The world of sales is changing, and you can't be left out. You've probably wondered: What is WhatsApp Business? Why did you launch an API? How will this impact my business?
Furthermore, in this article, you'll learn about the challenges currently faced by companies that have already implemented WhatsApp Business, the new features you can implement soon to overcome these challenges, and the practices you should follow to get the most out of the tool. But as Jack "The Ripper" would say, let's go a little further...
What is an API and why did WhatsApp launch one?
A API It is a set of functions and procedures that perform one or more functions for use by other software. The acronym API comes from the English Application Programming Interface. In Spanish: application programming interface .
In simple terms, It is a key in an application's code so that other applications can access it and perform actions on it.
A few months ago WhatsApp has announced an API which paved the way for companies to permanently integrate with the world's most popular messaging tool.
This means WhatsApp is focused on connecting the parties. And through the API, it seeks to create an ecosystem of companies that solve problems that the messaging app cannot address.
Some of the companies that are already working to provide services to businesses via the API are:
- Twilio
- Smooch
- Corrugated
- SendApp
- YaloChat
- To take
- Nexmo
A little history to understand how we got to the API
Businesses have changed a lot in recent times due to changing consumer habits. As he says: Google in his own insights : consumers are more curious, impatient and demanding.
This transformation has brought about major changes in the way we work with customers.
As WhatsApp grew, more and more people began communicating this way, and businesses saw the opportunity to speak with their customers in real time, less invasively than the phone and more personally than email.
In fact, Facebook, the company that owns WhatsApp, had been working on it for a long time. As stated on the Facebook for Companies website:
“If you reply to the 90% of messages in 15 minutes or less, you will receive the "High level of response" identification badge While we don't expect all pages to meet this limit, we recommend replying to as many messages as possible to maintain good communication with customers.
For this reason, by entering the market with WhatsApp Business, the company has decided to formalize its intentions to become the communications platform for sales par excellence.
What is WhatsApp Business and how does it work?
It says "WhatsApp Business is a free app for businesses and small businesses." This app, available for both Android and now also for iOS (iPhone), is more or less the same platform as WhatsApp but with some features that help businesses simplify their management.
WhatsApp Business legitimizes your business
One of the main drawbacks you've surely noticed when using personal WhatsApp for your business is that customers can be skeptical or wary when doing business with you, especially when you post statuses or messages that aren't professional.
With your business profile, you can list your company address, website, opening hours, and clearly state what your company does or what its vision is.
To create your “WhatsApp Business Profile”: open WhatsApp Business >
Press the 3-dot menu button in the top right corner of the app > Settings > Business Settings > Profile.
It allows you to receive messages only when you want
Both you and your business need rest. By setting your working hours and creating an "away message," you can ensure you lose fewer customers by letting them know when they can be reached.
This makes them feel heard, but it also forces you to respond. That's why you can set up specific responses to some of the questions or messages you receive from customers with the "Quick Replies" feature.
To enable or change the message, go to Settings > Business Settings > Away Message > “Enable Away Message” and then edit the message as desired.
In “Away Message Settings,” you can easily schedule when you want the message to appear. It comes with three options: always sending, personalized programming or outside working hours .
Tag your customers for better follow-up
Maybe at some point, while saving a customer's contact, you added a short description in their name, for example: “Pablo Martel (prospect)”. We all have.
Even if you tag your customers in the simplest way, in large volumes of leads this information can get lost and the sales process can become confusing.
Never again: with WhatsApp Business Tags for Sales, you can effectively classify your customers as soon as their status changes within your business.
To tag customers: Click the menu button on the customer chat page > then choose a tag and click "Save".
To add new tags: Click the menu button on the customer chat page > then click “New Tag” and press “Save”.
What challenges has WhatsApp Business brought to business?
For each company size, the challenges are generally different.
Small businesses fell in love with the solution because it allowed them to communicate instantly with their customers.
But medium and large businesses have started having several drawbacks when using WhatsApp Business for sales.
Challenge number 1 :
You cannot have the entire team connected to the tool.
Since this is a tool that can only be used on a mobile device or web, only one person can answer all the questions.
If you have a call center or consulting firm, you need as many WhatsApp Business numbers for sales as you have people on your team. The platform allows you to use a single contact number for your entire company. For large sales teams, this can be a real headache.
“First, I tried to answer all the questions myself. But they started piling up, and the sales force was becoming inactive. So I tried screen-printing the app and sending each customer to a different supplier. Since I was losing control of the situation, I tried rotating the WhatsApp phone between my salespeople based on the time of day. However, many times the customer who had been assisted by one salesperson would reply to the message four hours later, during another salesperson's shift. This generated huge arguments within our sales force.”
This was a headache for sales managers who saw huge potential in WhatsApp Business, but had no way to implement it in a way that would help them sell more without sparking a “business rebellion.”
Solution: With the WhatsApp API, companies can have an unlimited number of numbers.
Challenge number 2: It is impossible to respond to all customers if the volume of requests is very high.
Solution:With the WhatsApp API you will have automatic and customizable templates that answer some of these questions.
Best practices to promote with WhatsApp Business API:
Good practice 1: be fast
As we've told you before, WhatsApp will start charging you for using the tool.
Let's say you have a sales team and you receive 10 inquiries a day. But one day, one of your salespeople forgot to reply to one of the messages.
In that case, if you want to respond after 24 hours, you'll have to pay for the message. This is because WhatsApp is focusing on ensuring businesses respond immediately to customers.
If you respond within 24 hours, you'll be fine. But we believe that, in line with the trend, they will increasingly try to narrow this time frame.
