📱 The "98% Open Rate" You Are Ignoring

Your sales rep sends an email. It has a 20% open rate.

They make a cold call. It has a 5% connect rate.

But there is one channel that has a 98% Open Rate. It’s the device in your prospect's pocket.

SMS.

For years, B2B companies were afraid of texting. "It's too personal," they said. "It's unprofessional."

That has changed. In 2026, a well-timed text message ("Hey John, just sent the contract.") is not intrusive; it's efficient.

HubSpot creates the lists. But you need an engine to send the texts. The two leaders are Sakari (Easy) and Twilio (Developer).

Here is how to build an SMS engine inside HubSpot without being spammy.

🥊 The Contender: Sakari (The "No-Code" Choice)

Sakari is built for marketers and sales teams who want to "plug and play."

Pros:

• Native Integration: It adds a "Send SMS" button directly to the HubSpot Contact record.
• Workflow Actions: You can drag and drop a "Send SMS" action into any HubSpot Workflow.
• Two-Way Sync: When a prospect replies to the text, it logs in HubSpot and emails the rep.
• Best For: Sales teams who want to send "appointment reminders" or "personal follow-ups."

🥊 The Champion: Twilio (The "Developer" Choice)

Twilio is the infrastructure of the internet.

Pros:

• Global Scale: It works everywhere, cheaply.
• Flexibility: You can build complex IVR flows or WhatsApp bots on top of it.
• Cost: It is "pay as you go," which can be cheaper at massive scale.
• Best For: Engineering teams building custom apps or massive notification systems.

🛠️ 3 Automated SMS Plays for B2B

Once integrated, here are the 3 workflows you should build immediately.

Play 1: The "Meeting Reminder" (No-Show Killer)

• Trigger: Meeting Start Time is less than 1 hour.
• Action: Send SMS: "Hi [Name], looking forward to our chat in 1 hour! Let me know if you need to reschedule."
• Result: No-show rates drop by 50%.

Play 2: The "Contract Nudge" (Deal Closer)

• Trigger: Deal Stage = "Contract Sent" AND Time in Stage > 2 days.
• Action: Send SMS (from Rep): "Hey [Name], just checking if you saw the proposal email? Let me know if you have questions."
• Result: It bumps the email back to the top of their mind.

Play 3: The "Inbound Lead" (Speed to Lead)

• Trigger: Lifecycle Stage = MQL (Demo Request).
• Action: Send SMS: "Hi [Name], thanks for the request! I just sent you an email to book a time. - [Rep Name]"
• Result: Instant engagement while they are still thinking about you.

⚠️ The "Compliance" Warning

SMS is regulated. You must have consent.

• The Checkbox: Add a "I agree to receive SMS" checkbox to your HubSpot Forms.
• The Property: Map that checkbox to a custom property SMS Opt-In.
• The Filter: Never send a text to a contact where SMS Opt-In is "No."

Don't Abuse the Privilege.

SMS is a "high-trust" channel. If you spam, you die.

Use it for logistics (reminders).

Use it for transactional updates (contract sent).

Do NOT use it for "cold prospecting."

If you treat the inbox with respect, it will be your highest-converting channel.

Not sure which provider to pick?