Texting

I have a fair amount of anxiety dealing with people I don't know well, especially over the phone when you can't see non-verbal cues. I shook like a leaf having to call all those representatives for the HR2811 nonsense. I like email and texting because it spares me some of that.

I think that texting is becoming more and more ubiquitous, and is a pretty mainstream way to communicate. I don't think it's unprofessional at all. :)

I find texting to be much more convienant on both sides. I can send a text, and if the person is busy, they get to reading/replying when they can. So instead of having to have both parties available at the same time, you can work through busy times, snatching a moment here and there.

Also, texting eliminates worrys about overheard conversations, if someone doesn't want to talk out loud about something, you can type it in, and no one around you is the wiser.

I like to text a LOT.

I love texting. I just bought a female lavender via text... It helped that I trust/purchased off of that breeder before though!

To me, texting is for friends, not for business.

i text with out a second thought. business has to keep up with the times, from the pony express to texting to ?????

As a buyer, I have no problem texting a reputable breeder that I have purchased from and trust. Mainly cuz the majority of breeders that I do business with I would consider friends.

As a seller, I will use the phone as it was intended for, until the prospective buyer chooses to text me. Then I have no problem texting them, but think it looks unprofessional for me to assume and use text messages unless they indicate they like texts.

I do computer work for private individuals and some small local businesses. I can tell you that I have setup jobs over e-mail, text message, Facebook, phone, and face to face when I have run into people. When you are doing business for yourself you should use everything at your disposal. I was once at a bar for a going away party for a co-worker. Long story short the owner of the bar was the husband of another co-worker and was telling me the kitchen phone died. With a butter knife and my teeth I fixed the phone lines. That turned into a pretty nice job and 2 referrals sense.

This brings up a really good point, actually, that I was thinking about awhile ago.

Do I use texting for business? Nope, because I don't even have texting. I don't even have a functional cell phone. (I did for awhile, before texting even really existed, then dropped it when I moved and didn't have any use for it anymore. I could probably use one again, but I've been resisting ...)

I think it's really important to realize that not everyone has or uses the same level of technology that you do, or may have access to it, but not feel comfortable using it. I have certainly completed plenty of live animal transactions solely through email or PM, but I often prefer to speak on the phone just because I feel that you can get a better sense of a person that way. (Plus, then you have a piece of real contact info for them, not just an anonymous email address or screen name.)

I don't think it would be wrong or hugely unprofessional to complete a transaction via text messaging, assuming both parties were OK with it. It seems very strange to me, though, since I've really never used texting and I kind of associate it with 12-year old girls -- but I do acknowledge that others use it as a valid mode of communication and I don't see a problem with it.

Just, please -- if you are a big texting/cell phone user -- remember that not everyone else is!

If that is how the customer wishes to communicate, so be it..Personally I think a phone call is allot more effective than a text, because I can convey my point and mood better with inflection and description better in the spoken word than the written.

I like communicating via email so that there is written proof of the transaction in the event something goes wrong. I usually text after receiving a shipment letting the seller know the animals were alive and well when the package came in.

If its someone I don't know well I like to speak with them on the phone at least once to get a feel for the person a little better.