5 Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Selling on WhatsApp
Why do some businesses succeed in selling on WhatsApp while others struggle to close deals? The problem isn’t in WhatsApp itself. It’s in how you use it.
Are you overwhelming your customers with irrelevant messages? Or messaging them without permission? Maybe you’re not replying fast enough. Many businesses start using WhatsApp for sales with high expectations only to find the opposite. Luckily, it mostly happens because of fixable mistakes.
In this article, we’ll tell you all about 5 common mistakes businesses make when selling on WhatsApp and how you can avoid them.
Here are 5 mistakes sales teams often make while selling on WhatsApp, how they can affect your sales process, and how to fix or avoid them.
1. Not obtaining customer consent
Suppose a customer reaches out to your business over WhatsApp. They have a quick inquiry about pricing or product availability, you answer, and the conversation ends fast. Then, you start sending them marketing messages out of nowhere. You never asked permission to send them promotional content. They never agreed to receive updates. What do you think will happen?
More often than not, they’ll feel skeptical and might report your message as spam.
WhatsApp is a personal space, and customers guard it carefully. Reaching out without permission can turn them away. Plus, if many of your messages get flagged as spam, it might lead to an account ban.
So, how do you fix this? It’s simple. You need to collect opt-ins, or in other words, get consent, before messaging any customer. You can do it by asking directly if they’d like to receive messages from your businesses or adding a sign-up or subscription form on your website.
2. Taking forever to respond to your customer inquiries
WhatsApp is a real-time platform, which means it’s built for speed. Customers reach out because they want quick answers, and waiting hours for a reply isn’t an ideal experience for them. It can lead to losing interest, second-guessing, and moving on, which naturally leads to lost revenue.
Now, replying quickly isn’t always possible. Your team might be busy handling other prospects or leads, so what should you do? Rely on automation. You can use automation over WhatsApp to send instant replies, assign chats to agents, follow up, and even schedule calls.
Both the WhatsApp Business app and WhatsApp Business Platform have automation features. However, the app is for small businesses and has very limited options, while the platform accommodates scaling businesses.
In addition to automation, you need to build a solid system within your team to ensure messages don’t go unanswered and response times stay quick. For instance, you can use a shared inbox so that all of your agents handle their customers on the same platform. It’ll also allow you to monitor your team’s performance more easily and track where leads are in the pipeline.
3. Not providing a clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
You’ve answered the customer’s question, explained the product, and even highlighted its benefits. But then, silence follows. The conversation dies, and you don’t get to close your deal. Why? Because the customer doesn’t know what to do next.
A WhatsApp chat isn’t like a website where customers can browse freely. If you don’t guide them with a clear Call-to-Action (CTA), they might hesitate, get distracted, or even forget about the conversation altogether.
Ideally, your CTA should be direct, specific, and easy to act on. Instead of ending with “Let me know if you’re interested,” try:
- Ready to order? Click here to complete your purchase
- Want to see our product in action? Click this link for a quick demo
- Let’s finalize your order. Send me your delivery details now.
When the customer knows what to do next, more of your conversations turn into conversions. As a result, you waste less time and effort on conversations that won’t lead to anything.
4. Spamming customers with irrelevant messages
Sending customers too many messages without personalization or focusing on their pain points can make them feel frustrated. They’re not getting any value, and your business isn’t the only one spamming them with irrelevant messages. The result? They lose trust in your business and might even report your account. Plus, WhatsApp can flag or restrict your number.
So how do you stay on your customers’ radar without being intrusive or spammy?
You need to personalize your outreach, avoid sending too many messages, follow up in a timely fashion, and segment your audience based on their interests and behavior. You shouldn’t send the same offer to all customers. Instead, customize it according to their pain points.
When customers see solutions that solve their unique problems instead of generic ones, they’re more likely to make a purchase and close the deal.
5. Using personal accounts for business
Personal WhatsApp accounts don’t have essential business features, like automated greeting and away replies, product catalogs, and quick replies. Not to mention, contacting customers from them might look unprofessional. Messages get mixed with personal chats, leading to missed inquiries and lost sales. Customers may also view the business as unprofessional.
Luckily, WhatsApp Business provides an easy solution for this problem. Having a WhatsApp Business account gives you a professional profile with business details, automated messages for faster responses, and labels to track leads. Also, product catalogs allow you to showcase your products directly in chat. These features are on the WhatsApp Business app, which is a free platform designed for small businesses.
WhatsApp Business API, on the other hand, is a priced option targeted at large businesses and gives you access to many more features and automation options.
To wrap up
Using WhatsApp for selling is the right move, but some simple mistakes can cost you leads, closed deals, and your customers’ trust. For example, sending messages without consent, responding too slowly, or using a personal account to contact customers.
For the best outcome, you should get opt-ins from customers before contacting them and maintain professionalism by sending relevant messages only and using a WhatsApp Business account. You can also use WhatsApp’s features to reply faster to customers without overwhelming your team.
Avoiding these mistakes gives you a smoother, more successful sales process and more closed deals.
Hania is a content writer with four years of experience, driven by deep passion for writing and reading. She helps B2B companies market their products and boost their sales using one of the most powerful tools of mankind: words. Writing has always been her way of connecting with people, sharing her ideas, and leaving an impact.
