Instant Messaging for Business Saves Money and Increases Productivity

When used correctly, instant messaging can improve your business communications drastically. On the other hand, it’s also a technology that can become just another distraction if there aren’t guidelines in place for using the communications tool correctly. Here is how using instant messaging to communicate online in real time can save your business money and increase productivity:

Improve Internal Communications

Collaboration between co-workers is necessary, but it’s common for people to waste time when visiting each other in their offices. Implementing an instant messaging system allows for quick and simple communication without having to leave the productivity of your workspace. It also makes it possible to work with employees and team members who are in other locations – whether at a client’s office, their home office, or traveling. Instant messaging for quick questions and answers is more efficient than writing and sending an email and cuts out the required “chit chat” involved with making phone calls to get the same quick question answered.

Instant Messaging “Presence” Helps Save Time

Instant messaging programs allow users to set their availability so others can see immediately who is available. You can set messages that let others know you are away from your desk, out to lunch, busy, or available. If you have a question from a client regarding an accounting matter, for example, you could view your list of accounting contacts to find someone who is online and available to answer the question quickly – instead of calling each individual and waiting for someone to get back to you. Your customer’s needs are met quicker, and you increase your overall productivity.

Multi-tasking Capabilities

For the most part, multi-tasking is an illusion and you are actually much more productive when you focus on one task at a time. What if an employee is on the phone with a client and needs to ask their supervisor something? Instant messaging makes it possible for an employee to quickly type in the message and send to the supervisor while continuing to provide customer service via the phone to the client. The question can be answered quickly via messenger, and the employee is able to provide a higher quality of customer service compared to placing the caller on hold in order to make a call to the supervisor to ask the question.

Save on Long Distance Phone Bills and Travel Expenses

With instant messaging, you can reduce long-distance phone bills. This is particularly useful if you have employees and clients in other areas. Instead of traveling for meetings, you can use instant messaging with video conference capabilities to attend and host meetings just like you would if everyone was in the same room.

Convert Prospective Customers into Clients

Your customers are probably familiar with instant messaging as a form of communication, and many may prefer to use an online chat system for support requests or service inquiries. Add an instant message feature to your website to give your prospective customers a new way to get in touch with you and you will increase customer satisfaction and open the door for more opportunities to turn prospective customers into loyal clients.