Feature - Conversations - Student Guide

Welcome to Feature - Conversations!

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Your Unified Inbox Success Journey

Welcome to your complete Conversations training! You are about to learn how to manage every message your business receives - text, email, calls, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and internal team chat - all from one unified inbox, so you respond faster and build stronger relationships every single day.

What You'll Master in This Course:

The 4-Column Framework: how your unified inbox is laid out and how the columns work together
Inbox, Chat & Views: organizing My Inbox, Team Inbox, Internal Chat, and custom Views
The Conversation & Contact Details: replying on any channel and managing the contact in one place
Snippets & Trigger Links: reusable templates and trackable links that save hours
Manual Actions: call and SMS tasks created in your workflows
SLA Settings & Automations: response-time goals and reply-channel triggers that win business

Your Learning Goal: By the end of this course, you will have a fully connected unified inbox with snippets, trigger links, custom Views, SLA targets, and reply-channel automations - all working together so no message is ever missed and every contact gets a fast, on-brand response.

Pre-Course Assessment

Current Situation Assessment:

What are your biggest goals for managing your conversations?

What challenges do you anticipate?

The 4 Columns: What You Need to Know

Understanding the Conversations Feature

Key Concepts - The 4-Column Framework:

Conversations is your unified inbox - every channel lands in one place
Column 1: Filter and Navigate - My Inbox, Team Inbox, Internal Chat, and Views
Column 2: The Conversation List - previews, unread messages, and bulk actions
Column 3: The Conversation - the full thread where you reply on any channel
Column 4: Contact Details - owner, followers, tags, actions, and full activity
Always archive a conversation - never delete, so you can pull it back later

Why a Fast, Unified Inbox Is Your Competitive Advantage:

⚡ Speed Wins
The faster you reply, the more business you land

📥 One Unified Inbox
Text, email, calls, and social in a single place

❤️ Trust Builder
Fast replies make contacts feel valued

⚙️ Automation Ready
Reply channels trigger instant responses

How could a fast, unified inbox change YOUR business?

Action Steps:

Navigate to Conversations in your software and explore the four columns

Click a message and identify Column 3 (the conversation) and Column 4 (contact details)

List every channel your business uses to receive messages (phone, email, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp)

The Four Columns Explained

Column-by-Column:

Column 1 - Filter & Navigate: All, Assigned to Me, Followed by Me, Team Inbox, Internal Chat, and your saved Views
Column 2 - Conversation List: contact previews, unread indicators, Select All, and bulk actions (read, unread, star, delete)
Column 3 - The Conversation: the full back-and-forth, sortable by channel, with the reply composer
Column 4 - Contact Details: owner, followers, tags, fields, DND, quick actions, and activity

Which column will you spend the most time in, and why?

Your Conversations Setup Checklist

Setting Up Your Conversations System

Setup Sequence:

Connect your channels in Settings - Integrations (phone, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram)
Enable Internal Chat so your team can collaborate privately inside Conversations
Build your text and email Snippets for the messages you send over and over
Create Trigger Links for your calendar, directions, and unsubscribe
Set your SLA targets - start with a common SLA, then go channel-specific
Create custom Views (like an Active tag or My Mentions)
Set up reply-channel automations for instant first responses

My Conversations Setup Plan:

Setup Action Steps:

Connect your phone, email, and social channels in Settings - Integrations

Enable Internal Chat and send a test message to a teammate

Confirm your team has the Conversations - View and Manage permission

Create your first custom View (try an Active tag or My Mentions)

The Six Snippet Categories - Plan Yours Here

Plan the reusable text and email snippets you send most often. The more you set up now, the more time you save later - and the more consistent and on-brand your messaging stays.

1. First-Response Snippets

2. Follow-Up Snippets

3. Appointment and Booking Snippets

4. Review and Referral Snippets

5. FAQ and Common Question Snippets

6. Internal Team Note Snippets

Snippet System Actions:

Create your first email snippet with a first-name custom value

Create your first text snippet (keep it short to fit the first screen)

Organize your snippets into folders (Referrals, Follow-Up, and more)

Your Trigger Links to Create

Trigger links are trackable links you can drop into any text or email and edit from one place. Plan the ones you will use most.

Trigger Links to Build:

Trigger Link Actions:

Create a calendar booking trigger link using your permanent calendar link

Add a trigger link into one of your snippets (look for "trigger links," not "custom values")

AI-Powered Conversations

🚀 10 Ready-to-Use AI Prompts

Use these prompts with ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI tool to write first responses, build snippets, plan automations, set SLA targets, and craft follow-up messages. Just replace the bracketed sections with your details!

⚡ First-Response Message Builder

Use for: Writing fast first replies for new messages and missed calls

Write a set of first-response messages for my [business type] unified inbox. My business: [describe what you do and who you serve] Tone: [warm / professional / friendly / casual] What I want the contact to do next: [reply with a time / book a call / answer a question] Create short, ready-to-send messages for each of these situations: 1. Missed call text back (under 160 characters) 2. New lead replied to an ad or form (sets expectations, asks one question) 3. After-hours auto-reply (lets them know when you will respond) 4. General "got your message" holding reply that buys time For each message: - Keep it short and on-brand - Include a first-name placeholder: {{contact.first_name}} - End with one clear next step - Avoid sounding robotic or automated

📝 Snippet Library Builder

Use for: Building your complete text and email snippet library

Build a snippet library for my [business type] so my team can reply consistently and fast. My business serves: [describe your target customers] My main services/products: [list what you sell] My communication tone: [warm / professional / friendly] Create snippets across these six categories: 1. First-Response (missed call, new lead, after hours) 2. Follow-Up (checking in, still interested, last touch) 3. Appointment and Booking (calendar link, confirmation, reminder) 4. Review and Referral (review request, referral ask) 5. FAQ and Common Questions (your top repeated questions) 6. Internal Team Notes (hand-offs, follow-up requests) For each snippet provide: - A clear snippet name (easy to search) - Whether it is a TEXT or EMAIL snippet - The full message with a {{contact.first_name}} placeholder - A subject line if it is an email - Keep texts short enough to fit the first phone screen

📧 Follow-Up Sequence Writer

Use for: Writing a follow-up message series for new conversations

Write a follow-up message sequence for new leads in my [business type]. Lead source: [where they came from - call, form, ad, referral, DM] What they were interested in: [specific product or service] Tone: [professional / warm / friendly] Goal: [book a call / make a purchase / schedule appointment] Create a 4-touch sequence mixing text and email: Touch 1 (within 1 hour): warm first reply, one clear question Touch 2 (Day 2): address the most common question or objection Touch 3 (Day 4): proof point or value reminder Touch 4 (Day 7): friendly last touch with an easy yes For each touch: - Label it TEXT or EMAIL - Give a subject line for emails (3 options) - Keep texts under 160 characters - Include {{contact.first_name}} - End with a single clear call to action

⚙️ Reply-Channel Automation Planner

Use for: Planning which channels should get an instant automated response

Help me plan reply-channel automations for my [business type] unified inbox. Channels I receive messages on: [phone, SMS, email, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, web chat] My team size: [solo / small team / larger team] My business hours: [list them] For each channel, recommend: 1. Whether it should get an instant auto-response (yes/no and why) 2. The exact first message to send (short, on-brand, with {{contact.first_name}}) 3. What expectation it should set (response time) 4. Whether a human should take over after the auto-reply, and how fast Also tell me: - Which channel to automate FIRST for the biggest impact - A simple missed-call text-back message - Reminders to test the automation and publish the workflow before going live

🎯 SLA Strategy Planner

Use for: Setting smart response-time targets for each channel

Design conversation SLA (response-time) targets for my [business type]. My channels: [SMS, email, Facebook, Instagram, web chat, calls] My team size: [solo / small team / larger team] My business hours: [list them] How fast my competitors typically respond: [if known] For each channel recommend: 1. A "Due Soon" warning time (when the timer should turn orange) 2. An "Overdue" time (when the timer should turn red) 3. A short reason for the target Also recommend: - Whether to start with a common SLA or channel-specific SLAs - Whether workflow messages and AI replies should stop the timer - How a manager should use SLA filters (Active, Due Soon, Overdue) to coach the team - One realistic goal to improve average response time this month

💬 Internal Team Note Templates

Use for: Writing clear internal chat and mention notes for hand-offs

Write a set of internal team note templates for my [business type] to use inside conversations. My team roles: [list roles - sales, support, owner, admin] Common hand-off situations: [describe when one person passes a contact to another] Create short internal note templates for: 1. Handing a conversation to a teammate (use an @mention) 2. Asking someone to make a follow-up call 3. Flagging a hot lead for fast response 4. Asking for help answering a question 5. Confirming a task is done For each note: - Keep it short and clear - Show where to place the @mention so the right person is notified - Make it easy to act on without re-reading the whole thread

🔗 Trigger Link Campaign Planner

Use for: Planning trackable trigger links and the automations behind them

Help me plan trigger links and click-based automations for my [business type]. My goals: [book appointments / drive promotions / get reviews / track directions] My current offers or promotions: [list them] For each trigger link recommend: 1. The link name (clear and searchable) 2. Where it should point (calendar, directions, review page, promo page, unsubscribe) 3. Where I should use it (text snippet, email snippet, email campaign) 4. What automation should fire when someone clicks it (Trigger Link Clicked) 5. What action that automation should take (send a text, assign a user, start a workflow) Also remind me to: - Use the permanent calendar link so it never breaks - Publish the workflow so clicks are tracked - Review the click analytics by date range to see what is working

🔄 Re-Engagement Conversation Starter

Use for: Restarting conversations with contacts who went quiet

Write a re-engagement message series for contacts in my [business type] who went quiet 30+ days ago. Business context: [what you do and who you serve] What "quiet" means for me: [no reply / no purchase / no appointment] Tone: [caring / direct / value-first / light and friendly] Create a 2-part series: Part 1 - Re-engagement message (text or email): - A subject line or opening that sparks curiosity without guilt-tripping - A short value reminder of why staying connected helps THEM - One easy, low-pressure call to action - Include {{contact.first_name}} Part 2 - Follow-up text if no response in 3 days: - Under 160 characters - Personal, not promotional - Easy one-word reply option - Include opt-out: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" Also suggest a tag to apply when they re-engage and a workflow to trigger.

⭐ Review Request Message Writer

Use for: Asking happy customers for reviews via text and email

Write review request messages for my [business type] to send through conversations. My business: [describe what you do] Where I want reviews: [Google, Facebook, other] When I send the request: [after a purchase / after a service / after an appointment] Tone: [warm / professional / friendly] Create: 1. A review request TEXT (under 160 characters) with a trigger-link placeholder for the review page 2. A review request EMAIL with a subject line (3 options) and a clear button-style call to action 3. A gentle follow-up text for people who did not respond in 3 days 4. A short thank-you message to send after they leave a review For all messages: - Include {{contact.first_name}} - Make it effortless - one tap to leave the review - Keep it genuine, not pushy

📊 Monthly Conversations Performance Review

Use for: Reviewing response time and inbox health every month

Create a monthly conversations performance review template for my [business type]. Include sections for: RESPONSE TIME (SLA): - Average first-response time this month: [time] - Conversations marked Overdue: [number] - Fastest channel: [channel] - Slowest channel: [channel] INBOX HEALTH: - Total conversations this month: [number] - Unread at end of day (average): [number] - Spam messages deleted: [number] - Conversations archived: [number] AUTOMATION AND TOOLS: - Reply-channel automations live: [number] - Snippets created or updated: [number] - Trigger link clicks this month: [number] - Manual actions completed: [number] TEAM: - Internal chat hand-offs: [number] - Mentions responded to: [number] - Team members hitting SLA targets: [number] ACTIONS AND INSIGHTS: - Channels to automate next: - Snippets to add: - SLA targets to adjust: - Coaching notes for the team: Format it as a simple report I can complete in under 30 minutes.

💡 Pro Tips for Using These Prompts

Always customize: Replace ALL bracketed sections with your specific business details
Iterate on results: If the output isn't perfect, ask AI to revise specific elements
Save what works: Turn your best AI outputs into snippets so your team can reuse them
Combine prompts: Use the Snippet Builder + Automation Planner together for a complete system
Add constraints: Specify your industry, team size, and tone for better results

AI Prompt Action Steps:

Use the First-Response Message Builder to write your missed-call text back

Generate a snippet library and create your first 3 snippets in the software

Use the SLA Strategy Planner to set your response-time targets

Set up your monthly conversations performance review template

Conversations Terms - Quick Reference

📚 Essential Conversations Terminology

Master these key terms to confidently navigate the Conversations feature and communicate effectively with your team, your clients, and your software.

📥 Unified Inbox

One inbox where every message lands - text, email, calls, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and internal team chat - so you can read and reply from a single place.

📡 Reply Channel

The channel a contact used to reach you - call, text, email, chat widget, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, and more. Reply channels can trigger an automated first response.

💬 Internal Chat

Private message threads between team members, visible only to participants. Separate from customer-facing conversations and perfect for hand-offs and quick team collaboration.

📋 My Inbox

The conversations directly involving you - your Assigned to Me folder and your Internal Chat threads. More personally focused than the Team Inbox.

🛡️ Team Inbox

For admins - every conversation in the account, shown based on each user's access level. The best place to see everything happening across your team in one spot.

👤 Assigned to Me

Every conversation where you are the contact owner. Ownership is set on the contact record under Owner, and it powers this filtered view.

👀 Followed by Me

Conversations where you have been added as a Follower on the contact. A way to stay in the loop on a contact even when you are not the owner.

📌 Views

Saved filter combinations - by tag, mention, assigned, follower, and more - that you can reuse to jump straight to the conversations that matter most to you.

📝 Snippet

A reusable template for a text or email message - the things you send over and over. Personalize with custom values and organize into folders to save time and stay on-brand.

🔗 Trigger Link

A trackable link you place in emails and texts. Every click can be tracked and can fire an automation. Edit the URL in one place and it updates everywhere it is used.

🏷️ Custom Value

A squiggly-bracket placeholder (like first name) that auto-fills personalized info when a message sends. It keeps every message correct and personal - no misspelled names.

📞 Manual Action

A call or SMS task that requires a real person, usually created inside a workflow. View and complete these in Conversations - the Let's Start queue walks you through them one by one.

🎯 SLA

Service Level Agreement - a response-time goal that counts down on each incoming conversation thread, helping your team reply before the deadline and never miss a message.

⏱️ SLA Timer

The countdown shown on each thread. Gray means on track, orange means due soon, and red means overdue. A real-time visual cue to reply before the SLA is breached.

🟠 Due Soon / Overdue

Due Soon is the warning window before the deadline (timer turns orange). Overdue is the maximum time allowed before the SLA is missed (timer turns red).

📁 Archive vs Delete

Archiving tucks a conversation away but keeps it so you can pull it back later. Deleting removes it everywhere, including the contact record. Always archive, never delete.

🔕 DND (Do Not Disturb)

A setting that blocks communication channels for a contact. Great for spam - turn on DND for all channels and add a Spam tag to stop inbound SMS charges at the system level.

👥 Group Chat

A single thread with more than one contact. Only available when Lead Connector is set as your SMS provider. Switch providers if you do not see the group chat option.

✉️ Mark as Read

Moves a message out of your Unread inbox and into All - it is never gone. Find it again under All or Recents, and mark it unread any time to bring it back.

@ Mention

Using @ plus a teammate's name in an internal note to notify them. Build a My Mentions View so you never miss when someone tags you for a follow-up or hand-off.

🎯 Why These Terms Matter

Team Communication: Everyone speaks the same language about the inbox and conversations
Faster Training: New team members get up to speed using a shared vocabulary
Troubleshooting: Solve message and automation issues faster when you know the terms
Strategic Planning: Make informed decisions about SLAs, snippets, and automations
Professional Confidence: Communicate confidently about your unified inbox

Congratulations! You're Ready to Master Your Inbox

🎉 You've Completed Feature - Conversations!

You now have everything you need to manage a fast, unified inbox - so no message is missed and every contact gets an on-brand response, automated or personal, on whatever channel they chose.

What You've Learned

✅ The 4-column framework for navigating your unified inbox
✅ Starting new conversations with contacts and teammates
✅ Organizing My Inbox, Team Inbox, and Internal Chat
✅ Building custom Views for the conversations that matter most
✅ Replying on any channel with the full composer
✅ Managing the contact from the contact details column
✅ Creating text and email snippets with custom values
✅ Building trackable trigger links and click automations
✅ Completing manual call and SMS tasks with the Let's Start queue
✅ Setting SLA targets and reading the timer colors
✅ Triggering instant responses with reply-channel automations
✅ Archiving (never deleting) so your history is always there

🎓 Download Your Complete Workbook

Complete all action steps above, then download your personalized workbook with all your notes, plans, and action items saved.

Complete All Action Steps to Download ⬇️

Your Next 90 Days

Days 1-30: Connect

Connect every channel
Build your first snippets
Create core Views
Launch your first auto-reply

Days 31-60: Automate

Expand reply-channel triggers
Add trigger link campaigns
Set up manual action tasks
Dial in your SLA targets

Days 61-90: Optimize

Coach the team on response time
Refine snippets and Views
Run a monthly review
Make fast replies a team habit

🚀 Your Success Metrics

This Month
Every channel connected and unified

Next 3 Months
Auto-replies and SLAs driving fast responses

This Year
A reputation for replying faster than anyone

Long Term
A unified inbox that runs like clockwork

Your conversations are more than messages.

They are the relationships that grow your entire business.

Now go master your inbox and watch your response time win you more business! 🎯

FEATURE - CONVERSATIONS