Craving more human connection? Yeah. Me too. That’s why I’m excited to share a tool I’ve been using to ease some of my quarantine blues…and I hope it does the same for you!
This is not sponsored AND it’s a 100% free resource.
(And, heads up…if you want to take this tool for a test drive, I share a quick and easy way you can do so at the end!)
Alright, so let’s talk about Telegram!
THE POWER of YOUR VOICE
About 2 years ago, I included a value-add service to my Coaching Program: asynchronous coaching. (Shout out to Ari Meisel for the inspiration.)
In a nutshell, my private clients can send me voice messages – asking a question, celebrating a win, etc. And when I’m available, I reply back. So, our scheduled Zoom calls are synchronous coaching and voice messages are asynchronous coaching.
Why are voice messages beneficial? A few reasons.
- It’s easier and faster to talk things out, rather than typing an email or text
- My clients and I feel more connected when we hear each other’s voices vs just reading words
- By hearing the tone in my clients’ voice messages, I can tune into what they need
I’ve loved using voice messages with clients so much that I started inviting friends and family to converse through the app, too.
FROM PROFESSIONAL TO PERSONAL
About a year ago, one of my dearest friends, Sabrina Bolin, and I became accountability buddies. We started with daily check-ins: “Here’s what I want to accomplish today. … How about you?” And, in time, our voice messages evolved into not just sharing business goals, but also a safe space to vent, give encouragement, talk out ideas, and ask for feedback.
Sometimes you don’t need to hop on a call, but texting doesn’t cut it either. Voice messages are where it’s at!
Now, I’m talking with my friends, colleagues, and even my parents more often by sending voice messages back and forth.
VOICE MESSAGING APP OPTIONS
I’m not a super techie person, but I did research other voice messaging apps.
You might be thinking, “You can send voice messages with your phone’s native texting app. Why do you need a 3rd party app at all?”
A few reasons:
- I’m an iPhone user and their voice message function pretty much sucks. The recording regularly stops and disappears.
- The search function is pretty useless
- There’s a time limit (2 minutes)
- iPhone doesn’t have a good transcription function
So, the native app is a dud.
Then there’s WhatsApp, which is solid. It’s also owned by Facebook. Personally, I’m not a big Facebook fan. I’m not grabbing my pitchfork against them, but if there’s a good alternative to a Facebook product, I’ll use it. Plus, WhatsApp also has a history of security breaches, which is why Telegram has positioned themselves as an alternative to WhatsApp.
Next is Voxer. Good app. The UI is fine, but could be better. Voxer doesn’t do everything Telegram can, and some of my favorite Voxer features were behind a paywall. It was a nice bonus to move to Telegram and save that small expense.
WHY I LIKE TELEGRAM
Here are some features I particularly enjoy.
- Folders: I separate professional and personal chats using the folders function
- Customized Notifications: I have one chime for professional contacts and a different chime for personal ones
- Multimedia: You can send text, voice messages, video messages, and files
- Playback speed: You can listen to both voice and video messages at double speed, which I do 98% of the time
- Fun custom stickers: I’m a sucker for emoji’s, gifs, and bitmojis. So, Telegram’s animated custom stickers are right up my alley. It makes professional conversations more fun and personal – like talking to a friend
- Searchable: Need to find a message? Their search function is great, and you can even use searchable hashtags too
- Transcription: Voxer’s paid version has a better transcription function, but Telegram’s does alright. Just add the “Transcriber Bot” to your contacts (@transcriber_bot) and follow the instructions
- Save Messages: Pretty straight forward. See a message you want to keep? Send it to your “Saved” folder.
- MANY Security Options: You can customize the heck out of this thing.
- Custom Appearance: I like pretty things, so stuff like changing the background makes me happy.
- Multi-Platform Apps: It’s has both mobile and desktop apps
…AND THEN THERE’S THIS
What really tipped the scales for me was Telegram’s Groups and Channels functions.
Think of Groups as an admin-controlled group chat (similar to a Facebook group) and Channels as a one-way conversation/broadcast (like sending a newsletter).
Within Groups you can:
- Determine if new members can see the history of messages prior to their joining, or not.
- Edit old messages
- Schedule messages
- Control what Group members can or cannot do in the group (See screenshot)
There are so many ways you can use this app, both professionally and personally. Two of my clients have already incorporated Telegram into their offerings and business model, thanks to our work together. So, yeah I’m a fan.
Let me know if you end up using Telegram to communicate with your team, a way to better serve your clients, or if you use it to hear the voices of your loved ones a little more often. I’d love to know!
GAIN SOME MOMENTUM!
While I’ve been using Telegram for my private coaching clients, I have yet to delve into its Group & Channel functions much…that is, until now!
You can now join the Influence Momentum 7-Day Challenge telegram group! This challenge is designed for both established and up-and-coming entrepreneurs who want to step-up their Thought Leadership marketing strategies.
For 7 days, I will send you a voice message with:
- A content creation prompt that will connect with your target market,
- A tip/tool for organizing & planning your content,
- Insights for overcoming “head junk” that gets in the way of sharing more of your knowledge and expertise!
If you’d like to take Telegram for a test drive AND grow your network to include more like-minded entrepreneurs AND do more for your online marketing, then sign up for this Free 7-Day Challenge now! We kickoff September 4th!
This is going to be so much fun. I look forward to helping you build momentum in your online thought leadership!
Happy Influencing!
Sharí Alexander
Influence Speaker & Coach
P.S. Here are a few other ways I can help you increase your influence, whenever you’re ready.
1. Say “hi!” on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow me for influential insights for business and life!
2. Grab a FREE copy of The Mindreader Blueprint. This is a workbook for finding your influential message. Use this step by step guide to make your next sales pitch or presentation more persuasive!
3. Is Influence Coaching exactly what you’ve been looking for! I love helping my clients become more persuasive professionals. The right words and the right strategy can make all the difference!
For my entrepreneur clients, we clarify their marketing message and improve sales conversations for higher profits. Are you a business owner? Book a complimentary call with me.
For my executive clients, I help them motivate their teams, present ideas more persuasively, and climb the corporate ladder. ALL by teaching influence language and techniques. Are you a team leader? Book a complimentary call with me.
Let’s have a conversation.
4. Booking speakers? Your audience will LOVE learning how to be more persuasive in business and in life. Looking for a keynote speaker who jam-packs a speech with practical, how-to content that actually helps professionals be better leaders? Learn more about my programs and audience takeaways here!
