Spot serious buyers before you pick up the phone

Stop typing the same answers

Size, colour, delivery fee, location. Buyers ask the same things ten times a day. Timi answers from your product list so you only jump in when the chat is worth your time. You have fifty chats open, but only a handful are likely to pay this week. Qualification is about spending your hours where margin and close probability are highest.

Move past "DM for price"

Hidden prices slow serious buyers and attract tyre-kickers. Timi shares your listed prices in chat. You stay in control of discounts and final negotiation. Buyers who know the price range self-select — serious ones proceed, browsers move on. You still negotiate on bulk orders and custom work yourself.

Signals a buyer is serious

Look for buyers who ask about payment method, delivery timing, or specific quantities — not just "how much?" Someone who says "nataka kulipa leo" or shares a delivery pin is further along than someone asking for photos with no follow-up. Timi reads the conversation for purchase intent based on your business context and these common buyer patterns.

What to automate vs keep human

Automate information that should be consistent every time: opening hours, product basics, delivery zones, and common payment steps. Keep human control for negotiation, edge-case requests, high-ticket purchases, complaints, and anything that depends on nuanced trust building. The practical rule: automate repeatable clarity, not final persuasion.

Hand off when someone is ready

When a buyer shows intent to purchase, Timi sends a short reply, stops auto-replying, and emails you. You close on WhatsApp like you already do. Continue in the same thread so the buyer feels continuity — do not restart with a generic "how can I help?" when you take over.

Handoff without confusing the buyer

The transition from Timi to you should feel seamless. Timi sends a brief handoff message — "Sawa — let me confirm availability and get back to you here" — then stops replying. You pick up with context already captured: product, price discussed, delivery area. The buyer should not notice a jarring switch from bot to human.

Gentle follow-ups on quiet chats

If a buyer goes silent during business hours, Timi can send one polite nudge. After two unanswered nudges it stops, so your number stays in good standing. Follow-ups work best when they add value — "Still interested in the blue dress? We have two left" — not "hello?" repeated three times.

Qualification mistakes

Most teams lose margin not from bad products but from spending too long on chats that were never going to close.

• Replying to every chat with equal urgency instead of triaging by intent.
• Hiding prices until too late, which attracts tyre-kickers and repels serious buyers.
• Handing off too early before basic questions are answered, wasting your time.
• Handing off too late after the buyer already moved to a competitor.
• Measuring chat count instead of qualified leads and closed sales.