This document discusses how SMS helps businesses overcome common challenges in communication, marketing, sales, and customer service. It provides examples of how different industries use SMS to improve business functions like appointments, promotions, orders, and customer engagement. The conclusion introduces Coretalk as an enterprise SMS solution that can benefit businesses through effective, efficient, and affordable communication.

2. Introduction
I n part 1 of the three part Coretalk Whitepaper we mentioned
what is Enterprise SMS, the general benefits of SMS and gave some
statistics on SMS and its predominance in the Mobile industry.
This whitepaper will seek to educate readers on how SMS overcomes
typical business communication challenges and barriers, and help reach
business goals, along with examples of how businesses are using SMS
within their respective industry.

3. Challenges
Businesses Face Today
communicaTion
C ommunication is key in any business environment, particularly
where customers are concerned. In order to build valuable long
lasting relationships with your customers, and ensure that they
keep buying from you then there has to be constant communication.
But here’s the problem…
How do you communicate, especially with a sizeable customer-base, in a
way that is:
Easy and ConvEniEnt
Cost-EffECtivE
immEdiatE
targEtEd
PErsonalizEd
intEraCtivE & Engaging (two-way)

4. Challenges
Businesses Face Today
markeTing
I n today’s competitive business environment, where almost everyone has
an entrepreneurial spirit and it is easier than before to start a business, it is
important to market and market effectively. This will enable your products
and services to get out there and potential customers can become more aware
of what it is you have to offer that is better than your competitors.
But here’s the problem…
How do you market your products and services in a way that:
- EffECtivEly drivEs nEw BusinEss (lEad gEnEration)
- Builds a dataBasE of PotEntial CustomErs to markEt
your ProduCts and sErviCEs to ExClusivEly
- traCks thE roi of your markEting Efforts to EnsurE
thEy arE worth it
- idEntifiEs whErE markEting Efforts arE
most EffECtivE and CaPitalizing on it

5. Challenges
Businesses Face Today
sales
M
arketing is the aspect of the business that will make customers aware of
your product or service and be interested in knowing more. However,
Sales will lead them to want that product or service and then spend mon-
ey to obtain that product or service.
With Sales becoming far more complex than it was 50 years ago, it has become more
qualitative (feeling) than it is quantitative (numbers). Customers no longer buy from
who has the best product, but buy from who they have a better business-to-prospect
relationship with i.e. communication.
But here’s the problem…
How do you execute your Sales process in a way that:
- EffECtivEly managE salEs lEads as thEy ComE in
- EnsurEs your salEs tEam is kEEPing thE CommuniCation
going until CustomErs Buy
- EnsurEs you arE thE go-to BusinEss whEn
CustomErs dECidE to Buy
- Builds CrEdiBility and trust with your PotEntial
CustomErs to favour you ovEr thE ComPEtition

6. Challenges
Businesses Face Today
cusTomer service
N ow that you have gotten your customers and they are spending money with
you, it’s time to keep them happy, satisfied, and continue buying from you
and not your competitors.
With customer service and relationship building it is not the big things that will mean
a lot to your customers, sure they will love the big things, but they will appreciate the
little ones even more, like contacting them just to wish them Happy Birthday on their
special day
But here’s the problem…
How do you build and maintain meaningful customer relationship:
- that is PErsonal and allows your CustomErs to
fEEl ConnECtEd to you
- if your CustomEr BasE is sizEaBlE and EaCh
CustomEr nEEds individual attEntion
- dECrEasEs CustomEr turnovEr and inCrEasEs
CustomEr rEtEntion

7. How Enterprise SMS
Helps overcome THese cHallenges
T ry not to see SMS simply as text messaging from one mobile phone to the next,
or see it as sending out mass messages to all your customers at once, try to see
beyond that. SMS is vastly used in many aspects of business today as it has been
found to be a reliable and effective communication medium.
If communication is not two-way, i.e. if your customers cannot respond to messages
sent by you then it is not communication, it is SPAMMING. This is why it is important to
have a two-way communication tool, such as Coretalk, for optimal SMS communication
and not just using Bulk SMS services which are mostly one-way.

8. How Enterprise SMS
Helps overcome
communicaTion cHallenges
SMS allows for easy and convenient communication by enabling businesses to
communicate on a mass level with the simple push of a button. What may
typically take hours to do using other mediums of communication can take
literally seconds using SMS.
SMS provides the most cost-effective communication by providing an avenue to
have interactive conversations affordably. The cost using Direct Mail, telephone,
and newsletters is so high it is only reserved for VIP customers
SMS provides immediate communication because messages are sent quickly
through telecommunication networks without delay. This is particularly useful
if businesses need to get information out fast, or have customers text in
information urgently
SMS provides targeted messaging which is important for relevance to customers.
It does this by providing convenient ways for customers to opt-in or text in,
which segments customers based on demography, location, or interest.
SMS provides personalized messaging; why is this important? It creates a more
favourable response for your business by better connecting with customers.
Think of it as Mail Merge within Microsoft Word, except it is personalized
text message
Finally SMS provides interactive communication. Customers today like to have
conversations with companies they buy from, instead of being told to buy.
SMS provides a high level of connection with customers. As the sales saying
goes “people buy from people.”

9. How Enterprise SMS
Helps overcome
markeTing cHallenges
SMS provides the most effective way of driving new business
by using keywords within Ads (promo codes). With keywords
customers can easily and conveniently show their interest in
a product or service through texting which is more effective
than sending general mass messages.
SMS Marketing is a great way for building a database of contacts.
One way of doing this is hosting competitions and sweepstakes
using keywords; customers text in to win, and their text is
recorded in a database as an entry with their contact details.
SMS Marketing also provides the means to track the ROI of
marketing efforts. If a new promotion or product is launched,
keyword placed in Ads to promote, and customers text in,
businesses can use how many customers text in to track
potential customer amounts and how many of those potentials
became paying customers
In previous years it was difficult for businesses to know if customers
were becoming aware about their business from TV, radio,
newsprints or billboards. SMS has easily solved this difficulty.
Using keywords such as ‘TVProductX’, ‘RadioProductX’ etc.
businesses can know exactly which mediums customers are
paying attention to, and allocating marketing spend there

10. How Enterprise SMS
Helps overcome
sales cHallenges
Some SMS software such as Coretalk has systems in place that will allow businesses to
store not only contact information but other needed details such as type of lead, level
of interest etc. to effectively segment, manage and follow through with potential
customers
SMS allows not only business-to-customer communication but also manager-to-staff. This
ensures that a Sales Manager can send text message alerts and reminders to sales reps
when they need to reconnect with a prospect and keep the communication going
SMS is great for Lead Nurturing programs, which are used to ‘look after’ your potential
customer until they are ready to buy. This is because while your prospects weigh the
option of buying from you or your competition, SMS can be used to send tips and
advice that could help with their buying decision or direct to content on your website,
positioning your business as the expert
This goes back to the previous point of sending advice and tips using SMS. Instead of
coming off as selling, use text messaging to help your prospect answer questions that
helps them with a need or challenge, thereby building greater trust and credibility than
your competitors

11. How Enterprise SMS
Helps overcome
cusTomer service cHallenges
SMS provides a connection to businesses. Though a telephone call is more
personalized than a text message, it is difficult and costly to keep in contact
with all your customers; SMS gives your customers a great feeling of connection
through personalized messaging without the cost of a pricey telephone bill
With keywords and automated text responses, customers can text in and a
customized response generated back to their mobile phones. This greatly benefits
businesses as customers now feel prioritized and therefore will more likely
repeat business
A mobile number is a precious asset to a customer much like a car or house. If a
customer willingly gives their number it is because they want to hear from you.
SMS provides unique opportunities to decrease customer retention through
frequent communication. One such way Coretalk does this is through our
Automated Birthday feature
Not only does SMS help to overcome these business challenges, but SMS also helps
to drastically reduce costs directly through reducing the cost of communication
and indirectly by getting more done is less time with ease and convenience
which increases bottom line (profits). As the saying goes Time is Money, the
more time is spent handling issues such as customer queries the more time it
takes from you that you could be using more wisely, like making money.

12. Enterprise SMS
WiTHin Businesses
F inally, to give a better understanding of how SMS is being used within different
industries to their benefit we have compiled a list of different businesses and
their use of SMS to improve their businesses.
Banking & finanCE industry automotivE industry
- Customers can check account - Send out notifications of new parts
information - Customers can request part availability
- Send out new interest rates - Notify suppliers of low stock
- Prevention of credit and
debit card fraud rEal EstatE agEnCiEs
insuranCE industry - Give details on a house for rent or sale
- Request additional info to complete sale
- Renewal reminder dates of policies - Set walk-through demo reminders
- Send claim reminders
- Immediately report a car accident rEtailErs
mEdiCal industry - Notify customers of specials and
discounts on products
- Remind patients of appointments - Send coupons to VIP customers
- Confirm patient appointments - Send restock notifications to suppliers
ahead of time
- Send tips on healthy living

13. Enterprise SMS
WiTHin Businesses
sChools sPas & salons
- Keep in constant communication - Notify VIP customers of special Spa
with parents treatments and offers
- Notify parents of important school events - Appointment reminders to customers
such as PTA meetings - Confirmation of appointments
- Inform parents of child’s progress
in school CouriErs
CrEdit unions - Notify customers of package arrivals
- Notify customers of delivery date
- Send overdue payment reminders and time
- Register new memberships - Inform customers of the cost of
- Request additional info for loans sending a particular package
hotEls rEstaurants
- Confirm bookings with convenience -Allow customer to book dining
- Inform guests of hotel functions and appointments
activities -Send out special coupons to customers
- Gain guest feedback on the service -Customers can place takeout orders
provided
These are just some of the ways industries and businesses use SMS to improve their
business. Whatever the communication need, SMS can definitely satisfy.
In the final part of the Coretalk Whitepaper we take a look on Coretalk and how it
can be used to not only benefit your business, but improve it.

14. Coretalk is the world’s leading and most advanced
self-managed Customer Relationship Management SMS
(CRM-SMS) solution for businesses, providing effective,
efficient and affordably communication, making business
lives easier and budgets smaller.
visit us:
www.coretalkgroup.com
Prepared by:
Winston A. Henderson,
Marketing & Sales Executive, Coretalk Caribbean
Designed by:
Warren Buckle
©2011 Coretalk Caribbean Limited