Every text here is free to copy, with no sign-up. Change the words in square brackets and send.
Most consultants live in email, so why text at all? Because a proposal sits in an inbox with 200 others, and a client who's about to miss a workshop will see a text in time. I wouldn't use texts for anything long or sensitive. I'd use them for the small nudges that keep a project moving.
How to use this page
- Service messages are about work someone has asked you for. They're the everyday ones.
- Marketing messages promote your business. Who you're texting decides which rules apply.
- A company or LLP sits outside the consent rule. A sole trader counts as an individual.
- Never put confidential client detail in a text.
- Treat every client alike when you ask for a review.
Service or marketing?
Marketing texts fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Your position differs from a business selling to the public, because many of your contacts are companies.
| Who you're texting | Marketing text allowed? | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| Company, LLP or other corporate subscriber | Yes, no consent needed under this rule | Say who you are, give a way to opt out, and honour it |
| Sole trader or some partnerships | Only with consent or the soft opt-in | Treat them as an individual |
| Private individual | Only with consent or the soft opt-in | An opt-out in every message |
| Not sure | Treat them as an individual | That's the ICO's advice |
The soft opt-in lets you text your own clients about similar services, where you got their details during a sale or the negotiation of one. You must have given a clear chance to opt out then, and again in every message. New contacts and bought lists don't qualify.
A named person at a company is still personal data, so UK GDPR applies even when PECR doesn't. If someone objects to marketing, you must stop. Keep a do-not-contact list so they don't creep back in.
The same rules cover direct messages on social media, according to the ICO, so I'd treat a sales message on LinkedIn the same way. The ICO's page doesn't name LinkedIn. Its guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, so check for changes. A true service message is about work the client asked for, so it shouldn't need marketing consent. That's my reading, not ICO wording.
Three mistakes
Tack a pitch onto a service message and it can turn into marketing. Keep the two apart.
Don't name a client's project, a deal or a staff issue in a text. Phones get seen. Say "our Thursday session", not "the redundancy plan".
Don't ask clients for their contacts' numbers so you can text them. Ask for an introduction instead.
The templates
The buttons take you to each stage.
First reply
[Your name] at [Business] here. I was in a client session when you rang. What's it about? I'll reply by [time] today.
[Name], thanks for writing to [Business]. I've read your message. Could we talk for 20 minutes this week, or is email better?
Hi [Name], thanks for getting in touch with [Business]. I'm away from my desk now, and I'll reply by [time] on [day].
Only promise a time you'll keep.
Hi [Name], I'm on site with a client until [day], so I'm slow on messages. I'd like to talk properly. Does [day] at [time] suit?
Hi [Name], it's [Your name]. [Referrer] said you might get in touch. Happy to help if I can. Would a short call on [day] suit?
Hi [Name], thanks for asking. This isn't my area, and I'd rather say so now. [Other name] is very good at this, if an introduction would help.
Check the other person's happy to be recommended before you send it.
Discovery call
Hi [Name], I can do a 30-minute call on [day] at [time] or [day] at [time]. Which suits you best?
Hi [Name], here's a link to pick a time that suits you for our call: [Link]. It's free, and it takes 30 minutes.
Booked in, [Name]. We'll talk on [day] at [time]. The link is in your email from [Business]. Reply if that's wrong.
Hi [Name], speaking to you tomorrow at [time]. Is there one thing you'd most like to get out of the call?
Text reminders improved attendance in healthcare studies (Cochrane, 2013). That isn't consultants, but I'd expect the same habit to help.
Hi [Name], sorry, my last session has overrun. Can we start at [time] instead? If that's no good, I'll send new times.
Hi [Name], I'm on the call but I can't see you. No problem if something's come up. Shall I send you new times?
Thanks for your time today, [Name]. I'll send my proposal by [day]. If anything else comes to mind before then, just reply here.
Proposals
Hi [Name], your proposal from [Business] is in your email. I've kept it to [number] pages. Any questions, just reply here.
Hi [Name], would 15 minutes help to go through the proposal together? I can do [day] at [time].
[Name], [Your name] here. Did the proposal make sense? Happy to answer questions or change the scope.
A follow-up on a proposal they asked for sits close to the line if the contact's a sole trader. Keep it to the work, send no more than two, and stop if they say no.
Hi [Name], I'm guessing the timing's wrong, so I'll close this proposal and stop chasing. If that changes, just reply.
Send this once, and mean it.
Hi [Name], I know [person] needs to sign this off. Would a one-page summary for them help?
Thanks [Name], delighted to be working with you. The contract's in your email. Once it's signed, I'll send the dates.
Documents
Hi [Name], to start on [date] I need [documents]. Could you send them by [day]? Please use the secure link, not text or WhatsApp: [Link]
Don't take confidential files or personal data by text.
Hi [Name], I'm still waiting on [documents]. Without them I can't start on [date]. Is someone else best placed to send them?
Hi [Name], the contract's waiting for your signature in your email from [Business]. It takes about a minute: [Link]
Hi [Name], I need 30 minutes with [number] of your team before [date]. Could you share their names, or ask them to book here: [Link]
Project
Hi [Name], see you at [place or link] on [day] at [time]. Please bring [item].
Hi [Name], this week's update is in your email. One decision needed from you by [day]. Everything else is on track.
Hi [Name], the extra work you asked for adds £[amount] and [days] days. I won't start without your OK. Reply YES, or ring me on [Number].
Keep the reply. It's your record that the client agreed the change.
All done, [Name]. Thanks for having me. The final documents are in your email. If anything isn't clear, text me here.
Reviews
Thanks for working with [Business], [Name]. Would you leave an honest review? It really helps a small business: [Link]
Send it to every client, with no discount or reward. Whether a review request counts as marketing isn't settled, so with sole traders I'd add your business name and "Reply STOP to opt out", and stop if they say no.
Hi [Name], no pressure at all, but if you get a minute I'd really value your honest review of the [project]: [Link]
One reminder at most, with the same opt-out for sole traders.
Hi [Name], could I write up our work as a short case study? You'd see it first, and I won't use your name without your OK.
Check your contract and NDA first. Keep the written permission. The ad rules expect you to have it.
Payment
Hi [Name], invoice [number] from [Business] for £[amount] is in your email, due by [date]. Thank you.
Hi [Name], invoice [number] from [Business] was due on [date]. If it's already paid, thank you. If not, when should I expect it?
Hi [Name], invoice [number] from [Business] for £[amount] is [days] days overdue. Please pay by [date], or ring me on [Number].
Stay polite and factual. Business clients can be charged statutory interest. Our fees guide has the rates.
Stay in touch
[Business]: Hi [Name], it's 90 days since we finished. How's the [project] holding up? Happy to have a quick call. Reply STOP to opt out.
It's angling for more work, so it sits under marketing.
[Business]: Hi [Name], I've got [number] days free in [month]. If you've got something you've been putting off, reply here. Reply STOP to opt out.
[Business]: Hi [Name], it's been a while since we worked on [project]. How are things going? Reply here if I can help. Reply STOP to opt out.
What a text costs to send
One text holds 160 characters. Go over and it splits into parts of about 153, each charged. A single emoji can drop the limit to 70.
The SMS Works shows prices from 3.1p plus VAT a text, as of November 2026, though the same page's summary says 4.4p. That's a vendor figure, so check before you buy.
When the copying stops
All this is manageable in a quiet month. Then you're two days into a workshop and three people have rung. The missed-call text and the proposal chasers are the two I'd hand to a system first, because those are what slip.
Questions consultants ask
Do I need permission to text a client?
Yes, if it's about work they've asked you for. Marketing depends on who they are. A company sits outside the consent rule, but a sole trader needs consent or the soft opt-in.
Is a 90-day check-in marketing?
It can be, because you're looking for more work. I've played safe and put it in the marketing group, so include your business name and an opt-out.
Can I send a proposal by text?
Send the news by text and the proposal by email or a secure link. I'd treat fees and scope as confidential, so keep them off lock screens.
Can I reward a client for a Google review?
No. Google bans incentives for reviews. The CMA's guidance says an incentivised review must be clearly identified as one. It allows general requests, but warns that encouraging only satisfied customers may mislead. It doesn't deal with business-to-business reviews directly, so I'd follow it anyway.
Do I need a separate number for texts?
It's a good idea. It keeps client messages off your personal phone, and it's easier to pass on if you take on an associate.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- ICO, business-to-business marketing
- ICO, electronic mail marketing (under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025)
- CMA, fake reviews guidance (4 April 2025)
- Google, prohibited and restricted content
- ASA, testimonials and endorsements (21 September 2026)
- GOV.UK Notify, text message length (1 April 2026)
- The SMS Works, pricing (vendor, November 2026)
- Cochrane review CD007458, 2013 (healthcare, international)
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.