How to Sell on WhatsApp Without Being Annoying

These are the two messages. They went out the same Saturday morning, ten minutes apart, to nearly the same people.

The first:

"HUGE SALE!!! Wine discounts storewide THIS WEEKEND ONLY. Hurry, limited time!!! Order yours now."

The second:

"Good morning. It's Vivian, from the old shop on Coral Way. The Rioja red a lot of you took to holiday parties last year is back in. There's not much of it: I set aside 24 bottles. If you'd like me to hold one for you, just reply with the number of bottles."

One of them pulled thirty-one replies before lunch. The other pulled four replies and a number Aaron wouldn't discover until weeks later.

To understand why, you have to go back to the day the partnership ended.

The List That Was Split in Half

Aaron and Vivian ran a wine and cheese shop together for eight years. When the partnership ended — no fight, each simply wanted to go their own way — each opened a store of their own, in different neighborhoods. And each walked out with a copy of the same phone: the same customer contacts, the same conversations, the same history.

Same base. Nearly the same wines. Same experience.

Aaron did what seemed logical. He created a broadcast list with every contact and started sending offers twice, sometimes three times a week. If they don't want them, they can just ignore them, he figured.

Vivian spent her first week doing something tedious. She scrolled through the old conversations and sorted the contacts into small groups: who bought Spanish reds, who bought sparkling wine for parties, who only showed up at year-end for corporate gifts, who ordered cheese and never wine.

That left eight lists. The biggest had a little over sixty people.

Why Aaron's Message Annoyed People

No customer blocks a store for sending a message. They block it for sending a message that isn't meant for them.

Aaron's had every sign of something written for no one in particular: all caps, three exclamation points, urgency with no reason behind it, no hint of who was speaking or why it mattered to that specific person. People who only bought cheese got it. People who no longer drank wine got it. People who had bought the day before got it.

Three times a week.

And here is the number he only saw later: replies kept dropping, and so did orders. Part of the list had simply stopped opening his messages. Another part had blocked him — and repeated blocks are exactly the kind of signal that can lead WhatsApp to restrict a business account.

He wasn't selling on WhatsApp. He was burning through the list.

The Short Answer

To sell on WhatsApp without being annoying, every message needs context (who you are and why you're writing to that person), relevance (it only goes to people with a reason to care) and an easy next step (reply with a number, pick between two options). Segment your contacts into small lists by what they've already bought, send less often and treat every send as a conversation, not an ad. WhatsApp is a sales channel for people who already know you; what kills sales is treating it like a loudspeaker.

What Vivian's Message Had That the Other Didn't

Go back to the two messages at the top and read the second one slowly. There are five choices in it, and none is an accident.

1. She introduces herself. "It's Vivian, from the old shop on Coral Way." A name and a reference head off the who is this? that comes right before the block.

2. She explains why that person got it. "A lot of you took to holiday parties." The message only went to people who had bought Spanish reds. The reader feels remembered, not reached.

3. The urgency is real. "There's not much of it: I set aside 24 bottles." It isn't hurry!, it's a fact. People who love the wine get it on their own.

4. The ask takes one tap. "Reply with the number of bottles." No link, no sign-up, no DM me. Replying takes two seconds.

5. She doesn't mention price in the first message. Price comes in the conversation, once the person has said yes. The first message has one job: opening the conversation.

There's a practical advantage hidden here. On WhatsApp Business, a broadcast list only delivers the message to people who saved your number. People who reply happily tend to save it. People who get irritated delete it. In other words: a good message grows the list you can reach on the next send; a bad one shrinks it.

The Step-by-Step to Start Tomorrow

If you sell on WhatsApp — a shop, a bakery, a clinic, a distributor, a service provider — these are the first steps, in order:

1. Use WhatsApp Business, not the personal app. It has a business profile with your address and hours, a catalog, quick replies and labels.

2. Build the catalog. A photo, a name and a short description for each product or service. When someone asks what do you have?, you answer with the catalog instead of twenty loose photos.

3. Label contacts by what they buy. One afternoon of work, like Vivian's. That label is what lets you build small, relevant lists.

4. Send less, and better. One message with a reason is worth more than three without. Before sending, ask yourself: if I received this, would I reply or mute it?

5. Always give an easy way out. "If you'd rather not get these, reply STOP." It feels like losing contacts; in practice it protects your account and leaves your list with only the people who want to hear from you.

6. Measure by conversation, not by send. Write down how many people received it, how many replied and how many bought. In a few weeks you'll know which kinds of messages sell.

And people who have already bought once are the most valuable list you have. We wrote a whole piece about it: how to get customers to come back and refer others.

The Question Vivian Asked Herself in December

The Rioja sold out before Tuesday. In December, Vivian's lists sold like never before.

But it was exactly in December, running the numbers, that she saw the limit of what she had built. Nearly all her WhatsApp sales came from people who were already customers back in the partnership days. The list was excellent — and it wasn't growing. Some people moved, others quit drinking, others simply changed numbers. Every year it would get a little smaller.

WhatsApp is a powerful channel for talking to people who already know you. It does not introduce you to people who have never heard of your store.

Aaron, by then, believed the problem was WhatsApp. This thing doesn't sell anymore. Vivian knew the problem would be something else: where the next names on the list would come from.

She started answering that with two new channels. A monthly tasting at the shop, open to anyone who brought a friend. And a partnership with an artisan creamery in another neighborhood, which sent anyone who asked about wine her way. Everyone who arrived by those paths joined the right list, already labeled.

WhatsApp became where the sale happened. The other channels became where the customer came from.

Which Side Are You On

There are two kinds of business owners with a contact list on their phone. One looks at it and thinks: how many people can I send this to? The other thinks: who does this make sense for? — and right after that: where do the next ones come from?

That is exactly what The 100 Acquisition Channels Guide, by Luiz Philipe Campos, founder of Ímpetus Host, puts in your hands. WhatsApp and messaging are in there, in the part on active prospecting and direct sales. And so are the other 99 paths that bring new people to your list: referrals, partnerships like the creamery's, in-store events, local search, video, free samples, community. For each channel: what it is, a practical example, the first step to test it, who it works best for and what it costs to try. With a spreadsheet to choose your first three and a 30-day, day-by-day plan to get the first one off the ground.

Next step

Don't depend on a single way to win customers

Everything in this article works better when new customers arrive every month. Most businesses depend on two or three channels and suffer when one of them slows down. The 100 Acquisition Channels Guide shows 100 ways to win customers, a practical example of each one and the first step to test it spending little or nothing.

• ✓The 100 channels, one by one, from the best known to the ones almost nobody uses
• ✓A practical example and a low-cost first step for each channel
• ✓A simple way to choose the channels that fit your business now
• ✓Bonus: Channel scorecard
• ✓Bonus: 30-day test plan

Get the 100 acquisition channels guide for $49

One-time payment · Instant access · 7-day guarantee

Access is immediate, you can read it on your phone today, and there's a 7-day guarantee through Hotmart. Most channels cost little or nothing to test — what's expensive is continuing to talk to the same people forever.

Aaron and Vivian left the partnership with the same list. Only one of them left with a way to make it grow.

Aaron and Vivian are characters created for this text.

Frequently asked questions

How often can I message customers on WhatsApp?+

There's no magic number; there's the limit of relevance. One message a week with no reason already wears people out, and two a week with real news for that specific list can land well. Watch replies and opt-out requests: if replies fall and opt-outs rise, you're sending too much or to the wrong people.

Broadcast list or group: which is better for selling?+

A broadcast list arrives as an individual chat, and the reply stays between you and the customer, which usually works better for offers. A group is better for community, when customers also talk among themselves. Remember that a broadcast list only delivers to people who saved your number.

Can WhatsApp block my account for sending bulk messages?+

It can restrict it, especially when many people block or report the number. Sending only to existing customers, with a relevant message and a clear way to opt out, lowers that risk considerably.

How do I get more contacts to sell to on WhatsApp?+

Through other channels that bring new people to you: your Google business profile, partnerships with businesses that serve the same audience, events, referrals and content. WhatsApp is great for converting people who have already arrived. The 100 Acquisition Channels Guide covers 100 of those paths, each with its first step and the cost to test it.

Does it work for my type of business?+

Yes. The channels cover local businesses, service providers, online stores, B2B companies and professionals. The guide helps you pick the ones that fit your case.

How do I receive the guide?+

Right after payment, Hotmart sends the access to your email. You can read it on your phone, computer or print it.

What if I don't like it?+

You have a 7-day guarantee. If it isn't for you, ask for a refund through Hotmart within that period.

The 100 Acquisition Channels Guide

100 ways to win customers without depending on a single source of sales

Get the 100 acquisition channels guide for $49

One-time payment · Instant access · 7-day guarantee