Leads360 Study Finds Text Messaging in Selling Process Can Boost Sales by 328%

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leads360, a market-leader in cloud-based intelligent sales automation solutions, today announced research findings that reveal incredible opportunities for sales organizations that implement an effective text messaging strategy, with conversion gains as high as 328%. Despite the positive impact of text messaging during the sales process, only 2.1% of sales prospects were touched using text messaging, according to the research of more than 3.5 million prospect interactions.

“While phone and email continue to be an important way to communicate with a prospect, at times, there is nothing better than a text message.”

“Text messaging is an untapped opportunity for sales teams, with enormous potential when used strategically,” said Nick Hedges, president and CEO at Leads360. “While phone and email continue to be an important way to communicate with a prospect, at times, there is nothing better than a text message.”

Text messaging has quickly become one of the most widely used forms of personal communication. According to Forrester, more than 2 trillion SMS messages were sent in the US in 2011, which equates to more than 6 billion SMS messages sent per day. Still, few businesses today have evaluated how to effectively integrate text messaging into their business practices.

While SMS marketing is showing growth, text messaging is questioned and not commonly practiced in the sales process, generally due to lack of consideration or CRM system limitations in managing the medium.

“With great power, comes great responsibility – for the same reasons that a text message can be a more effective way to communicate, it can also have the potential to be interpreted as intrusive or in violation of one’s personal domain when used for business purposes,” said Hedges. “Our recent research sheds new light on the appropriate use of text messaging in the sales process, it is a must read for any sales professional.”

Leads360 Text Messaging Study – key findings:

Texting at the right point in the sales process drives conversion - Prospects that receive a text after contact has been made, convert at more than twice the rate of the average contacted lead.
Send text messages with purpose – three or more purposeful text messages after contact has been made with a prospect can increase conversion rates by 328%.
If used inappropriately, sending text messages to prospects can be detrimental - text messaging a prospect prior to making contact on the phone decreases the likelihood of ever making contact by 39%.

Download the full Leads360 report, Text Messaging for Better Sales Conversion, and learn more about how text messaging can be effectively used in the selling process. Visit www.Leads360.com to learn more about the firm’s automated text messaging features within its intelligent sales automation solution.

About Leads360

Leads360 is a market leading provider of cloud-based intelligent sales automation solutions that drive more effective and efficient sales processes and improved conversion rates. With unmatched expertise, drawn from a dedication to helping more than 5,000 clients automate and improve their lead response and selling processes, Leads360 has become the platform of choice for organizations focused on improving customer acquisition practices and business performance. Leads360 is a privately held company, recently recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in North America by Deloitte. Please visit www.Leads360.com for more information.