· The ContactHoney Team
SMS in Your CRM: When and How to Use It for Business
SMS has the highest open rate of any communication channel. Here's how to use it thoughtfully through your CRM without annoying your contacts.
Email open rates average somewhere between 20% and 30% for business communication. SMS open rates are closer to 98%, with most messages read within three minutes of delivery.
That's not a reason to spam your contacts. It's a reason to use SMS thoughtfully, for the right messages, at the right moments.
When SMS Works Well in a Business Context
Appointment reminders. A text reminder 24 hours before a meeting has become expected. It reduces no-shows and feels like good service, not intrusion.
Time-sensitive follow-ups. If you've left a voicemail and sent an email and haven't heard back, a brief text is often what gets a response. Keep it short and casual.
Quick confirmations. "Just sent over the proposal -- let me know if you have questions" is a natural and well-received text after a formal email.
Post-meeting check-ins. "Great conversation today -- I'll have the revised numbers to you by Thursday" is the kind of message that reinforces professionalism without requiring an email chain.
When SMS Doesn't Work
SMS is not the right channel for:
- First contact with a cold prospect (too intrusive)
- Complex information that requires reading carefully
- Sensitive topics that warrant the formality of email
- Any message where you need a paper trail
Know the channel. Use it for quick, human, time-sensitive communication -- not for broadcasting or marketing to people who haven't opted in.
Logging SMS in Your CRM
The value of SMS from inside a CRM is that the conversation is logged. When you text a contact through ContactHoney via Twilio integration, that message becomes part of the contact's activity history alongside your emails and calls.
Six months later, when you can't remember how that negotiation went, you have a complete record -- not just the formal emails, but the text exchanges that often tell the real story.
Getting Set Up
ContactHoney uses Twilio for SMS, which means you need a Twilio account (they offer pay-as-you-go pricing) and a dedicated business number. The setup takes about 20 minutes and gives you a business SMS number that routes through your CRM rather than your personal phone.
That separation matters. Your personal number stays personal. Your business communication is logged, searchable, and professional.
The Practical Rule
Ask before you text. At any point where a contact's phone number enters your CRM, ask whether they're open to text messages for scheduling or follow-up. Most people say yes. You get consent, they get convenience, and you have a communication channel that works.
That combination of opt-in + appropriate use is what makes SMS a relationship tool rather than a nuisance.