If you’re here, you want to turn your website’s Drift chat into a real lead generator—not just an annoying pop-up. This guide is for marketers, SDRs, or anyone tired of seeing “book a demo” bots that go nowhere. I’ll walk you through setting up conversational playbooks in Drift to actually get results, without falling for the hype or wasting your time on “best practices” that don’t work in the real world.
Let’s cut to the chase.
What Are Conversational Playbooks (And Why Should You Care)?
Conversational playbooks are basically the scripts that tell your Drift bot how to interact with people on your site. Think of them as choose-your-own-adventure flows for your prospects. The goal: grab attention, qualify leads, and hand off hot ones to your sales team—or at least get an email.
They can work, but only if you keep things simple and focus on what your buyers actually care about. Overcomplicate it, and you’ll just annoy people or drown in bot settings.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Goal
Before you click anything in Drift, decide: what’s the one thing you want this playbook to do?
- Book meetings?
- Collect emails?
- Answer basic questions and route to sales if someone’s qualified?
Pick one. If you try to do everything (“Let’s book demos, answer FAQs, AND qualify leads!”), you’ll end up with a Frankenstein bot nobody likes.
Pro tip:
Start with your highest-value goal—usually booking meetings or capturing contact info. You can always add fancy stuff later if this works.
Step 2: Map Out Your Conversation Flow (On Paper)
Don’t build inside Drift yet. Sketch the conversation on paper or a whiteboard first.
A simple flow might look like:
- Greet the visitor (“Hey, looking for info on pricing?”)
- Present 2–3 clear options (“Book a demo,” “See pricing,” “Talk to sales”)
- If they want a demo, ask 1–2 qualifying questions (“What’s your company size?”)
- Offer a calendar link or collect their info
Keep it short. No one wants to answer 10 questions before talking to a human.
What NOT to do: - Don’t try to “delight” with jokes or gifs unless you’re sure your audience likes that. - Don’t ask for a phone number right away. You’ll see drop-off.
Step 3: Set Up Your Playbook in Drift
Now, log into Drift and build your playbook.
3.1 Choose the Right Playbook Type
Drift offers a few playbook templates. For lead gen, use either: - Chatbot Playbook: Fully automated, good for qualifying and booking meetings. - Welcome Message: Simple, pops up to say hi and offer options.
If you’re starting out, go with a chatbot playbook. You can always simplify if it feels too much.
3.2 Build the Steps
- Greeting: Keep it friendly and direct. “Hey there! Have questions or want a demo? I’m here to help.”
- Quick Replies: Use buttons for common actions (don’t make people type). E.g.:
- “Book a demo”
- “See pricing”
- “Just browsing”
- Qualify: If someone clicks “Book a demo,” ask one or two key questions (company size, use case). Don’t get greedy.
- Handoff: If they’re qualified, trigger a handoff to a live rep or show your calendar. If not, just collect email and promise a follow-up.
Skip: - Long-winded intros (“We’re so excited to connect!”) - Unnecessary info gathering (“What’s your mailing address?”)
3.3 Set Targeting Rules
Who should see this playbook? Drift lets you target by: - URL paths (just your pricing page, or everywhere) - Returning/new visitors - Company size (if you’re on a plan with Drift Intel)
Don’t overthink it:
Start by showing your playbook to everyone on a high-intent page (like Pricing or Demo). You can get fancier later.
Step 4: Connect Your Calendar (and Sales Team)
If your goal is meetings, integrate your sales reps’ calendars (Google or Outlook). Drift makes this easy—just follow the prompts.
- Assign meetings to specific reps, or round-robin if you’ve got a team.
- Make sure your reps actually check Drift, or you’ll lose hot leads in the void.
Warning:
If your team never responds in chat, don’t pretend you’re “always here to help.” Set clear expectations (“We’ll get back to you within a day”).
Step 5: Test Like a Real Visitor
Before you launch, go through the playbook on your own site:
- Does the bot make sense, or is it confusing?
- Are the questions too much?
- Is the handoff smooth?
- Does the calendar actually work?
Ask a coworker or friend to try it and give honest feedback. They’ll spot annoying stuff you missed.
Step 6: Go Live—But Watch the Results
Publish your playbook. Now watch what happens.
- How many people start a chat?
- How many actually book a meeting or leave an email?
- Where do people drop off?
If you’re not getting results: - Your greeting might be too generic (“How can I help?” doesn’t cut it). - You’re asking for too much info up front. - The bot feels robotic or unhelpful.
Tweak one thing at a time. Don’t overhaul everything every week or you’ll never know what worked.
What Works (And What Doesn’t)
What works: - Short, direct questions - Giving people obvious next steps (“Book a demo” vs. “Learn more about our solutions”) - Following up quickly—live chat only helps if someone’s actually there
What doesn’t: - Making people jump through hoops (no one wants a personality quiz) - Bots that pretend to be human—people see through it - Overly clever copywriting (“Ready to supercharge your synergies?”)
Ignore the Hype: Keep It Simple
Drift is powerful, but you don’t need every feature out of the box. Most companies get stuck fiddling with advanced logic and forget the basics: be helpful, be quick, don’t annoy people.
- Start with one playbook.
- Get real leads.
- Tune it as you go.
If you’re not seeing value after a month or two, revisit your conversation flow—or maybe Drift isn’t the right tool for your audience.
Wrapping Up
Setting up conversational playbooks in Drift isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Focus on your one main goal, make your conversation stupid simple, and keep an eye on what real visitors actually do. The best playbooks are the ones you actually launch—and improve over time. Don’t chase perfection; just get it live, watch what works, and tweak as needed.
Keep it simple, and let your prospects tell you what they need.