Core conclusions:For customers who remain silent after initial contact, it’s recommended to switch to WhatsApp for follow-up communication. Follow these three steps: respond within 24 hours, then provide value-based feedback on the third day, and finally present a case-based solution by the seventh day. Ensure that each message does not exceed four lines in length. According to our estimates, about 30% of such silent customers will respond after the third attempt at communication.
1. Why use WhatsApp for communication, rather than sending emails?
Buyers from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe generally use WhatsApp as a tool for working communications. The speed at which messages are opened and responded to is much higher than that of email. The value of email lies in keeping records and attaching attachments with offers, while the value of WhatsApp lies in maintaining a timely flow of information and providing reminders. The two tools work together: offers and contracts are sent via email, while reminders, confirmations, and progress updates are sent via WhatsApp. If there is no response within 48 hours after a development message is sent, it’s time to switch to WhatsApp.
II. First message: Within 24 hours, report your identity and add one more question.
The first message should be sent within 24 hours of the development email being sent. There are three things to do: state who you are (your company name along with the email you just sent), respond to the subject of the email (to remind the other party of that email), and pose a specific question (provide a reason that is easy to answer). The entire message should not exceed four lines. Do not include attachments, price lists, or links. Example structure: “Hello, I am Li Ming, the foreign trade manager at XX Factory. I sent you an email yesterday regarding (product) details. I would like to confirm whether you have a stable supplier for (specific purchase scenario).” If the recipient is an engineering buyer, the question can be changed to a specification-based one: “Do your projects use (Specification A) or (Specification B)?” Choosing either of these options makes it easier to get a response compared to using open-ended questions.
A common mistake is to write the first message as the second email. This involves re-introducing the factory, listing all the certifications, and including product links. However, this results in duplicate content, leaving no reason for the recipient to respond at all. The first message should simply require the recipient to take one small action: reply with a word, answer a question, or click a confirmation button.
III. Day 3 and Day 7: Value-based and case-based news items
On the 3rd day, send value-oriented messages: provide the other party with useful information, such as industry-related updates regarding the product, a 30-second video showing the production process at the factory, or a comparison table of various parameters. The goal is to offer value rather than demanding immediate responses. On the 7th day, send case studies: share examples of successful partnerships with customers in the same industry and market. Use numbers to illustrate the results—for example, how much money a certain country’s distributor can supply annually, or how many days it takes to deliver goods. After the 15th day, switch to less frequent updates. Send updates once a month regarding products or market conditions. Avoid asking questions every week. If a customer still shows no interest after these three steps, it’s likely that they currently don’t have an opportunity to make a purchase. Keep them on your monthly contact list until such a time comes. This approach is more effective than continuous follow-up efforts, as it helps preserve future opportunities.
The timing of sending messages is also important: it’s best to send messages between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. during business hours, as this will increase the likelihood of the message appearing at the top of the recipient’s message list. Creating a schedule showing the time difference between different time zones and posting it on your desk can make it much easier to find relevant messages quickly, rather than having to look up the information each time.
| time point | message type | content points |
|---|---|---|
| within 24 hours | identity-based | Report identity, respond to emails, handle specific issues. |
| day 3 | value-based | New regulations, videos, parameter tables—let’s start with the important ones first. |
| day 7 | Case-based | Case studies with customers in the same market, backed by numbers. |
IV. Three Red Lines: Those who take action will be blacklisted.
First, there’s the time limit: avoid sending messages during the night in the other time zone, or on local holidays. Second, there’s the frequency limit: don’t send multiple messages or long messages in one day, especially if you haven’t responded yet. Third, there’s the content limit: during the first week, avoid sending screenshots of price lists or lengthy product descriptions. WhatsApp has a strict reporting mechanism for marketing-related content; any blockages or reports can directly affect your account status.
V. How to integrate email communication with the process of keeping records
Each WhatsApp message is recorded in the customer ledger, with details such as date, content, and customer feedback. Quotations and official documents are always sent via email. Customer responses are handled in three categories: those who directly ask for a price are sent to the formal quotation process; those who are hesitant are informed about next steps (such as sending samples or requesting factory inspections); those who remain silent after several attempts are added to the monthly maintenance list according to the rules specified on day 15. The value of follow-up efforts lies not in the wording of individual messages, but in maintaining a steady pace of communication. At the end of each month, it’s important to review the ledger to see how many silent customers have been reached this month, how many times contact was made before a response was received, and how many customers progressed to the quotation stage after receiving a response. These numbers provide a better indication of the quality of follow-up efforts, compared to simply counting the number of messages sent.
6. Common questions
1. Should I use WhatsApp Business or my personal account?
It is recommended to use the Business Edition, as it offers more features such as a larger product catalog, faster response times, and better tagging capabilities. Please note that the number of new customers contacted by a single account in a day should be controlled reasonably, to avoid being flagged as spam or intrusive marketing efforts.
2. What should I do if the customer has read the message but doesn’t respond?
Reading without responding indicates that the timing or selling opportunities do not match up. The value-based messages sent on the third day are designed precisely for such situations: instead of sending repeated messages asking for a response, we send information that is useful to the other person’s work. In this way, they will naturally remember you when the time comes for them to act.
3. Do I need to buy a WhatsApp group sending tool?
It is not recommended to use bulk messaging tools. Numbers contacted through such methods are often unauthorized, and there is a high risk of account suspension. Additionally, this can lead to the company’s main number also being affected. The list of contacts should be those who have been contacted through direct messages, exchanged at events, or verified through customs data.
For factories that engage in foreign trade sales, the essence of using WhatsApp for follow-up communication is to turn a single development message into three rhythmic contacts within a month: at 24 hours, the third day, and the seventh day. Each message should contain no more than four lines, and each contact should be given a reason for response. If you want to use a template based on your own product design for follow-up communications, please contact Qihang Zhilian at 180-0327-6609.
Qihang Zhilian Foreign Trade Research Institute
