Maximising Your Communication Potential with TNZ SMS

Topics:   Explainers SMS – 13 Jan, 2025

At TNZ, we understand the importance of efficient and effective communication in your business. Our goal is to help you unlock the full potential of SMS, enabling you to enhance efficiency and client engagement. We have written this explainer so you can see what's possible with SMS and the TNZ platform.

Why Choose SMS?

High Open Rate and Deliverability

Did you know that 94% of SMS messages are read within minutes? This high open rate ensures your message cuts through the noise and reaches your clients promptly. Unlike emails that can get lost in spam folders, SMS messages are delivered directly to the recipient's mobile device. This makes SMS a reliable communication channel.

Timely Communication

SMS is perfect for time-sensitive information. Whether it's an appointment reminder, a status update, or a payment alert, SMS ensures your message is received and acknowledged promptly.

Time-Saving Automation

Automating your SMS communications can save your staff countless hours that would otherwise be spent on manual calls or emails. This frees them up to focus on more critical tasks.

More Than Just Appointment Reminders

SMS is a versatile tool that can streamline various transactional communications, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of your business operations. But what many bossinesses don't realise is that there are many other helpful use cases for a transactional SMS message.

Here are some common examples of SMS use cases:

• Appointment Reminder
  Your appointment with Custom Hair is on [[Date]] at [[Time]]. Reply Y to confirm or N to reschedule.
• Order Notifications
  Your glasses are now ready for pickup.
• Annual Service Updates
  Your car's due its Warrant of Fitness on [[Date]] schedule a time...
• Medical Alerts
  Your test results are available. Please call our practice nurse.
• Payment Reminders
  Your payment of [[Amount]] is due tomorrow. Please ensure your account has sufficient funds.
• Outstanding Payment Reminder
  Your payment was not able to be processed. Please change or update your payment method to avoid losing access to subscription benefits.
• Progress Updates
  Your loan application is now with John in accounts. Contact him at [[Number]] for further assistance.

The Power of Two-Way Communication

While many businesses start with one-way messaging, the benefits of two-way SMS can be transformative, saving time and enhancing client engagement.

Improved Client Interaction

Two-way SMS allows for interactive communication, enabling clients to respond directly to your messages. This can be particularly useful for appointment confirmations and rescheduling.

Enhanced Automation

Setting up automated responses to client replies streamlines your workflow, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

How It Works

Two-way SMS is simple to set up and offers numerous advantages. Here's how you can leverage it for your business:

• Appointment Confirmations and Rescheduling
  
  Example: You send an SMS reminder for an appointment: Your appointment with Specsavers is on [[Date]] at [[Time]]. Reply Y to confirm or N to reschedule.
  
  Benefit: Clients can quickly confirm or request a reschedule, and you can automatically track responses. If a client replies "N" the system can flag it for follow-up, allowing you to manage changes efficiently.
• Automated Response Handling
  
  Feature: Automate the response process for common replies.
  
  Benefit: Saves your staff time by automating the confirmation and rescheduling processes. For example, if a client replies "Y" the system marks the appointment as confirmed. If they reply "N" it prompts an automated message to reschedule.

Choosing Your Platform: Flexibility with TNZ

Wherever Your Business Is, We Are Too

At TNZ, we understand that every business operates differently and relies on various tools and platforms to manage their operations. That's why we've designed our SMS solutions to integrate seamlessly with the tools you already use, ensuring you can maintain your current workflows while enhancing your communication capabilities.

Your Calendar

If you use Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 Outlook Calendar, sync your calendar events with TNZ's Calendar and schedule and automate SMS reminders directly from your calendar.

Add a note like SMS=02100001 to your calendar event to trigger an automated reminder, ensuring your clients never miss an appointment.

Your CRM

If you use a CRM (Pipedrive, HubSpot, HighLevel, Dynamics 365 and more), incorporate TNZ SMS messaging within your existing CRM for an easy way to communicate with mobiles while maintaining a clear audit trail and accountability with logs.

Use CRM triggers to send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, or updates on service status directly from your CRM system.

Your Desktop Apps

Utilize TNZ SMS services through Micrososft Excel, Google Sheets, PowerShell, Power Automate and a wide range of tools.

Your Custom Apps

Use TNZ's world-class APIs to develop your own SMS apps for your day-to-day tools.

The RESTful HTTPS API allows for sending SMS messages and capturing responses, with API plugins for .NET, VBA, Python, nodeJS, SOAP and SMTP.

Your Web Browser

The TNZ Dashboard is a fully-featured cloud-hosted portal for creating SMS templates, managing contact lists and opt-outs, creating SMS campaigns and more.

Included with every TNZ account, the dashboard is your first port-of-call for everything TNZ and SMS.

Tailored Solutions for Your Business Needs

Adapt to Your Current Processes

By making our services available across the tools you already use, we ensure our SMS solutions fit seamlessly into your existing operations. Whether you use a calendar, a CRM, or Excel, we've got you covered.

Integrate With Your Tools

Use our integrations with Outlook, Google Calendar, CRM systems, and Excel to automate SMS responses based on your existing workflows.

Final Thoughts

Most businesses are aware of the basic functionalities of SMS, but many don't realize the potential for deeper integration and automation. By thinking creatively about other use cases and brainstorming with your team, you can identify additional ways to utilize SMS that save time and improve efficiency.

And remember, implementing these solutions is not technically challenging, and the TNZ team is here to help you every step of the way.