Creating automated engagement sequences can be intimidating. You want to make sure you’re persistent enough without annoying customers. One surefire way to create killer sequences is to understand the best times to use phone, email, and text, as each has their own unique benefits and drawbacks.
Texts are one of the best way to get a prospect’s eyes on your messaging, but also one of the most invasive. When used correctly, texting can lead to over 200% more responses and almost 300% higher conversions than calling. That said, overuse of texts before making contact with prospects can decrease the chances you'll ever connect by over 40%.
We recommend using texts strategically to avoid annoying prospects. In our sequences we send a text immediately upon a contact entering the “New” phase. After all, 99% percent of texts are opened within 5 seconds on average. That incredibly high open rate also makes texts a perfect option for your last-ditch efforts near the end of your sequence.
Emails are less intrusive than texts or calls over long periods, so they should make up the majority of your sequence. Emails can be used in many different ways throughout your sequence. For an example of how to use email to your advantage check out 7 Emails to help you make contact.
Email is the best way to ask prospects simple questions you need to provide a quote and schedule a time for a more comprehensive call. We advise against asking long drawn out or abstract questions in email that would require prospects to respond in more than a couple words.
By itself, calling may seem very inefficient. It takes an average of 18 calls to connect with a buyer, and there’s no good way to automate those attempts. That said, it’s important to balance being persistent with annoying your prospects. We do recommend calling as soon as a lead enters into the “New” phase, but it’s also important to leverage text and email to bring down that average of 18 calls needed to connect.
By properly spacing calls between emails and texts, you’re much more likely to successfully connect with prospects. We also recommend using your time on the phone wisely. Don’t ask simple one or two word questions that prospects can easily answer over emails. Instead, use this time to get a better understanding of what your prospect needs in their policy.
You can check out more sequencing tips at 3 Tips to Close More Leads.