Albert Einstein said that “creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
To have a source to hide, you need a great source to start, and there is no better place to start than with a template. By following templates we work faster, accomplish more, and even find inspiration for what to do in the future.
Our team at Skipio creates messaging templates and campaigns we know work across many different industries. Business owners then customize these templates to accomplish things like converting more leads into appointments and earning more referrals. It’s all about creating a better business process.
No matter where you get your messaging templates, use these tips to help you better connect with your customers.
You Need Context
When I say context, I am talking about the need to understand how something is meant to be used, the history of how it has been used, and the principles behind its use.
“For me context is the key – from that comes the understanding of everything.” — Kenneth Noland
Context is the key to understanding if a template will work in your specific business situation. Without context you might see a perfectly good message and ignore it because you miss the principles behind it. To be successful at business texting you need to consider context.
One template we provide helps Skipio users follow up with customers who ordered a product.
It includes three messages: one delivered two days after the order, another delivered two weeks after the order, and the final delivered two months after the order. The last message is a call to action for the client to reorder.
Adapt templates based on context
If I ran a dog grooming service, I could look at the context of the campaign and change it to fit my needs.
For example, I might not sell any products, but I know that dogs should be groomed every three months. So I would change the timing of the second message and send the final message three months after the initial appointment to ask the owner if they want to schedule another grooming.
This template gives me the foundation to stay in touch with and follow up with my clients to build trust. With that trust, they will be more likely to reschedule with me.
Knowing the context and understanding the principles behind a messaging template gives you the power to adapt and change the template to fit your needs.
There’s No Perfect Template
If you’re looking for the perfect template that fits every situation, you’ll probably need to make it yourself. Templates help you get started — they don’t run your business for you. Yes, templates help you get started automating messages, but you still need to provide the details that make your business special.
The ideal template is one that you can easily edit and change to fit your needs. Here are two reasons for this.
Your communication should feel like your communication
You should communicate in a unique and personal way with your clients. With business communication we sometimes forget exactly who is on the other end of our messages. The tone, personality, and emojis you use should match you and your business. It’s unlikely that a template will match your style and tone requirements exactly.
Templates don’t know your customers — you do
No one should know and understand your customers better than you. You know how to talk to them and how they will respond. Again, take the time to customize templated messages to create messaging that makes sense for your customers.
Customize Everything
If you haven’t figured it out yet, customization matters. To maintain a competitive advantage in your industry, you need to provide unique offerings that keep customers coming to you.
When you customize a template with your voice, focused on your goals and principles, then it becomes unique. Personalized text messages are a great way to stand out from your competition and provide a better experience to your prospects and clients.
With access to Skipio’s Resource Center, you have a hidden source of business knowledge, a library of messaging templates, and the right tool to make every message personal. With a little customization, your messages will go a long way.
Special offers, customized language, and your favorite emojis all lend to the fact that there is a real person on the other side of the message. So whether you use Skipio’s templates or create your own, maintaining a professional (yet personal) connection should be your goal and a template is a great place to start your creative process.
