Binary Business

You have been pushed to the edge. Between the never-ending phone calls, the stream of walk-ins and the pile of lengthy emails you can't seem to get any real work done. So you decide to turn down the volume a bit. The phone is set to go straight to voicemail, you shut the door, and you ignore the email all day. The next day you find out that your most profitable customer tried to get a hold of you all day. Needless to say the customer was less than pleased. So how do you manage to reduce the noise and still get the most urgent messages quickly and quietly?

The Problem

As technology has advanced it has forever changed the way we do business. Perhaps the most dramatic change has been in the realm of communications. Cell phones, voicemail, email, VoIP (Voice over IP), social networking websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and finally Instant Messenger all provide a communications channel between you and both your clients. With all of these communication methods it is easy for key messages to get lost in the shuffle. We have all experienced the overflowing desk full of "While You Were Out" phone messages, the incessant blinking of our voicemail light and the email inbox with an ridiculously high unread count. It can become awfully tempting to ignore it all. The problem is that missing one key message from a highly valued client could mean they will go looking elsewhere.

Facts & Figures

• More than 2 million emails are sent every second.

• A study published in 2008 found that workers who used instant messaging reported less interruption than colleagues who did not.

• The same study found only 13% of conversations contained personal topics and only 6.4% were exclusively personal.

• 80% of a company's revenue comes from 20% of its customers.

• Acquiring a new customer costs 6-7 times more than keeping an existing one.

The Solution

Each of the numerous communications methods mentioned above have strengths and they can all be tremendously valuable. Instant messaging has an important role to play in any communications strategy. Unfortunately this role is often overlooked in business because of the negative association that many hold in regards to Instant Messaging. Often viewed as a drain on productivity, managers and businesses owners are often reluctant to allow their use. However both the technology and the way that we use it has changed.

Instant Messengers have several distinct advantages in the realm of office communications. The first is retention. Systems such as Google Talk, which is part of Google Apps provide the ability to store transcripts of conversations on the server. The second advantage is the ability These conversations can then be searched to recall specific information or parsed to use in a company FAQ page. The third and perhaps most prominent advantage is the minimal intrusiveness of Instant Messenger. It can often be difficult to ignore the rings of the telephone, the knocks on the door, and the blinking voicemail light. Instant messenger however can be configured to be very minimally intrusive.

The best example I have seen of the benefits of Instant Messaging originated from a client law firm. This law firm was overwhelmed with the "While You Were Out" paper slips that are far too common in the business world. They were often misplaced until it was too late and there was no convenient way to search through them after the fact for contact information. Their solution was to use Instant Messenger to send this information providing the permanent storage and the ability to search the messages. The attorneys also love the ability to instantly decide without interruption whether the calls should take priority over what they are working on at the time.

To increase your productivity, retain your clients and reduce your stress level using Instant Messenger technologies contact Binary Business.