Drafting Your Introduction Script

Overview

The first time you message a contact, you’ll want to make sure the initial message is an introduction that includes the contact's name so they know the bot isn’t spam and understand who the message is coming from. Depending on whether your institution has selected to operate as Open vs. Closed Bots, this message will either ask students to indicate if they would like to receive messages or inform them of how to unsubscribe. 

Tips for Your Introduction Script 

1. Include the first name of the contact in the message so that you can minimize the message being lost to phone carrier spam filters. Check out Tips to Avoid Spam Filters for other helpful formatting tips!
2. Give contacts an option to opt out. You should include the fact that message and data rates apply to messaging with the bot in addition to an introduction to how to opt out. Take a look at Opt-Out Commands for more details on opt out options. 
3. Tell your contact that they can message the bot at anytime if they have a question since the bot is accessible 24/7. This will help contacts get the support they need any time of day!
4. Set expectations for how your contacts should interact with the bot. Some contacts may have never interacted with a chat bot and they should get some best practices on how to best use it. Include a sentence about the specific topic area the bot knows about. In addition, preparing the contacts by reminding them that the bot does best with short, specific questions. Long, complicated questions will not always yield a great answer. Its a better user experience for everyone if contacts know how to interact with your bot!
5. Your script should also should be fun because this is the first impression your contacts will get of the bot, shaping how they engage with it. Check out Incorporating Fun for ideas! 

For sample introduction scripts, you can check out the Mainstay Script Library