community-chat

How to Get More Clients Online Using the Sell-by-Chat Function on the Community Platform

Charles Higgins

Charles Higgins

— 11 min read
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Featured

We created this guide to walk you through a simple, effective way to start conversations and win clients using the built-in chat in your community platform. The original walk-through was produced by the tutorials channel HL Power Hub, and we've expanded on their clear instructions with practical examples, sample scripts, and step-by-step workflows so you can begin using the chat feature today to build relationships, qualify prospects, and close deals without juggling extra tools.

Table of Contents

Why in-platform chat matters for growing businesses

When we run communities and training groups, the last thing we want is fragmentation—conversations spread across email, messengers, and random apps. A single, unified inbox inside the community platform changes that. Here’s what having built-in direct messaging does for us:

  • Faster follow-ups: We reach members where they already spend time, so replies come quicker and momentum stays intact.
  • Context preserved: Private conversations can start from a public thread, keeping the context of the discussion intact so we don’t have to re-explain things.
  • Centralized history: All one-on-one conversations live in a single inbox we can search. That means decisions, commitments, and promises are easy to find later.
  • Less tech friction: No new apps, logins, or messy link-sharing. Everything happens inside the platform where the community is already active.
  • Intentional engagement: Because messages are member-to-member only inside shared communities, conversations are naturally targeted and relevant.

These benefits translate directly into time saved, fewer follow-up slips, and more meaningful interactions—exactly what busy teams and small business owners need.

What this chat feature is (and what it isn’t)

Let’s be clear about the feature so we use it the right way.

  • What it is: A built-in one-on-one messaging tool for members who share a community. Messages are stored in a unified chat box and members receive in-app notifications when they get a new message.
  • What it isn’t: It is not the web chat widget you add to public websites or sales funnels. It is also not the internal team chat intended for staff within your organization. Those are separate tools designed for different use cases.
  • Current limitation: Right now the chat supports one-on-one conversations only—group chats are planned but not available yet.

Understanding these distinctions helps us choose the right communication channel for each task: use the internal team chat for staff coordination, the web chat widget to capture website leads, and the community chat for member-to-member relationship-building.

How to access and start chats — step-by-step

There are two primary ways to access your communities and start chats. We’ll lay out both methods and show the exact steps you can follow.

Method 1: From your account dashboard

  • Log in to the platform using your account credentials.
  • Open your account menu and locate your memberships or communities section on the left navigation.
  • Click the community you want to enter.
  • Inside the community page, click the chat icon in the top-right corner to open your inbox.
  • From the inbox you can see all your ongoing one-on-one chats, even if those conversations started in another community you share with the person.

Method 2: From the communities list

  • Navigate to the community list from your main software dashboard.
  • Choose the community you want to join or interact with.
  • Open the chat box from the community header to access your centralized inbox.

Either way, the chat inbox is unified. It shows all private conversations and makes it simple to pick up where we left off.

The design of the chat box is intentionally lightweight and familiar. Here’s what we can expect and how to use it efficiently.

  • Unified inbox: See all one-on-one conversations in a single place. Threads are sorted so we can quickly find recent or important interactions.
  • Notifications: Both sender and recipient receive in-app alerts when a new message arrives. That helps keep response times fast.
  • Search: You can search chats by member name or by keywords/topics discussed previously. This saves time when we need to reference a past decision or detail.
  • Message context: If we start a chat from a community thread, the new conversation is tied to that thread in the background, preserving context for both sides.

All of these help reduce back-and-forth overhead and let us focus on the conversation that matters—nurturing leads and supporting customers.

How to use the chat to get more clients: practical strategies

The chat feature is not just a convenience—when used deliberately it becomes a conversion tool. Here are tactical ways we use it to attract, qualify, and close clients.

1. Warm outreach after public engagement

When a member comments on a community post or asks a public question, that's an ideal trigger for a private follow-up. Instead of waiting for them to DM us, we start the conversation.

  • Open their profile from the thread and click message.
  • Reference the public comment to make the message personal and relevant.
  • Offer to help or provide a specific next step (a link to a resource inside the community, an invite to a short call, or an offer to audit something they mentioned).

Example script:

Hey [Name], thanks for your comment on the thread about [topic]. I thought a couple of simple ideas might help—would you like me to share them here, or would a quick 15-minute call be easier?

This approach moves conversations from public to private in a natural, value-first way and often leads to consults and sales conversations.

2. Qualification through short, focused questions

We avoid long sales pitches in chat. Instead, we use short qualifying questions to determine fit quickly.

  • Ask about goals and timeline in two or three quick messages.
  • Offer to share a case study or proposal only after confirming fit.
  • Use the searchable history to reference previous answers and avoid repeating questions.

Sample qualification flow:

  1. Hi [Name], curious—what’s the main outcome you want to achieve in the next 90 days?
  2. Are you currently working with any other providers on this? (Yes/No)
  3. Would a short review of your current setup help identify the quickest wins?

If a member says yes, we then propose the next step—an audit, a limited-scope paid offer, or a discovery call.

3. Delivering value to build trust

Before we ever pitch, we deliver something tangible that helps the member. That builds credibility and makes a later offer feel natural instead of pushy.

  • Share a relevant snippet or checklist directly in the chat.
  • Summarize public thread advice into a personalized mini-plan.
  • Offer a small, paid pilot or an audit at a low cost to reduce friction to purchase.

When a member feels helped first, they are more likely to convert into a paying client.

4. Follow-up sequences inside the platform

Because messages are in-platform and members receive notifications, we use simple in-chat follow-up patterns to stay top of mind.

  • Initial contact: value-first message.
  • 2–3 day follow-up: a friendly nudge and one more useful resource.
  • Final check-in after a week: a clear call to action—book a call or reply if they want help.

Keep each message short and focused so members can respond quickly. The platform notifications help make these follow-ups more effective than email alone.

Example scripts and templates for selling by chat

Below are practical templates we use. Adapt the language to fit your voice, but keep the structure: personalization, value, question, next step.

Intro message after a helpful public reply

Hi [Name], appreciated your take on the thread about [topic]. I had an idea that could help you get the next result faster—would you like a quick checklist or a 10-minute audit?

Quick qualification message

Thanks, [Name]. Two quick questions so I can help: what’s your primary goal in the next 3 months, and how much have you tried so far? If it’s easier, I can put together a short plan once you reply.

Short-value deliverable

Here’s a quick three-step plan based on what you shared: 1) fix [specific item], 2) implement [small change], 3) test [metric]. If you want, we can schedule a 15-minute call to map these to your exact setup.

Closing/ask to book a call

Would you like to book a 15-minute call to walk through the plan and figure out the highest-impact next step? I can tailor a low-cost audit that covers the most important areas.

Best practices to keep the chat experience professional and productive

  • Respond quickly: Fast replies increase conversion rates and show professionalism.
  • Be human: Keep language conversational and helpful rather than overly formal.
  • Keep it short: Multi-paragraph messages are harder to respond to in chat—use bullets or numbered steps.
  • Set expectations: If you need time to prepare something, tell the member when you’ll follow up.
  • Log commitments: Use the searchable history to note promises you or the member made (so nothing gets lost).
  • Respect boundaries: If a member isn’t interested, thank them and leave the door open—don’t push.

How the chat feature fits into our broader workflow

Integrating the chat feature with our existing processes makes it more powerful. Here’s a repeatable workflow for turning chats into clients while keeping operations clean.

Step 1 — Monitor community activity

We watch public threads for high-engagement posts, comments indicating intent, or questions that reveal need. Those are our triggers to reach out privately.

Step 2 — Start a private, value-first chat

We send a short message referencing the public thread and offer help. This is where we use the templates above.

Step 3 — Qualify and offer a low-friction next step

If the person shows interest, we qualify quickly and propose a useful next step—an audit, a short call, or a mini-service. We make the next action clear and simple.

Step 4 — Deliver and follow up

After the call or audit, we deliver a short report or plan and include one clear proposal. Then we follow up inside the chat if we don’t hear back.

Step 5 — Document and scale

We keep conversation notes in a central project or CRM so the team can pick up where we left off. This makes the approach repeatable and scalable without losing personalization.

Troubleshooting common questions and issues

Even simple tools can cause questions. Here are answers to common issues we encounter and how to solve them.

  • Message not delivered: Confirm both parties are logged into the platform. If issues persist, ask the recipient to check their notification settings inside the platform.
  • Can't find a conversation: Use the chat search by member name or keywords. The chat inbox contains all your one-on-one conversations across communities.
  • Want group chat capabilities: The feature currently supports one-on-one chats only. Plan for private outreach and consider using public threads or separate meeting tools for group discussions until group DM functionality is released.
  • Confusing with internal team chat: Remember that internal team chat is separate and located in the team or staff area. Use that for internal coordination and this chat for member-to-member conversations.

Privacy and appropriate use

We always respect members' privacy and consent. Since the chat is limited to members who share a community, it reduces the chance of unsolicited outreach. Still, we follow respectful outreach rules:

  • Always reference why we’re messaging (what thread or interaction prompted the message).
  • Offer value before asking for anything.
  • Stop outreach if a member asks not to be contacted.

Real-world scenarios: how businesses use in-platform chat

Here are three practical scenarios showing how teams convert chats into revenue and stronger relationships.

Scenario 1: Freelance consultant

A consultant notices a post asking how to fix a recurring marketing funnel drop-off. They message the member privately with a short list of possible fixes and offer a 30-minute paid audit. The audit uncovers three quick wins that are implemented, resulting in a retained client for monthly optimization work.

Scenario 2: Course creator

A course creator responds to a member’s question publicly, then follows up with a private message offering a short demo of a particular module that fits the member’s situation. The demo converts into a course sale and later into a coaching upsell—all managed through chat for a seamless experience.

Scenario 3: Agency owner

An agency owner threads value into a public discussion and asks if anyone wants a free benchmark. Interested members reply; the owner messages each privately to collect details and convert the best-fit respondents into discovery calls. Two new clients are won from the outreach.

Metrics to track when selling via chat

To understand whether chats are contributing to revenue, we measure a few simple metrics:

  • Conversation volume: Number of new private chats started per week.
  • Response rate: Percentage of initial messages that receive a reply.
  • Conversion rate: Percentage of conversations that lead to a booked call, paid audit, or closed sale.
  • Time to close: Average time from first message to a sale or confirmed next step.

These KPIs are easy to track and give quick insight into whether our chat outreach strategy is working and where to improve.

Testimonials and social proof (what users say)

“We doubled our consultation bookings after we started messaging members who commented in our community—responses came in faster and conversations stayed organized.”
“The searchable chat history saved us time when onboarding new clients—no more digging through email threads.”

These kinds of outcomes—faster replies, more conversations, better documentation—are common when teams use the built-in chat intentionally.

FAQ

Who can we message using the community chat?

We can start direct, one-on-one conversations only with members who share the same community as us. This ensures messages are targeted to people already engaged with our content.

Where do we find all our chats?

Open the chat inbox from within any community page or from your account’s memberships area. The inbox is unified, so it shows all ongoing one-on-one conversations across communities.

Can we create group chats?

Currently the chat supports one-on-one conversations only. Group chats are not available yet but may be added in future updates.

How are notifications delivered?

Members receive in-app notifications when they get a new message. We recommend members check their notification preferences inside the platform to ensure they don’t miss important messages.

Is this the same as the internal team chat or the website chat widget?

No. Internal team chat is designed for staff communication and lives in a separate part of the platform. The website chat widget is for communicating with website visitors. The community chat is specifically for member-to-member messaging inside shared communities.

What happens if a member doesn’t respond?

We recommend a short follow-up sequence: a helpful nudge 48–72 hours after the initial message, and a final brief check-in after a week. If there’s no response, respect their choice and leave the door open for future engagement.

Final thoughts: keep it simple, helpful, and consistent

We find that the best results come from repeating a simple pattern: notice public engagement, offer immediate value, move the conversation to a private chat when appropriate, qualify quickly, and propose a clear next step. The unified chat inside the community platform makes this sequence easier because conversations are centralized, searchable, and tied to the community context.

By prioritizing fast responses, respectful outreach, and value-first messages, we can convert thoughtful interactions into paying clients without overwhelming our systems or our members. This approach reduces tech headaches, keeps everything organized in one place, and helps us focus on what matters most—building relationships and delivering exceptional results.

We encourage you to try these steps in your community this week: identify five recent public interactions, reach out with a personalized value-first message, and track the outcomes. Small, consistent actions like these compound into reliable growth for service providers, course creators, and agencies alike.

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