Sales AI Skill
Sms Whatsapp Outreach
Execute SMS and WhatsApp outreach campaigns for sales prospecting, follow-up, and nurture with compliance, personalization, and two-way conversation management. Use when running SMS campaigns, WhatsApp business outreach, mobile messaging for sales, or multi...
SMS & WhatsApp Outreach
Add mobile messaging to your outreach mix for higher engagement and faster response times.
Workflow
- Build opted-in mobile contact list from CRM and consent records.
- Segment contacts for targeted SMS/WhatsApp messaging.
- Craft compliant, personalized message templates with clear CTAs.
- Execute campaigns with smart scheduling (timezone-aware, business hours only).
- Handle two-way conversations with automated routing and live agent takeover.
- Track delivery, open, reply, and conversion metrics.
- Maintain compliance with TCPA, GDPR, and platform-specific regulations.
Compliance Framework
SMS/WHATSAPP COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
=======================================
TCPA (USA) — CRITICAL:
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Requirements:
- PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT required before any SMS
- Consent must be documented (timestamp, method, opt-in text)
- Clear opt-out mechanism in EVERY message ("Reply STOP to unsubscribe")
- Opt-out honored within 24 hours; no further messages after opt-out
- Identify sender clearly ("This message from [Company]")
- No auto-dialers or pre-recorded messages without consent
Violations:
- $500-$1,500 per violation per message
- Class action lawsuits common ($10M+ settlements)
- FTC enforcement actions possible
Best Practices:
- Collect consent via web form with explicit checkbox ("Yes, I agree to receive SMS")
- Never purchase mobile numbers for SMS campaigns
- Audit consent records quarterly
- Maintain opt-out list with permanent suppression
GDPR (EU) — CRITICAL:
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Requirements:
- Explicit opt-in consent (pre-ticked boxes NOT valid)
- Right to be forgotten (data deletion on opt-out)
- Purpose limitation (use numbers only for stated purpose)
- Data processing agreement with SMS provider
- Consent records retained for 3 years minimum
WhatsApp Business API (Global):
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Requirements:
- Business account verified with WhatsApp
- Message templates pre-approved by Meta
- Quality rating monitored (user block/report rate)
- 24-hour messaging window for non-template messages
- Outside 24-hour window: must use approved template
- Quality rating tiers: Green (>0.1%), Yellow (0.1-1%), Red (>1%)
- Red rating = messaging blocked until resolved
CONSENT COLLECTION METHODS:
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Valid:
✓ Web form with explicit opt-in checkbox
✓ "Text JOIN to [shortcode]" (two-way opt-in)
✓ Verbal consent recorded on call ("Can I text you the details?")
✓ In-app opt-in with clear messaging
Invalid:
✗ Pre-ticked opt-in boxes
✗ Purchased lists
✗ Implied consent from business card exchange
✗ "By using this website you agree to receive SMS"
Campaign Templates
SMS CAMPAIGN TEMPLATES (160 characters max per segment)
=========================================================
TEMPLATE 1: EVENT FOLLOW-UP
"Hi [Name], great meeting you at [event]! This is [Rep] from [Company].
Sending the [resource] we discussed. Interested in a quick chat this week?
Reply YES or STOP to opt out."
TEMPLATE 2: CONTENT NURTURE
"Hi [Name], [Rep] here from [Company]. Published a new guide on [topic]
— thought of your work at [Company]. Link: [short URL]. Reply STOP to
opt out."
TEMPLATE 3: MEETING CONFIRMATION
"Hi [Name], confirming our call tomorrow at [time]. Looking forward to
discussing [topic]. Reply YES to confirm or call [number] to reschedule.
From [Company]. Reply STOP to opt out."
TEMPLATE 4: DEAL FOLLOW-UP
"Hi [Name], following up on our proposal. Any questions I can help with?
I'm free [time windows] this week. Reply with your availability or STOP.
[Company]"
TEMPLATE 5: RE-ENGAGEMENT
"Hi [Name], it's been a while! [Company] just launched [new feature] that
solves [pain point]. 5 min chat to see if it's relevant? Reply YES/STOP."
WHATSAPP BUSINESS TEMPLATES (Meta-approved):
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TEMPLATE 1: POST-MEETING RESOURCE
"Hi [Name], great connecting today! Here are the resources we discussed:
1. [Case study] — [link]
2. [Demo recording] — [link]
Let me know if you have any questions. Best, [Rep]"
TEMPLATE 2: PRODUCT UPDATE
"Hi [Name]! We just released [feature] that helps [ICP] with [outcome].
Based on our conversation about [topic], thought this might be relevant.
Want to see a quick demo? [link]"
TEMPLATE 3: EVENT INVITATION
"Hi [Name], you're invited to our [webinar/event] on [date] about [topic].
Register: [link]. Looking forward to seeing you there! [Company]"
MESSAGE CHARACTERISTICS:
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SMS:
- Max 160 characters per segment (320 for 2-segment, etc.)
- Short, punchy, one clear CTA
- Professional but conversational tone
- Always include opt-out language
- Personalized with first name and context
- Use short links (bit.ly) to save characters
WhatsApp:
- Richer formatting (bold, italic, bullet points)
- Can include images, documents, voice notes
- Longer messages acceptable (2-3 paragraphs)
- More conversational and relationship-building
- Template messages require Meta approval
Campaign Execution Rules
SMS/WHATSAPP CAMPAIGN RULES
=============================
TIMING:
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Best Send Times (by timezone):
- Tuesday-Thursday: 10 AM - 12 PM, 2 PM - 4 PM (highest response)
- Monday: 11 AM - 3 PM (avoid early Monday)
- Friday: 10 AM - 1 PM (avoid after lunch)
- NEVER: Saturday, Sunday, 9 PM - 7 AM local time
Frequency Limits:
- Max 2 SMS per contact per week
- Max 1 WhatsApp per contact per week
- 7-day cooling period after opt-in before first promotional message
- 30-day minimum between re-engagement messages
SCHEDULING:
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- All messages scheduled by contact's timezone
- Business hours only (8 AM - 6 PM local)
- Campaign start staggered (not all at once) to avoid carrier flagging
- Daily send limit: 500 messages/company (carrier threshold)
TWO-WAY CONVERSATION:
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Reply handling:
1. Auto-reply: "Thanks for your message! A team member will respond within 2 hours."
2. Routing: Reply routed to appropriate AE/SDR based on contact assignment
3. Live takeover: AE takes over conversation within 2 hours
4. Conversation logged in CRM as activity
Reply responses:
- "YES" → Schedule meeting or send follow-up content
- "INFO" → Send informational content
- "STOP" → Immediate opt-out, suppress permanently
- Other → Route to live agent for personalized response
MULTI-CHANNEL SEQUENCING:
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SMS/WhatsApp integrated into broader outreach sequence:
Day 1: Email 1 (introduction)
Day 3: LinkedIn connection request
Day 5: SMS (content share, reference email)
Day 8: Email 2 (case study, social proof)
Day 12: WhatsApp (if opted in, richer content)
Day 15: Phone call (personal touch)
Day 18: Email 3 (breakup/last attempt)
Rule: Never send SMS immediately after email (channel clash)
Minimum 48 hours between channels to same contact
Analytics & Metrics
SMS/WHATSAPP PERFORMANCE METRICS
==================================
Delivery Metrics:
Messages sent: [count]
Delivery rate: [%] (target: 98%+)
Opt-in rate: [%] (for two-way opt-in campaigns)
Opt-out rate: [%] (target: <1%)
Bounce rate: [%] (target: <2%)
Compliance violations: [count] (target: 0)
Engagement Metrics:
Reply rate: [%] (target: 15-25% for SMS, 20-35% for WhatsApp)
Average response time: [X minutes/hours]
Conversion to meeting: [%] (target: 5-10%)
Positive sentiment replies: [%]
Negative sentiment replies: [%]
Opt-out rate by campaign type: [%]
Pipeline Impact:
Meetings booked from SMS: [count]
Meetings booked from WhatsApp: [count]
Pipeline generated: [$ amount/month]
Deals won from SMS-sourced leads: [count]
Deals won from WhatsApp-sourced leads: [count]
Revenue attributed: [$ amount]
WhatsApp Quality Rating:
Rating: [Green/Yellow/Red]
User block rate: [%] (target: <0.1%)
User report rate: [%] (target: <0.1%)
Template approval rate: [%]
24-hour conversation completion rate: [%]
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:
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SMS vs. Email performance:
Open rate: SMS 98% vs. Email 20%
Reply rate: SMS 15% vs. Email 2%
Meeting conversion: SMS 5% vs. Email 1%
Response time: SMS 15 min avg vs. Email 48 hr avg
Cost per message: SMS $0.02 vs. Email $0.001
Edge Cases
- High opt-out rate: Campaign triggering >2% opt-outs
- Mitigation: Pause campaign immediately; audit consent records and message content
- Review if messages are too promotional (should be value-add, not pitch)
- Adjust frequency (reduce from weekly to bi-weekly)
- Re-segment audience (may be targeting wrong ICP for SMS)
- WhatsApp template rejection: Meta rejects message templates
- Mitigation: Common rejection reasons: call-to-action too salesy, missing personalization
- Rewrite template with educational/value-add framing
- Submit for re-approval (typically 24-48 hours)
- Maintain backup templates for common use cases
- International SMS compliance: Different regulations in different countries
- Mitigation: Country-specific compliance rules maintained in system
- India: DND registry check before sending; sender ID registration required
- UK: PECR compliance; consent documentation required
- Australia: SPAM Act compliance; unsubscribe mechanism mandatory
- Flag contacts by country; apply appropriate rules automatically
- SMS character limit overflow: Long message split into multiple segments
- Mitigation: Keep messages under 160 characters (single segment)
- If split: ensure message reads coherently across segments
- Use short URLs to conserve characters
- Test messages before sending to verify formatting
Integration Points
- Twilio/Messages.com: SMS delivery API and compliance management
- WhatsApp Business API: Meta official API for WhatsApp messaging
- Salesforce/HubSpot: Contact data, consent records, activity logging
- Salesloft/Outreach: Multi-channel sequencing with SMS/WhatsApp touches
- Compliance platforms (MessageMedia, Bandwidth): TCPA compliance and consent management
- Slack: Real-time SMS conversation routing and alerts