Using Secure Instant Messaging as a Sales Tool
Secure instant messaging is something to be concerned with sinceinstant messaging has become a popular business tool forcommunicating with customers and suppliers as well as forcollaborating with colleagues.
If you?re an internet user, you are probably familiar withinstant messaging such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, andAOL Instant Messenger, and ICQ. These are all public instantmessaging tools that enable internet users worldwide tocommunicate back and forth online in real time using textmessages.
Some of the public instant messaging programs also have video andvoice capabilities. Through instant messaging, multiple peoplecan be invited to join in on a conversation and users can eventransfer files to one another instantly.
You can imagine how convenient this technology is for businesscommunications, but as business use increases, so does the needfor secure instant messaging.
Because of the confidential nature of most business transactionsbusinesses generally are not too crazy about the idea oftransmitting sensitive data and communications over the internetwithout proper security, authenticity and encryption.
There is definite concern about data being intercepted or virusesbeing exchanged when using public instant messenger programs.
Industries with highly sensitive data have moved toward the useof private, closed instant messenger programs that encrypt dataand record communications as a solution for secure instantmessaging.
While this is a good option for businesses to handle internalcommunications, it isn?t necessarily a solution that will enablebusinesses to use instant messaging securely as a sales, customerservice or technical support tool because in order to communicatethrough a private, closed instant messenger program, all usersthat are collaborating must have the specific program.
Undoubtedly, the communication, collaboration and file sharingcapabilities that instant messaging presents is highly desirablefor businesses. As a sales tool, instant messaging enablespotential customers to ask questions and to have them answered inreal time.
A sales presentation can be made via instant messaging and morethan one person at a time can even be invited to join the onlinesales presentation. Customer service and technical support canalso be provided via instant messaging and if support from acolleague or supervisor is needed in the midst of a conversation,they can be invited to join the conversation online.
Another advantage of using instant messaging technology as asales and service tool is that the text conversations can beeasily saved and referred back to as needed or archived as apermanent record of communications.
The main disadvantages of using public instant messenger programsare vulnerability due to the possibility of malware distributionthrough messenger programs and the potential for data leakage.Instant messaging can also be a hindrance to productivity becauseit is so quick, convenient and easy to contact a user of instantmessaging.
This ease of instant communication can interrupt a person?s workcausing them to waste time online. These disadvantages lead tothe concerns regarding the use of public instant messengerprograms as a sales or service tool.
For an intranet or for businesses that have the same privateinstant messenger programs secure instant messaging is possible;but in communicating with the standard consumer through publicinstant messaging, that is not the case.
If you use instant messaging as a sales or service tool, be awarethat you may be open to vulnerabilities and data leakage if thecommunications are not accomplished via secure instant messagingtechnology.
Because of the potential for data leakage, credit cardinformation, proprietary data and so forth should not beexchanged via public instant messenger programs or services. Ifyou and your customers can accept the risks of using a publicinstant messenger program, it really can be an incredible toolfor sales and service.
Copyright Christopher J. Enders. Are you at the end of yourrope, fed up and confused by all the scrambled marketing adviceyou?re getting? Whether you are new to internet marketing, orwebsite owner who wants to make more money from your website,learn the proven strategies that will sky-rocket your internetbusiness at http://BiznessTips.com.
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