TechManch 2019: WhatsApp extremely powerful tool for business: Sabyasachi Mitter, Fulcro

Brands today have a plethora of communication tools available to them. Companies are constantly experimenting with digital mediums to make communication with consumers faster, more efficient, cost-effective and, of course, more personalised. It was only a matter of time before WhatsApp would join that bandwagon, said industry experts at TechManch 2019.

Making sense of it all on Day 1 of the digital conference was Sabyasachi Mitter, Founder and Managing Director, Fulcro, who held a spotlight session on how WhatsApp could change the digital acquisition process completely.

Stressing on the need for companies to embrace technology, Mitter came straight to the point. “We've experimented a lot with platform APIs and how they can fundamentally disrupt processes and why traditional companies need to be aware of how new kids on the block, all the new start-ups are looking and using technology to fundamentally change business processes, which might actually make our business processes very, very irrelevant.”

Citing examples of cumbersome traditional sales processes to newer digitally backed interactive 
sales processes, he explained how a tool like WhatsApp API could help customers experience a seamless sales experience through its social media platform.

He took the audience through certain challenges that come with API - routing, logging, CRM integration, how to maintain client history and asset management. Mitter was, however, bullish on the use of the platform for business.

“So the first thing that you understand is WhatsApp for business is extremely powerful. It has more people in the world using it on a day-to-day basis for the maximum amount of time and is on the front screen of every possible phone. Right? So you're handling an enterprise rate mobile system, you need to have enterprise system to drive scale.”

He explained other key takeaways of the business that clients needed to take into account were asset creation and how to strike AI – human balance. “How you balance AI with humans is the most important success of any of these automated processes. And you have to re-train everybody right from the MD of the organization. Because today, the lead funnel has multiple stakeholders, you have the digital marketing team, which is supposed to get the lead, you have retail which was supposed to close, you have a call centre, which falls under the CRM team, each of them are maintaining their silos.”

Wrapping up the session, Mitter said, the biggest challenge would be changing mindsets.

“That means there's a change in the thinking within organizations and cross-functional teams have to be built to manage this entire process. And that is the toughest part. We all like to protect our turf. Technology is great, as long as everybody is willing to be an equal stakeholder.”