Chatbots: The Silent Salespeople of Conversational Commerce

By Yuri Larin, VP Revenue – India and Eurasia, Infobip

Hello, how can I assist you today? That’s how a salesperson would greet you and then follow you around the store, which might feel like less help and more pressure. It is one of the many reasons that people prefer shopping online. However, at the same time, adequate assistance from a salesperson can transform the whole shopping experience, making a person revisit the store. While such a personalized experience was lacking in the online shopping experience earlier, it is not anymore.

Chatbots have become an integral part of the conversational commerce customer journey transforming the way people shop online. It was always a challenge for customers to browse hundreds of products on an e-commerce site to find the right product. But chatbots act as the new salespeople that assist customers in finding the product of their choice and even make recommendations to enhance their overall shopping experience. Some chatbots would first ask you questions to understand your choice to make recommendations. Similarly, it would update you with the latest information like product pricing, etc.

Consumers experience a certain level of comfort while asking for help from an online assistant, which may differ from a physical shopping experience. It is primarily because more people feel comfortable texting instead of talking to somebody. The experience becomes equal to talking to friends and family on chat apps. It is an excellent opportunity for businesses to provide customers with exactly what they want and amplify sales.

The increasing customer preference for chat-based solutions has paved the way for conversational everything, and sales is a major part of any business. Brands can leverage chatbots to assist their customers in buying the best products. The integrated chatbots on channels like WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, etc., enable personalized conversations for customers, cultivating their trust in the brand.

Chatbots to Amplify Sales

For businesses, deploying chatbots means increased availability at a lower cost, better deployment of human resources, application across marketing & customer service, 24/7 communication with customers on their preferred channels and increased customer satisfaction.

Let’s take a closer look at how businesses can leverage chatbots:

There are many times when people shop online, but they get distracted by something else and do not complete the purchase of the products they added to the cart. The integrated chatbots help convert these into sales. For example, there are already e-commerce platforms that send reminders to customers on their preferred channels if they leave without completing a purchase. The chatbot not only reminds them but also helps them if they are looking for something similar. It is a seamless interaction that quickly turns leads into sales, assisting businesses to boost revenue by offering an enhanced customer experience.

This is not all. These chatbots even generate leads with targeted marketing messages and customer support services as and when needed by the customers.

Conclusion

Chatbots have indeed emerged as the silent salespeople of conversational commerce, revolutionizing how businesses engage with customers in the digital age. Today, with nearly free and instant access to unlimited data storage on the cloud, businesses leverage these advanced AI chatbots to stay ahead of the competition. Furthermore, they benefit from the generative AI performance at minimal costs. These AI-driven assistants are invaluable tools for enhancing customer experiences, streamlining processes, and boosting sales. By providing personalized and immediate assistance around the clock, chatbots meet consumers’ evolving expectations and allow companies to scale their operations efficiently. As technology continues to advance, chatbots will play an increasingly prominent role in the future of e-commerce, reshaping how we interact, transact, and succeed in the ever-evolving digital marketplace. Embracing the potential of chatbots is not just an option; it’s necessary for businesses looking to thrive in this new era of conversational commerce.