By analyzing user interaction frequency and consumption data, customers are categorized into four tags: “Active Buyers (3+ monthly interactions),” “Dormant Customers (no purchase in 90 days),” “High-Potential Group (clicked but not converted),” and “New Subscribers.” Pushing targeted exclusive offers and reactivation strategies has been shown to increase the repurchase rate by 25% and the open rate by 40%.

Categorize by Customer Activity

In customer relationship management, response speed directly affects the conversion rate. Data shows that customers who reply within 1 hour of receiving a message have a 7 times higher conversion probability than those who reply after 1 hour. If it takes more than 24 hours to reply, the customer’s interest and trust often drop significantly, and the subsequent conversion rate can be lower than 5%. Therefore, a key strategy to improve sales efficiency and performance is to segment customers based on their response frequency and speed. With the following methods, you can quickly identify high-intent customers and formulate corresponding follow-up rhythms, avoiding time wastage on low-probability conversions.

To effectively distinguish customer activity, we can categorize them into four tiers based on their last response time and conversation frequency: High Activity (replied within 24 hours), Medium Activity (replied within 3 days), Low Activity (replied within 7 days but then silent), and Dormant Customers (no reply for more than 7 days). Statistics show that high-activity customers typically account for about 15%~20% of the total customer base but contribute over 60% of the current month’s revenue; dormant customers may account for 40% but only bring in less than 5% of the revenue. Therefore, the sales team should allocate 70% of their follow-up time to high-activity customers and activate other tiers in a systematic manner.

For practical operation, you can use label colors in WhatsApp to differentiate these four types of customers. For example, tag high-activity customers as green, medium-activity as yellow, low-activity as orange, and dormant customers as gray. Whenever a customer replies, immediately adjust their tag. In practice, a salesperson who handles 200 customers weekly can use this tiering method to reduce their average daily follow-up time from 6 hours to 4 hours, while increasing the monthly conversion rate from 10% to 18%, because they are more focused on customers who respond quickly.

For high-activity customers, follow up again within 12 hours of tagging, for example, by sending product details or discount codes, and complete at least 2 interactions within 3 days. Medium-activity customers can be followed up with every 2 days, trying to engage them with different topics, such as asking for their opinion on previous content or offering new promotions. For low-activity customers, it’s recommended to make a light touch every 5 days, avoiding excessive sales pitches and focusing on greetings or industry information. Dormant customers can be followed up with 1~2 times a month, for example, by sending holiday greetings or major event announcements to test if they still have a need.

To maximize efficiency, use WhatsApp’s filter function to prioritize green-tagged customers each morning, then handle the others in order. Data shows that this workflow allows a salesperson to complete 80% of high-value communication within 2 hours, with the remaining time used to activate medium and low-tier customers. Additionally, it is recommended to review the tag distribution weekly. If the proportion of high-activity customers falls below 15%, it’s necessary to strengthen lead generation or activation strategies. Through this quantitative management, the team can not only improve performance but also reduce the customer churn rate, maintaining a healthy customer base cycle.

Tagging Customer Purchase Intent

Accurately judging a customer’s purchase intent can increase your sales efficiency by more than 3 times. Data shows that during WhatsApp conversations, customers who proactively ask for prices have a conversion rate of 42%, customers who ask “if it’s in stock” have a conversion rate of 35%, while customers who only reply with “thank you” or emojis have a conversion rate of only 8%. By using a simple tagging system to differentiate the strength of customer intent, the sales team can focus their daily follow-up on high-intent customers, reducing 60% of ineffective communication time and increasing the monthly conversion rate from the industry average of 15% to over 28%.

Based on the intensity of intent shown by customers in conversation, we categorize them into four types: High Intent (already asked for price or stock), Medium Intent (asked for product details), Potential Intent (only polite replies), and No Intent (read but no reply or explicit rejection). Statistics show that high-intent customers typically only account for 10%~15% of the total but can contribute over 50% of the revenue; whereas no-intent customers may account for 40% and bring in almost no conversions. Therefore, it is recommended that salespersons allocate 80% of their time to high-intent customers and use a standardized process to handle other tiers.

For practical operation, when a customer asks on WhatsApp “How much is this?” or “Is it in stock?”, immediately add a “High Intent” tag (suggested to use a red tag) and provide a quote within 1 hour. Data shows that for every 1 hour of delay in quoting, the conversion probability drops by 9%. For high-intent customers, the first follow-up should be within 12 hours after quoting, for example, asking “Do you need help placing an order?”, and complete 3 follow-ups within 72 hours, with each interval not exceeding 24 hours. If the customer does not respond within 3 days, they can be downgraded to medium intent, and the follow-up frequency can be changed to once every 2 days.

For medium-intent customers (e.g., asking about product weight, size, or warranty), they should be tagged with a yellow label, and a detailed specification sheet or user manual should be sent in the first response. The average decision cycle for these customers is 5~7 days, so it is recommended to follow up every 48 hours, for a total of 3~4 follow-ups. Each follow-up should provide new information, such as a customer case study or a limited-time discount (e.g., “Order today to enjoy an additional 5% discount”), to accelerate their decision-making. Tests show that this method can increase the conversion rate of medium-intent customers by 15%.

Potential-intent customers (who only reply with polite words) are recommended to be tagged with a blue label. These customers require long-term cultivation, and the follow-up frequency should not be too high. Sending valuable content once every 7 days, such as industry news, usage tips, or promotions, is sufficient. The key is to maintain contact without being intrusive. Their average conversion cycle is about 45 days. As for no-intent customers (gray label), there is no need to invest dedicated time. They only need to be included in a monthly broadcast list of 1~2 times. The conversion rate after each broadcast is usually less than 1%, but the cost is almost zero.

To ensure the accuracy of the tags, it is recommended to spend 30 minutes weekly reviewing the tag status of all customers. When a customer’s behavior changes (e.g., a potential-intent customer suddenly asks for the price), the tag should be adjusted immediately, and the follow-up strategy should be changed. Through this dynamic management, the number of high-intent customers in a 500-person customer base can be maintained between 50~75, providing a stable conversion foundation for the business. At the same time, systematic tagging allows salespersons to save 2 hours of judgment time daily, directly improving work efficiency and revenue output.

Use Interest Tags to Create Groups

According to consumer behavior research, the conversion rate for content targeted to interests is 3.2 times higher than for mass messages. Data shows that when a customer receives a message highly relevant to their interests, the response rate can reach 28%, while the response rate for indiscriminate mass messages is only 9%. For example, a customer who previously inquired about athletic shoes, if they subsequently receive a promotion for sports products, their purchase probability will increase by 40%; if they are mistakenly sent information about beauty products, not only will the response rate drop to below 5%, but it could also lead to 15% of customers unsubscribing. Through fine-grained interest tagging, salespersons can improve marketing accuracy by over 50% while maintaining customer satisfaction at a high level of 90%.

Based on the interest characteristics shown by customers in conversation, we categorize them into five main groups: Discount Sensitive, New Product Enthusiasts, Function-Oriented, Content Learners, and Brand Loyalists. Statistics show that the distribution of these five types of customers is relatively even, each accounting for 15%~25%, but there are significant differences in conversion rate and average order value. For example, the conversion cycle for discount-sensitive customers is only 2.3 days, but their average order value is 20% lower than the average; whereas function-oriented customers have a decision cycle as long as 10 days, but their average order value is 35% higher than the average.

In practice, when a customer asks “Is there a discount?” on WhatsApp, immediately add a “Discount Sensitive” tag (suggested to use a red tag). These customers are highly price-sensitive, and a dedicated discount code (e.g., “15% off your first order”) should be sent within 1 hour of tagging, with conversion completed within 72 hours. Data shows that limited-time offers (e.g., “valid for 24 hours”) for this group have a redemption rate of up to 30%, far higher than the 8% of regular promotions. You can send 1~2 promotional messages to this group per week, but avoid being too frequent to prevent message fatigue.

For new product enthusiasts (triggering keywords include “latest,” “new model,” “upgraded version,” etc.), they should be tagged with a blue label. These customers are usually willing to pay a higher price but need a sense of priority experience. When a new product is launched, a preview message should be sent to this group 3 days in advance, and an early-bird price of “10% off for the first 100 orders” should be offered. Tests show that the first-purchase rate for new products among these customers reaches 25%, and their average order value is 18% higher than the average. Maintaining 2 new product updates per month is sufficient to keep their interest.

Function-oriented customers (who often ask about “weight,” “size,” “warranty,” and other parameters) require in-depth nurturing and are suggested to be tagged with a green label. The average decision cycle for these customers is 10~14 days, but their return rate after conversion is only 2%, far lower than the average of 8%. A detailed product specification sheet (PDF format is best) should be sent at the first contact, and 4~5 professional follow-ups should be conducted within 14 days, with each one providing new technical information or comparison data. This method has been proven to increase the conversion rate of this group from 15% to 28%.

Content-learning customers (who request tutorials, guides) should be tagged with a purple label. Their characteristic is a preference for knowledge-based content over direct sales pitches. Sending a visual guide or industry report once a week on Thursday afternoon (content length of 800~1200 words is ideal) can achieve the highest open rate (about 35%). The conversion cycle for these customers is longer (average 45 days), but once they convert, the repurchase rate is 40%, making them an important source of high-value long-term customers. Brand loyalists (who have purchased or recommended) should be given a golden tag, and invited to one VIP event per month (such as new product internal testing or members-only events). Their referral conversion rate is as high as 20% and can bring in a 15% increase in new customers.

After systematically implementing interest-based tag management, the sales team’s marketing content production efficiency can be increased by 40% (because the content is highly targeted, reducing ineffective production), while the customer’s annual value (LTV) increases by 25%. It is recommended to spend 20 minutes weekly reviewing the tag structure, ensuring new customers are correctly categorized and dynamically adjusting group assignments based on changes in customer behavior. A 1000-person customer base, operated through interest-based segmentation, can achieve excellent metrics of a monthly conversion rate of 18% and a customer retention rate of 85%.

Note Down Communication Preferences

Respecting customer communication preferences can increase customer satisfaction by 35% while reducing 40% of ineffective message costs. Data shows that 65% of customers form a negative impression from receiving messages at an inappropriate time, and 78% of customers are more willing to interact with businesses that align with their communication habits. For example: customers tagged “prefers voice” have a response rate to voice messages that is 3.2 times higher than to text; customers tagged “do not disturb in the evening” respond 80% faster during daytime hours than in the evening. By systematically recording customer communication preferences, the sales team can increase single-communication efficiency by 50% and maintain a long-term customer retention rate of over 85%.

For practical execution, you first need to identify and record the customer’s three core preferences: time preference, format preference, and frequency preference. In terms of time preference, about 30% of customers are “9-to-6 types,” and their average response speed during work hours is 12 minutes, while it delays to over 3 hours during non-work hours; about 20% of customers are “night owls” (usually a younger demographic), whose response rate peaks at 45% from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM. In format preference, 55% of customers prefer pure text communication (for quick reading), 25% prefer voice messages (considering them more personal), 15% like a combination of text and images (especially for product descriptions), and only 5% are willing to accept video calls. Frequency preference directly affects customer tolerance: 60% of customers can accept 2-3 pushes per week, but exceeding 5 times will lead to 35% of customers choosing to mute or exit the conversation.

Example Note Format:

“Mr. Wang | Prefers text communication | Can be contacted Mon-Fri 9 AM-6 PM | Max 2 pushes per week”

For customers who prefer text communication, avoid sending long voice messages. Instead, use concise text with key data. For example, when sending product information, prioritize structured text like “Weight 520g | Battery Life 30 hours | 2-year Warranty” to allow customers to get core information within 15 seconds. Data shows that optimized text improves comprehension efficiency by 60% and shortens decision time by 40%. For voice-preferring customers, use a 20-30 second voice message to supplement details, such as: “Ms. Li, this product has just been restocked. The black one you asked about now has 3 in stock. Should I hold one for you?” This approach makes customers feel valued, and the conversion rate is 25% higher than with pure text.

Time management is another key point. For customers tagged “contact on weekdays,” important messages should be strictly sent between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. The success rate for pushing non-urgent information can reach 75%, while the success rate for weekend pushes is only 20%. For “night owl” customers, promotional messages can be sent between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM, at which time the open rate reaches 50%, which is 15% higher than during the daytime. The sending time of each message should be recorded and analyzed: if a customer’s average response time is 10 minutes after receiving it, it means this is a golden communication window, and this time slot should be prioritized for subsequent use.

Frequency control is directly related to customer retention. For customers tagged “2 times a week,” messages should be pushed once every 3-4 days, and the content value must be up to standard (e.g., each message includes an exclusive offer or unique information). Tests show that the annual repurchase rate for customer groups that strictly follow the frequency agreement is 30% higher than for groups with irregular pushes. If a customer has explicitly stated, “I don’t need it for now, I’ll contact you if I do,” they should be tagged as “passive trigger” and only sent a brand update once a month (e.g., a new product overview or industry trends), maintaining a very low level of disturbance.

After systematically implementing communication preference notes, the sales team’s daily effective communication volume can increase from 50 to 80 people, because it reduces 60% of ineffective attempts (e.g., sending at the wrong time or using an ignored format). At the same time, the customer complaint rate drops by 45% because communication becomes more personalized. It is recommended to review the preference records quarterly, as about 20% of customer preferences may change over time (e.g., from text to voice). Dynamic updates can maintain the tagging system’s accuracy at over 90%.