SMS

Send and receive SMS

SMS is a threaded messaging screen — one conversation per contact, newest at the bottom, older messages loaded as you scroll up. Start a conversation Use Search or start new chat to find a contact by name or number. Pick them and type in the message box. Templates Message Templates stores messages you send repeatedly. Insert one, edit it if you need to, and send. This is what stops six reps writing six different versions of the same follow-up. Schedule a message You can schedule a message for later. Two rules: - Scheduling is only available for saved contacts. A raw number with no contact record cannot carry a scheduled message. - The scheduled time must be in the future. Call from the thread Each conversation has a call action, so a text exchange that is going well can become a phone call without leaving the screen. Inbound messages Replies arrive in the same thread in real time. The screen is the whole inbox — there is no separate unread queue. What you need before SMS works - A phone number capable of messaging. - Messaging compliance registration where it is required. In the US, application-to-person traffic on standard 10-digit numbers needs A2P 10DLC registration, which is listed in the compliance centre as coming soon — until it ships, check with your account contact about what your numbers are registered for. See Compliance centre. Sending unregistered A2P traffic is the fastest way to get a number blocked by carriers, and the block usually arrives without warning. Good practice - Identify yourself in the first message. Name and company, every time. - Honour opt-outs immediately — STOP, unsubscribe, "don't text me". Mark the contact Do Not Call; it adds them to your organisation's DNC. - Do not text outside local business hours. The contact's timezone is on their record.

Automatic SMS after a call

SMS automation sends a message for you when a call ends, so a rep never has to remember the follow-up. It is configured per contact list, from the SMS automation dialog. The two messages Enable SMS Automation, then fill in either or both: | Trigger | Typical use | | --- | --- | | When Call Connects | A thank-you with your name and a link. | | When Call Doesn't Connect | A short "sorry we missed you, call back any time". | You must provide at least one script to enable automation. The defaults show the shape: - Hi {{name}}, great speaking with you today! - Hi {{name}}, sadly we couldn't connect, call back anytime. Variables {{name}} is replaced with the contact's name. Write the message so it still reads properly if the name is missing or oddly capitalised — imported data is rarely clean. Where it can go wrong The not-connected message goes to everyone you failed to reach. At three parallel lines on a cold list that is a lot of people who have never heard of you receiving a text about a call they do not remember. Either make that message explain who you are, or leave it empty and only text people you spoke to. Compliance applies. These are automated application-to-person messages. Everything in Send and receive SMS about registration and opt-outs applies more strongly here, because the volume is higher and no human reads it before it goes. The feature can be unavailable. If the dialog shows "Automated SMS is temporarily unavailable", the messaging service is not reachable — the calls still run, the texts do not. Test it on yourself first Put your own mobile in a one-contact list, enable automation, and run a session of one. It takes a minute and it is the only way to see what the message actually looks like on a phone.