must keep pace with changing customer preferences and continuously update their profile to craft meaningful and unique customer experiences.
Timing Is Critical
Opening and response rates are affected by when you send the SMS or WhatsApp. Track the time of day your customers are most active on your mobile site and accordingly, schedule the messages around that time. The frequency of messages and the stage of the customer’s journey with the company are also important. For instance, if the customer has just opted-in for WhatsApp messaging and doesn’t receive anything from your end for months, they will probably lose interest.
By leveraging automation and Process Builders, you can minimize delays, and build personalized, timely and meaningful conversations at scale. You can schedule bulk or single messages to customers at times they like to be contacted. Conversations can continue round-the-clock with the help of smart chatbots. Follow-ups by your employees are hassle-free as they can build conversations with a complete view of the customer and conversation history.
Personalisation Is the Game Changer
Generic text messages simply don’t Cut. Crafting highly personalised messages with the right keywords and call to action show the customers you care. And with automation, it is possible to automate at scale with updated preferences. You can also include custom variables to create dynamic and meaningful content.
Gather the Right Insights and Act Upon Them
Tools like Communicat-O offer out-of-the-box, actionable insights and reports which help you to understand the effectiveness of your campaigns/ messages. By using these insights, you can streamline activities, rethink strategies and ensure greater effectiveness of text messaging.
Looking for more information on integration and incorporation of SMS and WhatsApp into your Salesforce Processes? Get in touch with Manras today.
