Sales
Sales outreach message on WhatsApp: 12 phrases for people who already asked for contact
Quick answer
How do you approach a customer by message on WhatsApp?
A good sales outreach message on WhatsApp goes to someone who already made contact or asked to be called. Say who you are, remind them where they know the company from and ask an easy question about what they are looking for. Don't send to the number of someone who never talked to you: that is how a number gets banned.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
Phrases to approach people who came from an ad, asked for a quote or already bought. For the number of someone who never talked to you there is no template here, and the page explains why.
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See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment.
Summary in 7 facts
- Phrases to approach people who came from an ad, asked for a quote or already bought.
- For the number of someone who never talked to you there is no template here, and the page explains why.
- A good sales outreach message on WhatsApp goes to someone who already made contact or asked to be called.
- Say who you are, remind them where they know the company from and ask an easy question about what they are looking for.
- The line that separates sales from unwanted messages.
- Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
- Came from the ad, sent only "hi" On the first reply.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 30 templates | See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment. |
| 15.2 seconds | The CertuAI team measured this time in accounts that answer with CertuAI's AI: half of the AI's first replies went out within 15.2 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 26 seconds, across 11,584 conversations. |
| 34,6% | In the same period, 34.6% of conversations started outside Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. |
| 67 businesses | CertuAI customer service data: 67 businesses of various kinds, 122,720 customer messages, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. |
Who you can approach on WhatsApp, and who you can't
The line that separates sales from unwanted messages.
| Who they are | Can you approach? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Wrote to the company first | Yes | Answer what they asked and ask a question |
| Left their number asking for contact | Yes | Say where they left the number |
| Existing customer who agrees to receive messages | Yes, with a reason | News tied to what they bought |
| Asked not to receive any more | No | Take them off the list |
| Number from a purchased list or pulled from a group | No | Don't send anything |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
How to approach a customer by message after the ad
Came from the ad, sent only "hi"
On the first reply.
Oi! Aqui é a [seu nome], da [Empresa]. Vi que você chegou pelo nosso anúncio do [produto]. Você quer para você ou para presentear?
now ✓✓Asked the price
When the first message is "how much is it?".
O [produto] sai por [valor], em até [parcelas]. Para eu te indicar o modelo certo: você vai usar mais para [uso A] ou para [uso B]?
now ✓✓Filled out a form
When the person left their number asking for contact.
Oi, [Nome]! Aqui é o [seu nome], da [Empresa]. Você deixou o seu contato pedindo informações sobre [assunto]. Posso te explicar por aqui ou prefere uma ligação rápida?
now ✓✓
CertuAI demo with a fictional office: the first reply shows the message was read and ends with a small request, the name.
Outreach phrases for people who asked for a quote
Sending the quote
Together with the file or the amount.
Segue o orçamento, [Nome]: [resumo em uma linha], total de [valor]. Ele vale até [data]. Alguma parte você quer que eu explique melhor?
now ✓✓Customer found it expensive
In the reply to "it's expensive".
Entendo, [Nome]. Me ajuda a entender: ficou acima do que você tinha planejado, ou você viu algo parecido por menos? Dependendo, eu monto uma opção mais enxuta.
now ✓✓Customer will think about it
In the reply to "I'll take a look and get back to you".
Claro, [Nome], pensa com calma. Para eu não te incomodar à toa: posso te chamar na [quinta] para saber o que você decidiu?
now ✓✓
Phrases to attract customers on WhatsApp: those who already bought
News tied to what they bought
When something arrives that goes with their last purchase.
Oi, [Nome]! Chegou o [produto novo], que combina com o [produto que ele comprou]. Quer que eu te mande foto e valor? Se não for o momento, é só dizer.
now ✓✓Referred by a customer
When the person asked a friend to pass along the contact.
Oi, [Nome]! Aqui é o [seu nome], da [Empresa]. A [pessoa que indicou] disse que você pediu o nosso contato. Me conta o que você está procurando?
now ✓✓Stopped by the store and left their number
The day after the visit.
Oi, [Nome], aqui é a [seu nome], da [Empresa]. Você esteve aqui ontem vendo o [produto]. Ficou alguma dúvida que eu possa tirar?
now ✓✓
Phrases to close the sale on WhatsApp
Summary before closing
When the conversation has already covered price and timing.
Então fica assim, [Nome]: [produto], [valor], entrega em [prazo]. Posso separar o seu? Me diz se prefere Pix ou cartão.
now ✓✓Two options
When the customer is torn between models.
Pelo que você me contou, eu ficaria entre dois: o [A], por [valor], ou o [B], por [valor]. A diferença é [diferença]. Qual faz mais sentido para você?
now ✓✓When they say they don't want it
In the reply to "no, thanks".
Sem problema, [Nome], obrigado por me avisar. Não vou mais te mandar mensagem sobre isso. Se um dia precisar, o nosso contato é este.
now ✓✓
Quote with no reply and a stalled conversation: message for a lapsed customer →
Three rules for sales outreach on WhatsApp
What makes the person reply instead of block.
Say where they know you from
The ad, the form, the visit, the referral. Without that, the message looks like a scam.
End with an easy question
"For you or as a gift?" has an answer. "Can I help?" almost always goes unanswered.
Accept the no the first time
Someone who asked you to stop and gets another message reports you. And reports take numbers down.
See how it looks in your industry
Each industry gets different questions on WhatsApp. Pick yours to see how CertuAI's AI serves that kind of customer.
How to approach a customer on WhatsApp, step by step
Works for any product or service.
Check that they asked for contact
They wrote first, left their number on a form or are already a customer who agrees to receive messages.
Introduce yourself in one line
Your name, the company and where they know you from.
Ask before offering
One question about what they are looking for. The offer comes after the answer.
Agree on the next step
A day to talk again, or the close. A conversation with no next step dies.
Messaging a stranger gets the number banned
The rule isn't an opinion, it's WhatsApp's. The Help Center, in the article How to use WhatsApp responsibly, advises only sending messages to people who contacted you first or who asked for your contact on WhatsApp. The same article lists automated or mass messages and the use of third-party contact lists among the practices that can result in a ban.
That is why this page has no "phrase to message someone who never heard of you". To reach new people without risking the number, the way is the opposite: get the person to write first, with an ad that opens a conversation, a link on your profile and a sign in the store.
What happens to a banned number and how to ask for a review is in banned WhatsApp number: what to do, and the risk of mass sending is in does mass messaging on WhatsApp get you banned?. For the first reply to people who reach out, see the welcome message on WhatsApp, and for the hard moments of the conversation, the customer service phrases. The general list is in automatic messages for customers.
When not to send an outreach message
Five cases where it's better not to write.
- The person never talked to the company: it doesn't matter where the number came from. With no prior contact, don't send.
- They said no: once is enough. Pushing after a no is the shortest path to a report.
- They are in the middle of a complaint: solve it first. An offer to an irritated customer makes everything worse.
- The same text to the whole list: an identical message to many people is a mass message, even when sent one by one.
- At night and on Sunday: replying to someone who wrote, yes. Starting a sales conversation at that hour, no.
How long the first reply takes: CertuAI's data
When approaching someone who came from an ad, the part you control is the delay of the first reply. The CertuAI team measured this time in accounts that answer with CertuAI's AI: half of the AI's first replies went out within 15.2 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 26 seconds, across 11,584 conversations.
The number is the AI's, not people's, and covers all industries together. How many of these conversations turned into a sale was not measured. In the same period, 34.6% of conversations started outside Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.
| What was measured | Result |
|---|---|
| Time within which half of the AI's first replies went out | 15.2 seconds |
| Time within which 9 in 10 of the AI's first replies went out | 26 seconds |
| Conversations included in the first-reply count | 11.584 |
| Conversations whose first message arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 34,6% |
| Hour of the day with the most customer messages | 11h |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Source: CertuAI WhatsApp Customer Service Index, Q3 2026. CertuAI customer service data: 67 businesses of various kinds, 122,720 customer messages, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in each account's time zone. Test accounts, test contacts and imported history are left out. Redone every quarter.
Frequently asked questions
How do you approach a customer by message?
Say who you are, where the person knows the company from and ask an easy question about what they are looking for. Only approach people who already made contact or asked to be called.
What are the best sales outreach phrases on WhatsApp?
The ones that end in an easy question: "Do you want it for yourself or as a gift?" or "Will you use it more for [use A] or for [use B]?".
Can I send a sales message to someone who doesn't know me?
No. The WhatsApp Help Center advises writing only to people who contacted you first or asked for your contact, and lists mass sending among the practices that can get an account banned.
How do you attract customers on WhatsApp without getting banned?
Get the person to write first: an ad that opens a conversation, a WhatsApp link on your profile and website, a sign in the store. Then reply fast.
What should you reply when the customer says it's expensive?
Ask before giving a discount: did it go over what they planned, or did they see something similar for less? The answer shows whether the case calls for another option or a better explanation.
How many times can I contact a customer who didn't reply?
Agree on the follow-up with them ("can I message you on Thursday?"). With no agreement, one or two attempts, then stop. If they ask you to stop, stop right away.
Where to go next?
People who came from an ad are answered right away
On CertuAI, the AI answers right away anyone who writes to the company, at any hour, using what you taught the Brain: it clears up the question, asks what the person is looking for and leaves the conversation noted in the customer dashboard. When the subject needs a person, it alerts you.
From US$ 75 per month.
Create my agentOi! Aqui é a [seu nome], da [Empresa]. Vi que você chegou pelo nosso anúncio do [produto]. Você quer para você ou para presentear?now ✓✓
This is the first message on this page, sent by the AI in your tone, with nobody at the counter.
In short
How do you approach a customer by message on WhatsApp? A good sales outreach message on WhatsApp goes to someone who already made contact or asked to be called. Say who you are, remind them where they know the company from and ask an easy question about what they are looking for. Don't send to the number of someone who never talked to you: that is how a number gets banned.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent