Are you the only person in your office who wants to use instant messaging as a way of communicating? Do you often times ask yourself why nobody else wants to IM? If you are in this position, it is up to you to find out why others are staying away and then to talk them into getting started. Remember, you have something great to sell. All you have to do is show the benefits and hope that more and more people begin to catch on.
Some coworkers will not want to use IM because it is out of their comfort range. In other words, they are only interested in what they know. And what they know is using the phone and email for the most part. You need to explain just how easy it is to communicate via instant messaging.
Get your boss on your side. If your boss tells everybody to use instant messaging chances are that the majority will listen. Again, you may have to do a good sales job. There are many people who think that IM is a bad thing; including many higher-ups. They need to be educated as to why this is not the case. Anybody who communicates via instant messenger at work knows that the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks.
It can be lonely being the only person in an office who wants to IM. Fortunately, once you get the ball rolling more and more people are sure to get involved.