Messenger is your quietest salesperson: how not to lose a customer in the first minutes

On a Facebook page many sales begin not under a post but in direct messages: “address?”, “do you have it tomorrow?”, “how do I order?”. The person writing to you is already interested. If the reply takes too long, it is easier for them to ask someone else the same question. Facebook has free tools for this — the point is to switch them on properly.

1 / 4The first reply — automatically

1. 01
   Instant reply

   This Facebook feature automatically sends the first reply to a new message. Say in it who you are, when you will answer and what you need to know: “Hello! We’ll reply soon. Tell us what you are interested in and which day suits you.”

2. 02
   Where to turn it on

   In the page’s Messenger: Automations → Set up automation → Greeting → Instant reply. Switch it on, write the text and save.

3. 03
   It doesn’t count as speed

   According to Facebook’s help, the instant reply is not counted in the page’s response speed. It holds the customer, but the real answer still has to come from you.

2 / 4When you can’t reply

1. 04
   The “Away” status

   If you don’t reply at night or on a day off, change the page status. The status is visible on the page, and messages received during that time, Facebook says, don’t count towards the response rate.

2. 05
   An away message

   Prepare a separate automatic reply for that time: when you will be back and where to find information until then.

3. 06
   One detail

   While the status is “Away”, the instant reply is not sent. So prepare the away message in advance, or a question that arrives at night stays unanswered until morning.

3 / 4Frequent questions as buttons

1. 07
   Buttons in the chat

   In the Meta Business Suite inbox you can add frequently asked questions: the person taps a button and gets the answer right away.

2. 08
   What to put in

   Whatever people ask most often: address, opening hours, delivery, how to book.

3. 09
   Short answers

   Two or three sentences per question and, if needed, a link or a phone number. Long text in a chat is rarely read to the end.

4 / 4Habits that keep the sale alive

1. 10
   Name the next step

   End every reply with a question or an offer: “does tomorrow at 12 work?” That way the conversation doesn’t stall.

2. 11
   One person in charge

   If several people run the page, agree who replies and at what hours.

3. 12
   The Message button

   Check that messaging is turned on for the page, and say it plainly in posts: “message us”.

4. 13
   Response time on the page

   The page may show how quickly you usually reply. Fast replies improve that label — and a new customer sees it.

✓The bottom line

Two things keep a customer in a chat: a quick first reply and a clear next step. The first comes from automation, the second from your habit.

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