If we went through your contact list, we’d most likely find the phone numbers of your boss, colleagues, and maybe even your clients or customers, right?
You have them because of those times when the message you want to convey doesn’t require something as official as an email or a call – an SMS is more than enough.
However, texting someone in a professional setting is completely different than texting a friend or family member, which poses the question…
How do you write a business text? Keep reading to learn the answer!
Keep the Business Text Short
People are always busy and they don’t have time to read a wall of text – not via SMS, anyway.
On the contrary, texting is often used when you need a quick and easy way of communicating, so remember to keep it short and concise. If you see that one or two sentences aren’t enough to convey your message, switch to email.
Include Your Name
Your recipient might not have your number saved in their contact list, which is why you should always include your name, and if you want to take it one step further, your company.
Whether you start the text with “Hey, this is _____ from _____” or end it with “Best regards, ______ from ______”, make sure it is clear to the recipient who you are.
Be Polite and Professional
The two P’s of business text messaging.
For obvious reasons, you always want to be courteous in the way you write the SMS. After all, not only is the recipient a valuable client, customer, or colleague of yours, but they’re people who deserve kindness and politeness.
Furthermore, the way you write the message needs to be professional, which means:
- Limited use of emojis
- No abbreviations
- No all caps
- Complete sentences
If you and the recipient have been working together for a while and have become close acquaintances, you can break some of these rules, and include some emojis or a commonly used abbreviation.
The key is to use your common sense.
ALWAYS Proofread
Is there anything more unprofessional than sending a text (or email) with typos or bad grammar?
Even if you rarely ever misspell words or mess up your grammar, you never really know when autocorrect might strike. Since it’s better to be safe than sorry, make sure to proofread any business text before you send it.
Get Permission Before You Click ‘Send’
Sending someone a text out of the blue when you’re not close with them might feel like you’re invading their privacy, so getting their consent is pivotal.
Simply start the communication via email or LinkedIn message, and ask them if you can send certain details by SMS.
Additionally, know how to take a hint. If someone always replies to your text messages via email or call… they might not be adept at business text messaging.
Using Business Texting to Your Advantage
Now that you know five of the most important etiquette tips for business text messaging, you can start using this method to improve your communication with clients, customers, and colleagues.
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