Texting for collection agencies -- is that a thing? We say yes! Texting provides a new and effective way to connect that you may not have considered. So how can texting help you reach contacts in a quick, reliable, and low-cost way? Reach Out Via Text Messaging You likely already send text messages to friends and family, so why not use them to communicate with clients, vendors, and partners? Samples of collections-related texts you might send are:

• "Just a reminder, your payment to Douglas County Municipal Services is due in full in 3 days."
• "Jacksonville Legal has requested payment for judicial services. Click this link to access your billing information." No matter what your message is to vendors or clients, text messages help you send them faster, and for just pennies.

Recurring Reminders

Perhaps you have messages that regularly needs to be sent to partners or contacts. Rather than setting up that message every time, which wastes time and resources, consider recurring reminders. These let you to create and schedule messages relative to a given date, such as two days before a payment is due. Do you bill every month on the 15th? You can set up a recurring reminder that goes out on the 13th; this two day heads-up is the 'relative' send time. But you can customize it any way you’d like.

Keywords and Short Codes

Many businesses need collections help, but don’t know where to begin, or misunderstand how the industry works. Encouraging them to text your Keyword to a short code can help attract these potential clients to you, allowing you to you explain how you operate, and hopefully retain them on an ongoing basis. CallFire clients use a short code, like 67076, to send messages. Keywords are leased by our clients and when individuals text a given keyword into the short code that message ends up in the inbox associated with that client’s account. To attract eyeballs, consider printed material, website copy, or a Facebook post like: "Help your clients get their money! Text COLLECTIONTIPS to 67076 to get free collections expertise from Christine’s Financial Services." COLLECTIONTIPS is the keyword, 67076 is the short code, and your offer of a free consultation is the offer for potential new business.

While collecting money is never easy, CallFire’s product suite can help you keep lines of communication open and even drive in new clients. Remember, text messaging is a permission-based channel. Please ensure you have consent from contacts prior to reaching out via text message, and of course follow your industry’s best practices and regulations. Ready to get started? Call our Client Success Managers today at (877) 897-3473 to learn more!