Building WhatsApp Lead Automation: Processing 50+ Leads Daily

At Otto.rentals, we faced a challenge: how do you engage with 50+ leads daily without hiring a large sales team? The answer was automation, specifically WhatsApp automation using Python and the Wassenger API.

The Problem

Manual lead follow-up was taking hours each day. Sales reps were copying and pasting messages, tracking responses in spreadsheets, and often missing follow-ups. We needed a system that could handle the volume while maintaining a personal touch.

The Solution

I built a Python-based automation system that integrates with our CRM and uses the Wassenger API to send WhatsApp messages. The system handles:

- Initial outreach with personalized messages - Follow-up sequences based on response patterns - Lead scoring based on engagement - Automatic handoff to sales reps for hot leads

import requests

def send_whatsapp_message(phone, message):
    url = "https://api.wassenger.com/v1/messages"
    headers = {
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    data = {
        "phone": phone,
        "message": message
    }
    response = requests.post(url, json=data, headers=headers)
    return response.json()

Technical Implementation

The core system uses Python with FastAPI for the backend. We store lead data in PostgreSQL and use Redis for queue management. The Wassenger API handles the actual message sending, which is more reliable than trying to maintain our own WhatsApp Business API integration.

Personalization at Scale

The key to making automation work is personalization. We use template variables for names, property details, and other specific information. The system also tracks conversation history to avoid sending duplicate messages.

Results

After implementing this system, we saw: - 3x increase in lead engagement - 50% reduction in time to first response - 2x improvement in conversion rates

The system processes 50+ leads daily without human intervention for the initial stages, freeing up our sales team to focus on qualified prospects.

Lessons Learned

Automation is powerful, but it's not a replacement for human interaction. The best results come from using automation for initial outreach and routine follow-ups, then having humans take over for complex conversations.