Email has always been the standard when it comes to communications in business. Despite the fact that it can have delayed response times, create confusion among your employees, and just overall slow down your business processes, it is still considered to be the primary way to communicate. However, with the advent of new technology in unified communications, email doesn’t have to be your primary means of communication any longer. The popularity of instant messaging software means that you can stay on top of your business communication and reach anyone at a moment’s notice.
Messaging has evolved from the days when its primary use was to chat with family and friends. Today’s messaging applications offer sophisticated tools to help your business run faster and communicate in real time. These applications can include options for file sharing, access on multiple desktop and mobile devices, and the ability to integrate with other productivity applications. With business messaging solutions, you don’t have to wait for an email response or hope that someone is available when you call them. You’ll have access to all of that information right away.
Beyond the benefits of faster communication and greater connectivity, there are other reasons that messaging is slowly replacing email as the communications standard in business:
Connectivity
Employees who work remotely or work in other offices don’t have to feel excluded from the conversation. They can communicate in real time with their team members and other employees, which leads to a greater sense of teamwork and connectivity, ultimately creating a more engaged and productive workplace.
Convenience
With many messaging applications, you can download them on to your computer, tablet, smartphone and any other device you use. Some of them, such as Microsoft Teams (a personal favorite at TAG Solutions) even have web portals, so if you are on a public computer and can’t download the application, you can still stay up to date on the conversation.
Recording
Many messaging applications also allow you to record and save past conversations, which is extremely helpful when trying to remember a specific point that you mentioned in the past. Unlike email, this isn’t limited to just text conversations either. You can record phone calls or video chats in the messaging application, which can aid in future training and follow-up discussions. With email, you need to search through dozens, maybe hundreds of email chains to find what you’re looking for. But by using a messaging application, you have everything at your fingertips in an easy-to-use format.
The fact is, communication needs to keep up with the speed of your business, and in today’s workplace, there isn’t time to sit around and wait for an email reply or a phone call when you need to get things done. Utilizing a messaging application with your employees will ensure that conversations are happening instantly, information is being sent in real time, and your employees are able to maintain a high level of productivity and sense of involvement in the company.
To make sure you are integrating the right messaging solution for your business, reach out to the experts at TAG Solutions. We will help you determine exactly what you need and the perfect solution to achieve that.
Join us next week when we will be discussing collaboration in the cloud and all the ways that the cloud can help your business!