Sales Road Warriors Get Their Answers From Google

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Not a new service but still a hidden treasure to many.

Google SMS is a free service that provides mobile users with a quick and easy access to a wide range of useful information. You send a text message from your cellphone with a specific request - and voila, instant answers when you need them most.

This is one of those services you need to start using in order to realize how helpful it really is. I signed up last week (free, of course) and I’m hooked. To get the feel for it, why not pull out your cell or smart phone and follow along?

Below, we’ll give you some ideas on how you use Google SMS to make your mobile business life a bit easier. It’s yet another example of the many great sales tools for professionals that are out there.

Getting started is dead simple. Enter your phone # and you’ll receive a link or enter mobile.google.com in your phone’s browser. Text messages are sent to GOOGLE (or 466453) so you may want to add that to your address book.

First, let’s start by setting our location. Google SMS remembers the locations you set. It sure makes getting directions and directory information easy, because it eliminates a lot of typing.

text message: set location 60616 sets your location to Chicago, which happens to be where I live. Remember that view location displays your currently set location.

1. Flight Status - Now, let’s assume you’re just wrapping up a meeting and you’re about to head back to the airport. Wouldn’t be great to know if your flight was leaving on time?

text message: aa 317 gives you the scheduled departure time, gate information and American Airlines’ customer service phone number, just in case you need it.

2. Directory Information - Your flight just got delayed. Time for a cup of coffee and wireless internet to check your email at Starbucks. But where do I find the closest one?

text message: starbucks 60616 gives you the closest Starbucks for that ZIP you entered.

Or you could use the time to head over to Kinko’s and print a few copies of a proposal before your next meeting.

text message: Kinkos 60611 gives you the closest Kinko’s in ZIP 60611

3. Stock quotes - While you have a minute, let’s check what your prospect’s or your own company’s stock price is doing.

text message: stock XRX gives you a 20 minute delayed quote for Xerox Corporation.

4. Weather - Is it still snowing at home? You may want to get on an earlier flight if you can.

text message: weather boston gives you the weather back home, assuming Boston is your home location.

5. Glossary - Man, this prospect just kept going on and on about widgets. Problem was, you have no idea what widgets are.

text message: define widgets gives you a quick definition so you’ll look less puzzled.

Google SMS also provides directions but we actually thought Dial Directions (our coverage here) did a better job in that area.

All in all, Google SMS is pretty useful stuff. For a lot more information and answers to questions you may have, check out Google’s help page - testing your own queries without actually using up text messages is possible too on Google’s website.

If you have feedback or other thoughts, leave them in the comments!