Technology is changing all the time and with that comes various new ways of communicating with your clients. Years ago phone or fax was the only method of communication. We have come so far since then with the introduction of email which was life changing! But now, we have text messaging, which can be done in various ways such as via Whatsapp, Skype, Slack and Facebook Messenger. In this blog we explore these various methods of communication.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a great method of communication. You can send messages and voice notes 1-1 or in group conversations, audio and video call. All of which are end to end encrypted. This means that only you and your recipient can read or listen to the information transmitted. No one in between can intercept, not even Whatsapp themselves. This means it’s a great solution for sharing sensitive and confidential information. You can now get WhatsApp for business and you don’t even need to have a mobile phone as the registered number, it can also be a landline. This is a great feature as a landline number shows that you are genuine and professional. It also keeps your business communication separate from your personal ones, meaning it’s much easier to manage.

By using WhatsApp for Business you can set autoresponders from when you’re away from your desk or out of the office. This keeps your clients or potential clients who contact you informed so that they know when to expect a response.

Overall WhatsApp is a great tool for communication which I often use for my own business communication when I’m regularly talking to clients and their teams. 

Skype

Skype is a method of communication powered by Microsoft. It’s main method of communication is video call, although you can use the chat to keep in touch too. Skype boasts about its crystal clear HD video calls that can be used for 1-1 use or group calling. It also has the feature to be able to screen share and record, perfect for business use. Just watch out though, Skype isn’t end to end encrypted unless you specifically select the feature ‘private conversation’. 

If you’re using Teams, you might be better off using the functionality in that instead of Skype as it is better designed for business communication. 

Slack

Slack is perfect for team communication. You can set up various ‘channels’ which acts the same way as a group conversation does in WhatsApp. This means that you only message the people who need to be informed. The great thing about the channels is that you can set as many as you like up for various projects so that everyone knows what the topic of conversation is. Keeping communication clear and precise. Watch out for making the channels public and private as anyone can search and access your chat if it’s public. 

You can be connected to multiple clients and their teams and flip between them as needed. A little dot will tell you if you have new messages. You can set away notifications and put it on do not disturb so if you’re on holiday people will know. It also has voice/video calls via it’s Huddle feature. Just be warned that some features are paid, so it’s usually best if a client invites you into their space. 

Facebook Messenger 

Obviously to use Facebook messenger you need a Facebook profile. It also means that to ensure someone receives the message you send them straight away that you must be friends with them. If not the message will go into message requests which aren’t always seen straight away. However, if you have a business page people are able to DM (direct message) you in order to get in touch with you quickly. You can set up an autoresponder message so that people are informed that you will get back to them as soon as possible. You can also use Facebook to audio and video call. These messages and calls are not end-to-end encrypted and Facebook has been known to have its data breaches so just be extra precautious about sending sensitive information via this method.

As part of our software month we thought it was great to incorporate these comparisons between these various methods of communication. It’s amazing how much technology has changed over the years and made it easier for us all to communicate much better. Although with so many ways of communicating it can get confusing and overwhelming. Try not to over complicate things and try to stick to one of these ways of communicating, otherwise you’re going to be all over the place and chasing your tail to keep up with it all!