SMS Outreach

SMS outreach is the practice of sending text messages to prospects or customers as a channel within your sales or marketing engagement strategy. It works because text messages have open rates above 90% and are typically read within minutes, making SMS one of the highest-attention channels available.

In GTM operations, SMS fills a specific gap: it reaches people who ignore emails and don’t answer calls. For SDR teams, a well-timed text after a missed call or as a follow-up to an email sequence can re-engage prospects who have gone dark. For customer success, SMS is effective for renewal reminders, event confirmations, and time-sensitive notifications.

The practical reality of B2B SMS outreach: it works best as a complement to other channels, not as a standalone. A cold text to someone who has never heard of you is likely to get ignored or flagged. But a text that references a previous email or voicemail — “Hey, sent you an email yesterday about [specific topic], worth a quick look?” — can be the nudge that gets a response.

Compliance is non-negotiable with SMS. In the US, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires consent before sending marketing texts, with penalties of $500-$1,500 per violation. A2P 10DLC registration is now required for business texting. Always include opt-out instructions and maintain proper consent records.

Best practices include keeping messages under 160 characters, personalizing with the prospect’s name and company, sending during business hours in the recipient’s time zone, and limiting frequency to avoid being blocked. SDR operations platforms can integrate SMS into multi-channel sequences alongside calls and email.