Texting from your AutoPylot mobile app has never been easier.
But a few things that need to be configured before you can start. This post explains the steps to getting started as well as how text messages show up in the CRM.
Getting started with text messaging
If the text menu option in the Mobile App is greyed out, this is probably because AutoPylot texting hasn’t been installed or enabled in your CRM.
It turns out that many CRMs don’t support text messaging natively. So to ensure messages are logged in the CRM and you can see your conversations, your CRM admin will need to install the AutoPylot D365 Console App.
More information about the AutoPylot D365 Console App is here.
Consent to text
There are lots of regulations related to spam texting. In general, you’ll be texting contacts and leads already in the CRM, people who are generally receptive to receiving a message from you.
However, there are two ways to ensure that you have consent to text.
The first is to confirm you have verbally received consent to text. On the first text to a contact or lead, the App will ask you to confirm you have consent to send this person messages. AutoPylot will set the contact/lead to OptedIn.
The second type of consent is called Implied Consent. If someone sends you a text, it is implied that you consent to text them in return. AutoPylot will automatically set them to OptedIn.
Your admin might disable verbal consent, requiring you to have the contact/lead text you first (obtain implied consent). In this case, you’ll have to call or email your contact to have them text you first.
If someone texts you STOP – AutoPylot will automatically opt them out of texts from you. Or if someone complains to you on the phone or in email, you can go into the contact/lead record through the web and change their Consent to Text status to OptedOut.
More detail on Consent to Text is available here.
Text Messages in the CRM
Each message will appear in your activity log unless configured differently. Each message is related to the specific Contact or Lead.
Receiving Texts
When a text arrives, AutoPylot will try to match the sending phone number with the Mobile_Phone number of an existing Contact or Lead.
If there is not a match, AutoPylot will create a new Lead and link the message to this Lead. The new Lead will be created in the CRM with the ‘name’ being the inbound phone number.
If a Lead (or Contact) initiates a text message conversation, the sending is providing implied consent to receive additional messages from you. See the post about AutoPylot’s Consent to Text framework for more information.
- Future enhancements:
Attachments – coming soon.
Group texting – coming after attachments.