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Remember the old days when you used to pass notes to friends or lovers? Those days are over. Forever.
Enter texting. It was huge in the rest of the world five years before the United States finally picked up on it. And now it has taken over. It’s instant, one-to-one communication. It’s better and more certain to get through than any other communication medium.
Do you text?
One of my youngest employees sent me a text to tell me, “You’re definitely the oldest guy that texts me.”
My granddaughters text me.
My daughters text me.
My customers text me.
My vendors and suppliers text me.
My employees text me.
My friends text me.
My answering service texts me.
Even the airlines text me about schedule changes and delays.
Not everyone texts — yet. Some people still have phones that have no keyboard. And phone companies are still making out-of-date phones with 1-2-3 keypads. And worse, people actually buy them!
Reality: Every kid on the planet texts. Some more than a hundred times a day. Kids will text sitting across the table from one another. And they are fast, thumbing at the speed of summer lightning.
As these kids enter the work force and increase their buying power, your business world will change. They’re going to text their bosses and the CEO. They’re going to make text sales calls. They’re going to text people they purchase from. And they’re going to be great at it and expect instant response from you. So you better be great at texting, too.
I am hereby dubbing these young people the “gen-texters.” And I am trademarking that phrase as you read this. Unfortunately, I have to e-mail my attorney because he doesn’t accept text trademark requests, probably because it would screw up his billing.
Text manners: “CU” is “see you.” I’m in favor of spelling out whole words. Maybe that’s a sign of my age. But it’s also a sign of my manners.
Texting takes time, and takes time to get used to. But once you do, addiction quickly sets in. I probably send 25 to 50 texts a day, and I’m probably on the low end of the texting scale.
It’s instant. And instant is the new ASAP.
If you don’t text, you’re turning a blind eye to society. And the older you are, the more you should heed this. If you’re in your 30s or 40s, why would you not want to text your kids, your employees and your customers? If you’re in your 50s or 60s or older, why would you not want to text your grandkids?
My granddaughter, Julia, begins her text volleys with “hi.” I love getting that message. My granddaughter, Morgan, texts me daily in text lingo with one thought or another (“CU 2nite”). My granddaughter, Claudia, texts me when something great happens. She’s 7. What’s your excuse?
Even idiots text. Ever see the car-crash videos from people who can’t drive and add texting to the trip. Kaboom!
Here are a few more rules to text by:
• Short and sweet. • Text when you need me.
• Be clear. Text full words.
• Be careful of what you say about third parties. Texts may be passed on or read or posted by others.
• Be responsive but not rude. Texting should be done when you have the private time and space, not in meetings or while others are talking (like you do).
• Be mannerly. If you want to respond to a text, and you’re in a conversation with others, ask for permission. Join the revolution. As a nation, less than 75 percent are actively texting. But that’s a misleading number. More than 90 percent of kids text, while only 20 percent of people over 45 text.
Texting is not a fad. It’s today and it’s the future. Harness its power in business, and while you’re at it, tell your grandkids that you love them.
JEFFREY GITOMER, a syndicated columnist, can be reached at
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