How to Use Live Chat for Lead Generation (Scripts and Setup)

Live chat catches visitors at the moment they have a question, which is often the moment they're close to buying. Set up well, it turns anonymous traffic into qualified leads.

1. Show chat on high-intent pages

Pricing, service pages and contact pages first. Avoid popping chat on every blog post; it annoys readers.

2. Use proactive, specific greetings

• Pricing page: "Questions about which package fits? I can help in a minute."
• Service page: "Want a rough quote for your project? Tell me a bit about it."
• Returning visitor: "Welcome back. Anything I can clear up?"

3. Qualify in three questions

1. What are you looking to do?
2. When do you need it?
3. What's the best email or number to send details?

4. Respond fast

Aim for under a minute during business hours. If you can't, set expectations: "We usually reply within 10 minutes."

5. Capture leads after hours

Switch to a form: "We're offline. Leave your email and we'll reply first thing." Then actually reply first thing.

6. Hand off and follow up

Every chat lead goes into your CRM with the transcript, a status and a follow-up date.

Chatbots or humans?

Bots are good for routing and after-hours capture. Humans convert better on complex or high-value questions. Many teams use a bot to qualify, then a human to close.