Efficiently manage WhatsApp customer tags: a beginner's guide to foreign trade

1. Label classification system: building the foundation for customer management

In the process of managing WhatsApp customers, a well-structured label classification system is crucial. It is the underlying framework for efficient customer management.

1. Basic classification model

The basic classification model mainly includes three types of labels:

• Customer type labeling : This includes end customers, wholesalers, and agents. For example, a 00-year-old clerk (translated as salesperson) found that by explicitly labeling customers as wholesalers, they could focus on offering volume discounts and large-scale delivery options, which helped to quickly close deals with European wholesalers.

• Purchasing stage labels : such as new inquiry, quoted, pending payment, and completed transactions. When a new inquiry is received, immediately add a "new inquiry" label to help sales staff prioritize follow-up. A real case is that a 90-year-old salesperson set a "new inquiry" label for a message from an Indian customer and responded quickly, making the negotiation process smoother.

• Country and region labels : For example, Middle East (pay attention to Halal certification) and Europe (pay attention to CE certification). A salesperson once missed the opportunity to do business with a Middle Eastern customer because he did not pay attention to the Halal certification requirements. After that, they started using country-specific labels to avoid similar mistakes.

2. Advanced classification dimensions

In addition to the basic model, advanced classification dimensions can further refine customer management:

• Purchasing capability tags : price-sensitive customers (budget ≤ $10,000) and high-end demand customers (customized solutions are required). When a customer replies "the price is too high", the salesperson immediately adds the "price-sensitive" tag and adjusts the quotation accordingly, ultimately satisfying the customer.

• Communication preference label : Prioritize email, WhatsApp instant replies, or video conferencing. A salesperson learned from experience that a European customer preferred video conferencing. By adding a "Prioritize video conferencing" label, they were able to communicate with the customer more effectively.

Newbie challenge : Try to use 3 tags to accurately describe your TOP3 customers.

2. Management tool recommendations: three types of novice-friendly tools

To effectively manage customer tags, there are various tools available, each with its own advantages.

1. Free Tools

• WhatsApp built-in labels : Long press on the chat interface to create a label. It supports classification by country or industry. For example, a new salesperson used the built-in country label function to group all African customers together, making it easier to send promotional information targeted to specific regions.

• Excel Template : Download the Customer Tag Management Sheet, which includes 12 fields such as purchase stage, taboo reminder, etc. A sales team found that using this Excel template helped them keep track of customer information in an organized manner, especially when dealing with a large number of customers.

2. Paid Tools

• AB Customer CRM : It can automatically generate customer files, classify customers, and mark them with smart labels such as "price sensitive" and "high repurchase rate". After a company implemented AB Customer CRM to manage customer labels, the efficiency of customer follow-up increased by 30%.

• WhatsApp Business API : It supports sending batches of tagged holiday greetings, such as “Ramadan Specials” to targeted customers. One business used this API to send customized Ramadan messages to its customers in the Middle East and significantly increased customer engagement.

Newbie Challenge : Explore the free tools and try to build a simple customer tagging system in one week.

3. Practical skills: a step-by-step guide from 0 to 1

Implementing a label management system requires practical skills and clear processes.

1. Three-step label setup

• Step 1 : Complete basic labeling (e.g. “Turkey + Textile Buyer”) within 24 hours after the first communication. A salesperson followed this step and quickly identified the key information of a Turkish textile customer, laying a good foundation for subsequent communication.

• Step 2 : Add a dynamic label after the quotation (e.g. "Quoted - Need to be paid"). A salesperson found that adding a "Need to be paid" label to customers who were waiting to pay helped them follow up in time and eventually receive the payment.

• Step 3 : After the order is completed, add long-term tags such as "VIP customer" and "reminder to place an order again". One company found that by properly managing long-term tags, they could better maintain relationships with VIP customers and encourage repeat orders.

2. Batch management skills

• Message Template Library : Send customized messages based on label groups. For example, send packaging solutions with religious taboos to "Southeast Asian customers". A marketing team used this method to send personalized messages to different customer groups and increased customer response rates.

• Scheduled tasks : With WAPlus, you can set tasks such as "follow up with pending payment customers every Monday at 9 am." After using this feature, a salesperson found that it helped them manage follow-up tasks more efficiently and reduced the chances of missing important follow-ups.

Newbie Challenge : Practice the 3-step tagging method with your next 5 new clients.

4. Case Analysis: The Practical Value of Tag Management

Real-life cases can prove the effectiveness of tag management in WhatsApp customer management.

Case 1: 95-year-old salesperson saves an order

The problem was that an Indian customer was lost due to lack of timely follow-up after the quotation. The solution was to set a "second follow-up required" label and reactivate the customer through "holiday greetings + new product recommendations". In the end, a $50,000 order was placed.

Case 2: Label design to avoid cultural conflict

An Indonesian customer returned a product because of a pig-shaped image on the packaging. The solution was to design an "Islamic taboo" label and initiate a design pre-approval process before placing an order. This avoided similar cultural conflicts in subsequent orders.

Newbie challenge : Analyze one of your past customer management failures and think about how tag management could solve that problem.

5. Pitfall Avoidance Guide: Solutions to Common Mistakes Beginners Make

There are some common mistakes that newbies may encounter in tag management. Here are the solutions:

1. Too many labels stacked

The mistake was to add more than 10 tags to the same customer, which led to confusion in management. The solution was to follow the "3-5 core tags" principle, such as "Brazil + furniture buyer + sample testing required". A salesperson once gave a customer too many tags, which made it difficult to find relevant information. After adopting the core tag principle, management became much easier.

2. Ignore dynamic updates

The mistake was not adjusting the labels in time after the customer was upgraded to VIP, and the basic discount was still provided. The solution was to check the labels in batches on the 15th of each month and delete invalid labels (such as "churned customers"). A company realized that ignoring label updates caused some VIP customers to feel neglected. After regular updates, customer satisfaction improved.

3. Legal compliance risks

The mistake was sending unsolicited marketing messages to EU customers. The solution was to set up a “GDPR compliant” label and only send ads to customers who had explicitly authorized it. One business once faced legal warnings for non-compliant marketing activities. After implementing a GDPR compliant label, they avoided such risks.

Newcomer Challenge : Review your existing customer labels and check if there are any that are over-stacked, out of date, or out of compliance.

To help you better manage WhatsApp customer tags, you can download our "Tag Setting Checklist", which contains 10 must-check items such as "Whether to set country and region tags". Start optimizing your customer management process now and build stronger relationships with your global customers!

Download the Label Setup Checklist