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Getting the Board on Board with AI Messaging Solutions

Illustrator: Adan Augusto
adopt ai messaging solutions

Please note that 'Variables' are now called 'Fields' in Landbot's platform.

Please note that 'Variables' are now called 'Fields' in Landbot's platform.

They might try, but modern businesses cannot escape the ever-evolving, demanding constant adaptation and innovation. One area ripe for transformation is customer engagement, particularly through the adoption of Generative AI messaging solutions

AI technologies offer a lot of advantages, from taking on manual and repetitive tasks across different business areas to cutting operational costs and increasing revenue. However, there’s also concern surrounding AI, given how fast it’s growing and how it evolves and changes over time. It’s no surprise, then, that your board of directors might not be very keen on adopting AI messaging solutions for your business. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to successfully get the board on board. 

A Brief Overview of the Generative AI Business Landscape

Before diving into strategies aimed at persuading the board, we need first to grasp the state of conversational AI within the corporate landscape. 

Conversational AI in the form of Generative AI is already on its way to reshaping customer interactions, automating workflows, and boosting operational efficiency. This type of AI uses intricate algorithms and natural language processes to enable systems to engage in human-like conversations across different touchpoints. From chatbots to virtual assistants, conversational AI solutions offer businesses unparalleled opportunities to elevate customer service standards, streamline operations, and drive growth and revenue.

The latest McKinsey Global Survey on the state of AI shows the impact of conversational AI integration in corporate settings. One-third of respondents report regular use of generative AI in at least one business function, with 40% of respondents expressing a commitment to increasing overall AI investments even more this year. 

Companies already embracing generative AI solutions report substantial enhancements in customer satisfaction metrics, operational efficiency, and cost reductions. Furthermore, as consumer preferences continuously gravitate towards seamless, personalized interactions, the demand for AI-driven conversational experiences continues to surge. The sooner businesses jump in and adopt AI messaging solutions, the better their chances of gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage. 

Strategies to Convince the Board

Simply presenting the board with the McKinsey report on the state of AI isn’t enough. Below you’ll find some strategies to convince the board to get on board with AI messaging solutions in your business. 

Align with Organizational Goals

When laying out your argument to the board, it's key to ensure that the benefits of AI messaging solutions are meticulously aligned with your organization's overarching strategic objectives. 

Think of the use cases generative AI might have:

  • 24/7 lead engagement: AI sales assistants can deliver a personalized customer experience in real-time for every lead while working on the fly to assess and rank prospects, identify the best sales opportunities, and help boost conversion rates.
  • Improve meeting show rates: automating the meeting booking process through conversational AI allows your leads to book appointments at their convenience, increasing the likelihood of attendance. 
  • Answer customers’ FAQs: AI FAQ assistants provide instant access to information, allowing customers to get their questions answered through a conversation, ultimately saving your agents’ time and increasing efficiency.

These are just a few examples. To convince your board, you’ll need to stress how AI stands as a catalyst for achieving key goals, such as enhancing customer experiences, amplifying operational efficiencies, and propelling revenue growth. 

You should also underscore the competitive edge offered by the adoption of AI technology. Share compelling case studies from within your industry, spotlighting results from companies that have seamlessly integrated AI messaging solutions into their daily operations. 

By framing your arguments within the context of strategic and competitive advantage and showcasing real-life results, you’ll more easily be able to underscore the value proposition of AI to your board members. 

Form a Dedicated Generative AI Task Force

Creating a dedicated task force focused solely on Generative AI integration is akin to assembling a powerhouse squad. Think of it like assembling your own Avengers. You’ll need a diverse mix of talents spanning marketing, sales, and IT to be able to show not only that you have team representation from the areas you want to improve with AI, but also someone with the tech knowledge that might be necessary to a more swift implementation. 

Each member of your AI task force brings their own unique skill set to the table. The marketing representative(s) contribute their expertise in customer engagement strategies, while the salespeople offer invaluable insights into lead generation and conversion tactics. Meanwhile, the tech experts ensure that all the gears are turning smoothly behind the scenes, leveraging their technical know-how for seamless integration.

Together, this collaborative dream team delves deep into the possibilities offered by Generative AI. They brainstorm innovative ways to apply this technology to real-world challenges your business faces, ensuring that every initiative aligns seamlessly with the broader organizational goals.

But this isn't just a case of teamwork for the sake of appearances. By breaking down silos between departments, this cross-functional approach fosters open communication and collaboration, paving the way for smoother sailing as potential obstacles are identified and addressed proactively. 

To sum it up, your AI task force ensures that the AI integration process remains on track and delivers tangible results that benefit the entire organization.

Provide Basic Generative AI Training

Once you’ve assembled your AI task force, don't forget the crucial step of giving them the right training to inspire and equip them with a clear vision of Generative AI's potential applications in your organization. 

These training sessions aren't just about the technical stuff – they're about fostering a shared vision among your team. By showcasing real-world examples and success stories, you'll spark enthusiasm and foster a forward-thinking mindset among your crew. The goal is clear — to get them thinking outside the box and experimenting with Generative AI in your business context.

As your team gets to grips with the ins and outs of the technology, they'll feel more empowered to pitch ideas, kickstart experiments, and explore how Generative AI can tackle specific business challenges.

But it's not just about individual growth — these training sessions also build a collective knowledge base within your organization. This shared understanding becomes a valuable asset as your team members collaborate across departments, exchange insights, and pool their expertise to drive the integration process forward.

Conduct a Data-Oriented Experiment

Now that you have your AI task force and they have done training on the subject, the next step in persuading the board to adopt AI messaging solutions is to conduct a data-oriented experiment

This experiment should aim to demonstrate the tangible benefits and ROI of implementing generative AI. Start by selecting a pilot project or use case where AI messaging can make a significant impact. For example, you can select a specific segment of your sales cycle, focusing perhaps on top-of-funnel activities. This approach allows for a controlled testing environment, allowing for a meticulous examination of the AI's impact on lead generation, initial customer interactions, or content creation at the early stages of the sales process. Be sure to analyze KPIs such as engagement and conversion rates or content relevance to understand how effective the AI was in your chosen use case. 

Running this sort of experiment will allow you to draw positive conclusions, but also identify challenges and shortcomings before you implement a business-wide AI solution. 

Once you’ve concluded your experiment, present your findings in a clear and concise manner, highlighting the positive impact of AI messaging on business outcomes. By providing concrete evidence of the benefits, you can effectively sway the board's opinion and gather support for broader implementation.

Address Concerns and Risks

It's only natural for board members to have concerns and reservations about adopting new technology, especially when it involves AI. Addressing these concerns head-on is key to getting them on board. 

You should provide transparent information about the potential risks generative AI can bring and the mitigation strategies you’ll apply to tackle them. If their concern is security and data protection, assure them you’re adopting security measures to protect sensitive data and customer privacy

While addressing their concerns, you should aim to focus on the business benefits of generative AI. Highlight the scalability and flexibility of AI solutions, emphasizing their ability to adapt to evolving business needs. Additionally, emphasize the importance of investing in AI as a long-term strategic initiative rather than a short-term cost-saving measure. Position AI messaging solutions as a catalyst for innovation and growth that enables your business to stay ahead of the competition and future-proof its operations.

Conclusion

Summing it up, convincing the board to implement AI messaging solutions in your organization requires a strategic and organized approach. 

By putting together your task force of experts, providing them with proper training, and running a data-oriented experiment, you should be able to clearly state the benefits of generative AI for business, address potential concerns, and ultimately convince the board of the business gains AI can bring. 

As the global AI market continues to grow, embracing generative AI solutions is no longer an option, but a strategic imperative for businesses looking to thrive in today’s landscape. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Landbot Pricing

What’s a Landbot chatbot template?

There are three ways to go about building a conversational app with Landbot:

1 - Do it all from scratch but still without coding

2 - Use only a few pre-made elements (bricks)

3 - Pick and customize a pre-designed template


There’s no need to reinvent a flow if our conversational experience designers already built a chatbot template for your use case. Before committing to a free sign up or a specific template, you can always use the preview function to try out the end-user experience. When you do load your chosen template, you’ll see the conversational flow all set up for you with guiding notes when needed.

All you have to do is customize the content inside the flow that’s already there. Edit the text, images, gifs, and links in the blocks so they fit your brand and product!

What’s the difference between a chat, a WhatsApp chat, and an AI chat?
  • A chat in Landbot represents a structured conversation between your bot and an end user, following a rule-based flow for web chatbots. It guides the user through specific tasks using buttons, keyword triggers, and decision trees with predetermined responses.

  • A WhatsApp chat in Landbot is a conversation between your bot and an end user on WhatsApp, following Meta’s messaging rules. When an end user messages your bot, a 24-hour window opens, allowing free responses, and the interaction counts as a WhatsApp chat in your Landbot plan. After 24 hours of inactivity, only pre-approved Message Templates can be sent, which you can manage directly in the Landbot platform.

  • AI chats incorporate AI functionalities, leveraging Landbot’s AI feature blocks or AI Assistants for lead generation, FAQs, or appointment booking. This enables the bot to understand intent and provide personalized, real-time responses instead of relying solely on predefined flows. AI chats are tracked and billed separately from regular chats and WhatsApp chats.

What is considered a “seat” in a Landbot plan?

A seat refers to a user license that grants an individual access to the Landbot platform under a specific account. Each seat allows one team member to log in, build, manage, and collaborate on chatbots. The number of seats included depends on your subscription plan, and additional seats can be purchased on all paid plans.

What subscription plans does Landbot offer?
  • Starter: Ideal for individuals and small businesses looking to create website chatbots effortlessly.

  • WhatsApp Starter: Perfect for small teams and businesses automating conversations across websites, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

  • Pro: Great for growing teams that need advanced features, automation, and integrations for website chatbots.

  • WhatsApp Pro: Best for businesses looking to scale customer interactions on WhatsApp with automation and rich messaging capabilities.

  • Business: Tailored for enterprises that require a fully customized chatbot solution with premium support and integrations for all channels.

How does the 14-day free trial work?

New sign-ups to the Landbot platform receive a 14-day free trial with access to all Landbot features and channels. After this period, the account is automatically downgraded to the Sandbox (Free) plan, which has certain limitations. You can upgrade to a paid plan should you wish to continue using Landbot’s premium features.

How is my subscription charged?

Your credit card is automatically charged at the start of each billing period. For monthly plans, the charge is processed on the first day of each new monthly cycle, while for annual plans, it occurs on the first day of the new yearly cycle.

Can I change my subscription plan later?

Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your subscription plan anytime within the Landbot platform. Changes will be applied according to Landbot's billing policies.

How many chats are included in the Business Plan?

Our Business Plan is fully customizable to suit your needs, including the number of chats, seats, and WhatsApp Business Account numbers. Please reach out to our Sales team for a personalized quote tailored to your requirements.

What happens when I reach my plan's chats limit?

If you go over your paid plan’s chat limit, extra chats will be charged based on the chat type. Regular chats cost €0.05 per extra chat, while WhatsApp chats also cost €0.05 per chat plus Meta’s additional fee. AI chats are €0.10 per extra chat. Business plans have custom pricing for extra chats.

Are there any plans that only include WhatsApp?

No, all of our plans that include WhatsApp (WhatsApp Starter, WhatsApp Pro, and Business) also grant access to other channels, such as web, API, and Facebook Messenger. These additional channels are included in all WhatsApp plans.

Can I add more than one WhatsApp number to my account?

Yes, you can link multiple WhatsApp Business Account numbers to your Landbot account, but the number of WhatsApp Business Account numbers allowed depends on your plan.

What payment methods does Landbot accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Bank transfers are only available for Business plans.

What currency will I be billed in?

Subscriptions are billed in Euros (€) for most customers. However, customers in the following countries will be billed in US Dollars ($): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Uruguay, the USA, and Venezuela.

Does Landbot use the official WhatsApp Business API? How does the application process work?

Yes! Landbot uses WhatsApp’s official API to integrate the most popular instant messaging app. The API offered by Facebook(Meta) is under constant improvement, the reliability is fantastic and generates a frictionless experience for your users and for your team. To review which type of enterprises, businesses and brands WhatsApp accepts at the moment, please read our WhatsApp API application guide.

Landbot’s onboarding team helps you in the application process. Once you sign up for Landbot’s WhatsApp solution, our team will ask you to submit the required information and initiate the application process on your behalf. The entire process usually lasts around 1-2 weeks, regardless of which provider you work with. We take utmost care to ensure each business we collaborate with has their application approved, managing the application process at every step of the way. However, ultimately, the final approval decision rests with WhatsApp.

Can I start building my bot before my WhatsApp API access is approved?

Landbot’s special WhatsApp Test environment feature allows you to build and test your WhatsApp bot before your API application gets approved.

This is possible because the testing channel is a closed one, and only allows communication between the Landbot interface and the phone number you associated with the test account. So you can already test your WhatsApp bot with your own phone, and have it ready to be published live to your users when the access is approved by WhatsApp.

Do you offer support resources on WhatsApp bot creation?

Yes, you have access to a large collection of support resources including WhatsApp guides, documentation and academy videos to help you get the most out of the WhatsApp chatbot builder and campaign manager. Listed below are some of the resources:

- How to Create a WhatsApp Bot: Step By Step Guide
- How to Create & Test your WhatsApp Chatbot: Video Guide
- Landbot Academy: WhatsApp

What is the WhatsApp opt-in and how does it work?

WhatsApp opt-in is the active consent users have to give you before you can contact them via WhatsApp. Opt-ins need to be done via a third-party channel. You can learn more about WhatsApp opt-ins and how they work here.