In today's digital world, texting has become a popular way to communicate with customers. However, texting for sales requires more than a simple "Hey, want to buy something?" message sent to a random phone number.

Texting is intimate. It’s an opportunity to build the customer relationship, but it can also become quickly alienating if used improperly. This guide will cover some best practices for texting for sales and some templates to get your sales team started.

Best practices for texting for sales

Texting for sales is a powerful tool, but following some best practices is essential. This way, you can ensure that your messages are practical and build strong customer relationships. You don’t want to waste your customers’ time or turn your customers off. Further, you need to follow industry regulations to avoid violating laws and engendering fines.

1. Get permission and opt-in

The first step to effective texting for sales is to receive permission from customers to text them. Ensure your sales prospects opt-in to your sales text message program and sign up of their free will. Violating anti-spam policies for texting can cause legal consequences, so take the necessary legal steps before you start to use texting. Some CRM solutions can guide you through the process.

2. Keep it short and sweet

Text messages are meant to be short, sweet, and to the point. Unlike email or phone calls, people expect quick responses to text messages. Be sure to keep your message concise and avoid sending long blocks of text. Use abbreviations and even emojis in your outreach to keep it casual.

3. Be human

Texting is a very personal type of communication, be as natural as possible and be yourself. It's a person, not a sales funnel. Use current events or locations to personalize your message. Automation and chatbots in texts can also be a good way to engage customers. Just make sure it's not generic messaging.

4. Timing is key

Timing is an important aspect of texting for sales. Send texts during business hours, meaning from 9 AM to 6 PM, except for non-working holidays or weekends. Lastly, ensure to send texts at personalized, reasonable times so it doesn't seem like a robot is sending the text.

5. Provide value

Texting for sales is not just about promoting your product or service. It should be about providing value to your customers. Rather than focusing on the sale, focus on the customer. Provide information that can add value to the customer's day-to-day life or business. Don't just repeat social media posts.

Types of sales texts

There are different types of sales texts that you can send depending on your goals and what you're trying to accomplish. Before we get into text message templates and examples, you should consider some different types of business text messaging.


  1. Follow-up texts after meeting or call: After engaging with a potential customer in a meeting or call, it's important to follow up with a text to keep the conversation going. The text can summarize what was discussed, reiterate any points, and plan the next steps.

  2. Introduction or lead nurturing texts: These texts introduce your business or product to a potential customer or can be used as a touchpoint to nurture a lead. These texts can be personalized with the recipient's name and can highlight the benefits of your product or service.

  3. Appointment reminder texts: These texts remind a customer about an appointment or meeting. You can include the date, time, location, and any other relevant details to ensure that the customer shows up on time and is fully prepared.

  4. Promotional offer texts: Use these texts to share limited-time promotions, discounts, or sales with your customers. These texts can drive traffic to your website or store and increase the chances of making a sale.

  5. Request for feedback or review texts: These texts can be sent after a customer purchases or experiences your service. You can ask for feedback or a review from the customer about their experience. This is a great way to emphasize that you value their opinion and helps to build trust with your customers.

  6. Abandoned cart reminder texts: This text is sent to prospects who have added things to their shopping cart but still need to complete the purchase. The text can remind them of the products they left behind and prompt them to complete the purchase. These texts are helpful for e-commerce businesses and can help you to recover lost sales.

Of course, there are many other occasions when sending a text for sales might be appropriate: you might even request payment through texting. Build a robust SMS marketing strategy to engage your customers with.

Templates for texting for sales

Now that you know the basics of texting for sales and the different types of texts you can send, let's look at some templates you can use to get started.

  1. Follow-Up: After A Meeting Hi [Name], meeting you earlier today was great. As discussed, here's the [document/personalized note list product].

  2. Introduction: Hi [Name], I hope you're doing well. I'm [Your Name] from [Company], and I saw your recent post about [shared interest].

  3. Appointment: Reminder Hi [Name], This is a reminder that you have an appointment tomorrow at [Time]. If you need to reschedule this appointment, let us know.

  4. Offer Promotion: Hi [Name], Looking for [type of product/ service]? Check out our latest offerings to help you [Features of Product/Service].

  5. Follow-up: with Customer after Sales Hi [Name], We appreciate your business and always want to improve. Can you share some feedback about your recent experience with [Company/Product], so we can improve?

Over time, your salespeople will start developing their own sales process and templates for SMS messages based on metrics such as response rate and open rates.

Most common mistakes when texting for sales

When texting for sales, it's important to avoid common mistakes that can negatively impact your relationship with texting prospects.

These mistakes include:

  • Failing to get permission or opting-in

  • Mass text messaging and generic messaging

  • Being too pushy or aggressive with the sales pitch

  • Sending grammar or spelling errors

  • Sending too many irrelevant texts

  • Violating anti-spam or privacy policies

  • Forgetting a call to action

To avoid these, you should use a broader marketing management system. If you use a marketing system to generate your texts for sales, you can automate the processes, such as getting permission.

Create a personalized messaging experience with Emotive

By following these best practices and using text message examples and text templates as a guideline, businesses can effectively use text messaging to build customer relationships and generate sales growth. Keep it natural, timely, and valuable, and let the text conversation happen organically.

If you want additional help with business texting, consider Emotive SMS. Emotive SMS is a powerful text messaging platform that helps businesses automate and optimize their customer engagement process. It provides tools like automated opt-in, drip campaigns, segmentation, A/B testing, analytics, and more. By leveraging Emotive's industry-leading features, businesses can increase customer engagement and improve their chances of making a sale.

With Emotive, businesses can easily create personalized messaging experiences to build customer relationships and drive growth. Sign up today to learn more!