An AI sales agent takes over recurring tasks in contact with prospects. It answers questions, records needs and timeframe, continues open conversations and can book a suitable appointment. Which tasks it may carry out and when your team takes over is defined in advance.
With alkaio, this exchange runs over WhatsApp. The leads can come from ads, website enquiries or an existing CRM or CSV database. What matters is a traceable reason for contact, the appropriate consent and a clear next step in the conversation.
Chatbot or agent: the decisive difference
Simple FAQ chatbots answer predefined questions or guide people through fixed flows. An AI sales agent adds conversation context and approved tools: for example a knowledge base, a calendar or the fields of a lead card. What matters is which tasks the specific system can actually carry out.
An agent differs in three ways:
- It recognises intent — through messy phrasing, dialect, typos and half sentences.
- It holds the thread — across the whole conversation, rather than treating each message in isolation.
- It can act — and that is the real difference. It calls tools: an availability check, a calendar, a knowledge base, a CRM field.
The last point is where "agentic" is decided. A language model that only produces text can be eloquently wrong. An agent that calls a rate calculator returns what the calculator returns.
What an AI sales agent does with your leads
A sensible process combines four tasks:
- Clarify interest and needs. The agent asks the agreed questions: What is the person looking for? Which requirements matter? When does the topic become relevant? The answers are recorded on the lead card for further processing.
- Pick up open conversations. If a reply is still pending, the agent can pick up the topic discussed. If the person names a later time, the follow-up is scheduled accordingly. Content and timing should match the actual conversation.
- Enable the next step. If an appointment makes sense, the agent can use available times from the connected calendar. If information is still missing, it is clarified first. A booking is one possible outcome of the conversation, not a guarantee.
- Hand over to your team. For defined topics, or when a person is needed, the agent hands the case over. Your team can continue with the existing conversation history and the information already captured.
Example: A prospect asks about a consultation but wants to continue next week. The agent records the reason and the preferred time. When the agreed time comes, it checks whether the need still exists and then helps arrange an appointment.
Does this also work with old or purchased leads?
Yes, alkaio can also activate contacts from existing CRM or CSV databases. These can include older and purchased leads. Beforehand, your company has to check whether origin, reason and consent cover the planned contact. A purchased list alone is not enough.
For the WhatsApp Business Platform, the following also applies: a conversation started by the business requires an approved message template. Outside the 24-hour customer service window, too, only approved templates are permitted. Template approval does not replace consent. Refusals and opt-outs must be taken into account in the process.
Current WhatsApp rules for business messaging
Where the limit sits
The agent needs reliable information, a described process and clear responsibilities. For binding commitments, exceptions or sensitive decisions, it must be clear when a person takes over. In alkaio, a handover to the team can be set up for defined topics.
The contact sequence needs limits as well: refusals and opt-outs must be respected. Before you start, clarify who handles them and how further messages are prevented. Which technical and organisational steps are in place for this belongs in the specific process review.
How to start with a clear lead process
Start with a manageable use case: qualifying new enquiries, continuing open conversations or contacting a suitable base of existing customers or prospects. For this, clarify the basis for contact, the offer, the questions needed and the handover to your team.
The alkaio support agent creates the message templates for the planned process. Required approvals must be in place before use. Then check on traceable conversations whether answers, captured data, follow-ups and handovers fit your process. Only then expand the scope.