Inbound Chat Best Practices
In this guide, learn how to tackle inbound chats, transition to a meeting and handle tough conversations.
Looking to build pipeline and crush your goals as a sales rep? Sick of being ghosted by Qualified leads? Today’s buyers expect instant responses and to convert leads, you’ll want to provide that real-time experience. By getting to the hottest leads as soon as possible and never taking your foot off the gas, you’ll get more leads and more meetings, faster.
Inbound Chats
Think about the last time your flight was delayed or cancelled. Perhaps you were trying to get to a wedding or had time-sensitive plans. Imagine you called the airline, gave your confirmation number and they told you they’d get back to you in 48-hours. You’d likely feel frustrated and annoyed since you want information now and time is of the essence.
The same can be said for visitors to your company’s website. They want to speak with you and have likely already engaged with a chatbot and provided their information. They’re waiting and want an instant response from a sales rep -- about pricing, features, demo availability or something more.
An inbound chat is like a phone call. If you don’t pick up quickly, the visitor will assume no one is there and bounce. Bummer, that could have been your next $1M deal.
If you were calling a company, how long would you wait before hanging up? 3 rings? 5 rings? Research shows you only have 10 seconds before a lead loses interest.
As a sales rep, when someone requests Inbound Chat, you should drop everything and respond immediately.
If you don’t have Voice, Slack or Microsoft Teams alerts configured, work with your Qualified team to configure it ASAP. We want everyone to know that a visitor is waiting for inbound chat.
What should I say?
Always think about the experience of your website visitors. Maybe you pick up ASAP, but it takes 30 seconds for you to type your message.
Have 3-5 introductory shortcuts you use to welcome a visitor and introduce yourself. Always end your message with a question so the visitor feels compelled to respond with an answer.
How do I keep it going?
Just like you’re a real person and not a chatbot, the website visitor is likely a real person and has all sorts of questions you can’t be prepared for. How do you answer and keep the conversation going? A few tips:
- Use Type-ahead to read their minds...
- Answer a question directly
- Ask a follow up question
- Think about what they’re getting at
- Hook them in and bridge…
Bridging to your qualification questions while keeping a visitor engaged is a bit like reeling a fish in after that initial bite! You must bring the buyer along with you, give and take and establish rapport along the way. As you keep asking questions, be prepared for the buyer to take you off-road, that’s the way conversations happen!
The Tough Conversations
With so much website traffic, you’re likely to encounter a difficult scenario. Two potential scenarios could be the unhappy customer or the annoying/spammy visitor.
Unhappy Customer?
- Ooze warmth: Position yourself as friendly and here to help, right away.
- Quickly help them out: “I’m so sorry that you’ve had a poor experience. Let me connect you to your Account Manager who can help you. What email address works best for you?”
Annoying or Spam Visitor?
- Keep your cool: Remember that you represent your brand. Keep it professional.
- Keep it short: “Unfortunately I can’t help you with that. Thank you for your interest in Company.”
How do I get them to book a meeting?
Whether your conversation runs its length, or if you’re worried the buyer needs to leave for something else, make sure you close the loop and book the next steps. Offer up a meeting booker so they can schedule a session for a time that works for them.
Still Have Questions?
If you have any questions, feel free to chat with us using the Qualified app on this page or reach out to the Qualified technical support team.
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