Setting Up Business Infrastructure for Internal SMS
Rarely does a business operate with just one person doing everything. As with most things in life, businesses rely on teams of people operating effectively. Basically, teamwork makes the dream work.
Ask the owner of any successful business. They will tell you that teamwork is essential to their business. So, if teamwork is so essential, how can you make it successful? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore in this post. Read on to learn more.
Teams make businesses successful
Teams are everywhere. When you first hear the word team, you might automatically think of sports. But teams are used in business. They’re an effective way to tackle tasks that are too much for one person alone to handle.
It’s normal that no one person has the skills, knowledge, or even time to do everything on their own. Therefore, accomplishing things, especially in a business takes a team of professionals. Teams help a business’s vision come to life.
Sometimes a team works together effortlessly and effectively. However, other times, a team may struggle to work effectively and communicate with one another. The composition of a team may play a major role in its success, but even the most ineffective team can become great. As long as they learn how to communicate that is.
Communication is essential for business success
Communication is simple enough to define. It is the act of transferring information from one place, person, or group of persons to another. However, in application, teams may find communication a real challenge.
Therefore, it’s incumbent on businesses to learn how to help their teams communicate effectively. And how to facilitate team communication.
Communication is composed of three parts: sender, recipient, and message. Connecting those three things differs from business to business.
Here are some common forms of communication:
- Verbal Communication – Face-to-face, telephone, radio, television, etc. The form of communication we use most frequently.
Non-verbal Communication – Things like body language, tone of voice, and gestures. These can be subtle or even unintentional.
Written Communication – Letters, memos, emails, social media posts, books, blogs, articles, etc. Technology expanded this form of communication rapidly.
Visualizations – Graphs, charts, logos, and maps. The sender creates a message that assists the recipient with visualizing information.
Adapting to new business infrastructure
Businesses need to intentionally improve team communication. Choosing a form of communication that works best for delivering the message effectively to the recipient is key.
For instance, when you send written communication, it’s vital to relate your message clearly. Nuances and inflection don’t transfer into written communication.
This means that communication needs to be more intentional within a business. Carefully considering the infrastructure a business has helps create and facilitate better communication. In business, infrastructure refers to the basic physical systems in place.
The building you work in is part of your company’s infrastructure. The phone lines, the internet service, computers, and email are all a part of the infrastructure too. As recent events have taught us, it’s sometimes necessary to rethink current infrastructure and change it as needed in order to survive and thrive.
Homes are now an extension of business infrastructure. Just as remote forms of communication are. A new conference room for meetings is now a multi-window video call. It’s been a learning experience, right?
Adding internal SMS to business infrastructure
As we’ve learned to change the way we think about our business infrastructure, one of the most reliable stars in communication is the cell phone. Globally, 70% of people have a mobile device, and virtually all of the 5.13 billion people who own a mobile device are capable of receiving an SMS text message.
Society loves their mobile devices. They’ve become our constant companions as we do just about everything. Businesses are remiss if they fail to see the potential for communicating with employees using text message.
Company-wide alerts have a better chance of reaching everyone if you send them via text. 98% of all text messages are opened, and 90% are read within three minutes of being received. And, as you probably know, they’re received almost instantly after they’re sent. No need to wait on employee’s to check their work email.
If your team needs to discuss an idea while working from home, texting may be more effective than sitting on a call listening to each other’s dog bark, toilets flush, and kids interrupt. Texting is quickly becoming a preferred form of communication, and its popularity isn’t limited to any specific business.
Internal SMS helps new employees onboard with policies and brand policy. Reminder texts for product launches build excitement. Links to training videos accessed from phones ensure convenience. And improving communication increases employee engagement and promotes empowerment.
How to communicate using internal SMS
In order to implement this communication strategy in your business, here are some ground rules you need to know.
- Get consent. Employees should opt-in to receiving texts from their employer the same way customers opt-in to receiving texts from businesses. This protects your company, and it shows respect to your employees.
Be honest. Make sure employees know what kind of information to expect from you via text and how often.
Be respectful. Remember employees own their time off. They need it for their life outside the job, so don’t flood them with work texts or message outside business hours.
Be clear. Written communication is easily misinterpreted. Keep your messages clear and direct. Avoid abbreviations and emojis.
Be concise. Keep it under 160 characters. Email is best for longer communication.
Be positive. Information delivered by text should be positive.
Adding internal SMS communication to your business infrastructure is a logical choice in our digital world and also a cost-effective option. It’s faster and more direct than email. And it will take your team to the next level.
A business-level SMS texting service is necessary to implement internal SMS effectively. An SMS service provider builds your employee contact database, schedules reminders, conducts mass texts, sends surveys, and collects data points on the efficacy of your new program.
Summary
Teamwork is one of the most essential components of any successful business. The best way to ensure your team works effectively is help your team stay connected. In the digital era, reaching people is a lot easier, especially with internal SMS.
As we’ve all learned to be more open minded about where we conduct business, it’s become apparent that we have to be more open minded about how we communicate too. Internal sms puts employees in the most remote locations into our communication loop.
As with any business strategy, there is a right way and a wrong way. Once your business masters the basics, you can build a team that achieves your company’s goals.
