Best Live Chat Openers for 2021

Conversation starters that could uncover most of your needed information.

Ben Bitvinskas

Co-founder, Atlasmic

You might hear that everything starts from a smooth start - and you are probably right. In this era, sales communication is all about connecting with your target users. If your strategy falls apart - the visitor might not come back.

But, it is not all about pushing your product as far as you can get, instead, it is more of showing the value and solving a problem. Once you make the scene look like this, you can eventually lead the visitor from a friendly talk to a sale.

Below, we'll show you some conversation openers and best chat sales practices we found for you to use in 2021. And yes, they might sound awkward at first.

Setting the ground rules

Before jumping straight to the sales, your job is to figure out a few details of your potential client.

Ideally, your first connection with the user should describe why they are checking your product/service. And this often comes from a referrer (whether they come from a Google search, from your Facebook ad, from a recommendation, etc.) or specific pages they visit in your business' website.

Secondly, you need to understand whether the client is in your target group. Does your product/service solve their problem? Does it fit their budget for the problem solution?

Finally, your goal is to understand what factors are most important for their decision of buying. And you can learn a lot about this by engaging a conversation.

Now, let's jump on some conversation starters that could uncover most of your needed information.

How can we help? We're here for you!

Did you expect that this line will be on the top list? According to Salesforce, about 73% of customers say that trust in companies matters more than it did a year ago. And this is a yearly growing metric. An early notification that you are ready to help will make your business stand out. Make sure to make it as human as possible, without integrating bots. Everyone loves a personal connection.

Trying to figure out the right [product/service] is HARD, right?

When your visitors are surfing through your website, they might not get the exact information they are looking for. Instead of suggesting them your product/service try to get in their shoes! Laugh together about your business and jump on a friendly approach.

What brings you to [your company name] today?

Opening chat statements are not prepared to sell your product right away. Instead, you can be specific and ask directly why the visitor is checking your product or services. Regarding McKinsey B2B Decision Maker Pulse Survey (2020), digital interactions are twice as important. Buyers of 2021 will not feel so personal about this question as they did years ago.

We probably never spoken before but just wanted to say hi!

This may look like a crazy way to draw your visitors' attention. However, this is a sentence that will always look real, no matter the time and the place. Having in mind that 52% of customers say that companies are generally impersonal, this sentence makes a great stand out. After all, as the Internet is just growing with millennials. It is not a crazy way at all to interact a little bit awkwardly.

I know you are busy, but I'm here to make your life easier.

In the fast-paced environment we all live, you probably got the minimum amount of focus from the visitor. Not only you got about 10 seconds to make the first impression (Nielsen Norman Group), but it also needs to be genuine. By understanding your customers point of view, you are more likely to get an answer. Embracing the empathy and speaking like a human will work like a charm.

Good or bad, I would love to hear it all - drop me a line.

Like a previous example, empathy is something that will be very important in 2021. Eventually, you can advise the visitor on how to solve their problems and begin to build trust. No matter the issue, you will be the "real one".

Unsure whether you need [product/service]? Happy to answer your questions.

Without directly asking hard questions, there is always a safe way to display that you are there, in case they need you. Getting a question like "How are you?" or "How can I help you?" might be too hard to relate. One of the better ways to approach this ground is them asking how you can help them out.

Final word

We all understand that sales can be difficult. But it doesn't have to be that way. By reading this list, you've explored various ways of how to engage your visitors by chat in 2021. Some of them might show better results than others, and hopefully, you will decide which chat opener works the best.

If you're a company that wants to increase sales or looking for a better experience with your visitors, it's time for you to try Atlasmic. Again, we're here for you.

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