This week, we’ve talked quite a bit here on AG about effectively communicating with your clients and how a growing segment of buyers prefer some basic communications to be had over text messages. But maybe you have a client that is ideal other than this one little nagging detail and you’re willing to email, but you’re still on a 1999 flip phone and texting is legitimately too obnoxious.
There is a simple answer. You can email someone a text message. Say what? Yes, it’s true. You can sit at your computer and email your clients and they’ll receive the email in the form of a text directly to their phone number and their responses will be emailed to you. Problem solved!
You can use free services such as TxtDrop to translate email to SMS (text), or if you’re like me and don’t want to use a third party service, you can simply ask your text-insistent client which phone carrier they use and obtain their phone number and use this handy dandy chart below to email them a text message:
Email to text chart:
(Provider) Format
- (Sprint) phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
- (Verizon) phonenumber@vtext.com
- (T-Mobile) phonenumber@tmomail.net
- (AT&T) phonenumber@txt.att.net
So if my client has a Sprint phone, I would open my email and in the “to” line, I would type “5125558892@messaging.sprintpcs.com” and enter a subject and text as normal, but remember that each text message is limited to 160 characters, so keep it brief!
So there you have it, you can bridge the gap for those people (like me) who strongly prefer text messaging over phone calls or even email. Right or wrong, it’s a growing demand and you can ignore it, find the middle ground or become a texting pro but at least now you know your options!
Benjamin Ficker
October 6, 2010 at 2:36 am
Another option is to set up your google voice number (you’re using google apps, right?) and send text messages, make calls, IM, and email all from within your google email client. And then you have your communication record saved as well. Give out your google voice number instead of your cell phone and point that google number to your cell.
Lani Rosales
October 6, 2010 at 11:15 am
Benjamin, I am a huge Google user but I haven’t found the texting to be very reliable. Actually, I’ve only gotten it to work once.
But you make a point that I forgot to include in the post- document, document, document. This is the top reason to use texting via email is to have records of what you’re communicating, good call!
Joe Loomer
October 6, 2010 at 6:20 am
I can probably list forty agents in our area I’m sending this post to. Great tips, Lani, thank you!
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Lani Rosales
October 6, 2010 at 11:16 am
Oh yay, glad to help!
Sheila Rasak
October 6, 2010 at 7:57 am
Thank goodness I love all things tech and did master the art of texting via flip! That was, of course before I purchased my first iPhone.
That being said, AG, you always knock it out of the ballpark when it comes to valuable agent information!
Lani Rosales
October 6, 2010 at 11:18 am
Thanks, Sheila! You always know just what to say to brighten my day 🙂 🙂 🙂
Bruce Lemieux
October 6, 2010 at 8:29 am
Awesome tip – thanks Lani. I’ve wondered how to do this, but never took the time to figure it out.
Lani Rosales
October 6, 2010 at 11:19 am
I used to use it a lot because I didn’t want to use my text capacity but now I’m unlimited so I don’t care as much but it’s good to know for *other* people! 🙂
Paula Henry
October 6, 2010 at 9:04 am
When my children first started texting, I used this, but have increased my texting ability, so haven’t thought about it for awhile. Such an easy tool for those who can’t get use to the tiny keypads on phones.
Lani Rosales
October 6, 2010 at 11:19 am
Exactly!
BawldGuy
October 6, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Seriously Lani, this post is emblematic of the results oriented content you consistently provide.
As far as I’m concerned, the percentage of your posts that provide real time — immediately useable content, sets the gold standard for the rest of us.
Dave Lewand
October 6, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Great tip for use in the #CRE world as well, Lani! I’ve noticed a definite group of CRE developers, owners and brokers who find it advantageous to text while “in the field”. They demand quick response in a familiar communication channel. They will gravitate toward the individual/firm that is quick to accommodate!