Build a useful catalog and price flow
Present standard products and services clearly in WhatsApp, show prices honestly where they are genuinely fixed, and move variable work into a quotation instead of forcing every sale into chat.
What you will leave with
- A cleaner way to decide what belongs in the WhatsApp catalog
- Clear rules for fixed prices versus quotation-based work
- A practical flow from catalog view to enquiry, quotation, and payment
- A stronger connection between WhatsApp offers and the LaunchBOS Catalogue
Step 01
Use the catalog for standard offers customers can understand quickly
The catalog works best for products and services with a clear name, image, description, and buying expectation.
Add the offers customers repeatedly ask about, not every possible variation your business could provide. A bakery might list standard cake sizes and basic packages. A cleaner might list a routine home-cleaning package. A phone-accessories seller might list specific charger, case, or earphone models.
If the offer changes significantly from one customer to another, use the catalog to explain the starting point rather than pretending it is a fully fixed product.
- Clear product or service name.
- Accurate image where useful.
- Short description of what is included.
- Price or clear quotation instruction.
- Current availability where relevant.
Step 02
Write catalog descriptions that reduce repeated questions
A useful description should answer the first questions a serious customer usually asks.
For products, include model, size, quantity, compatibility, condition, or other decision-making details. For services, include the main scope, who it is for, location limits, timing, and what is not included when those boundaries matter.
Do not turn the description into a long sales essay. The goal is to help the customer decide whether to ask about that specific offer.
- What the customer gets.
- Important size, model, or scope details.
- Location or delivery limitation if relevant.
- What requires a separate quote.
Step 03
Show a fixed price only when the scope is truly fixed
A displayed price creates an expectation, so it should match the offer the customer can actually buy.
If the same item or package can normally be sold at one price, show it clearly. If the cost changes based on size, condition, travel, quantity, urgency, materials, customisation, or other variables, explain that the final amount requires a quotation.
Avoid using a very low starting price that almost nobody qualifies for. If you use 'from' pricing, explain the standard condition that price covers and what commonly changes the amount.
- Use exact prices for genuinely standard offers.
- Use 'from' pricing carefully and explain the baseline.
- Use quotations for variable scope.
- Do not hide compulsory charges until late in the conversation.
Step 04
Create a simple path from catalog item to quotation
Customers should know what information you need before you can prepare a custom price.
For variable work, tell the customer exactly what to send. A cleaning quote may need location, property type, room count, preferred date, and photos. A design project may need deliverable type, deadline, content readiness, and intended use. A catering quote may need menu, guest count, date, venue, and service level.
Ask only for details that actually affect scope or price. The aim is to make quoting easier, not turn WhatsApp into a long application form.
- State what information affects price.
- Ask for only the necessary details.
- Confirm when the quotation will be sent.
- Move the final scope into the quotation record.
Step 05
Keep prices consistent across WhatsApp and LaunchBOS
Customers should not receive one standard price in WhatsApp and a different unexplained price in a quotation or invoice.
Use the LaunchBOS Catalogue as the operating source for standard products and services where practical. When a standard price changes, update the Catalogue and then update WhatsApp, your website, and other active customer-facing channels.
For a custom job, the quotation can legitimately differ from the standard price if the scope differs. Make the reason visible rather than leaving the customer to guess.
- Keep standard prices aligned.
- Update major price changes everywhere customers see them.
- Explain custom scope differences.
- Avoid copying old prices from previous chats.
Step 06
Treat stock and availability separately from price
A correct price is not useful if the item is unavailable or the business cannot deliver within the expected time.
For physical products, check stock before confirming the order. For services, check capacity, date, location, and any required equipment or staff. Do not let an old catalog item imply immediate availability when supply or capacity is uncertain.
If availability changes frequently, use wording such as 'confirm availability before payment' instead of promising stock you cannot guarantee.
- Verify physical stock where relevant.
- Verify service capacity and date.
- Do not take payment for unavailable offers without clear agreement.
- Update or remove items that are no longer offered.
Step 07
Separate add-ons from the core offer
Customers understand pricing more easily when the standard package and optional extras are clearly separated.
List the core package first, then show common add-ons only if they genuinely help customers customise the purchase. For example, a cleaning package might have refrigerator cleaning or extra rooms as add-ons. A design package might have additional sizes or revisions.
Do not use a low core price and then make basic necessities compulsory add-ons. The customer should be able to understand the realistic total before committing.
- Define the standard package.
- Show optional extras separately.
- Explain what triggers extra cost.
- Avoid surprise mandatory add-ons.
Step 08
Use promotions without damaging price trust
Discounts should be real, time-bound where stated, and easy to understand.
If you run a promotion, state the exact offer, eligibility, start and end date if relevant, and whether quantity or stock is limited. Remove the promotion when it ends.
Avoid permanently displaying a fake 'original price' just to make the current price look cheaper. Frequent unexplained discounts can also train customers to distrust the normal price.
- State the real promotional price.
- Use genuine dates or stock limits.
- Remove expired offers.
- Keep normal and promotional prices easy to distinguish.
Step 09
Move confirmed orders out of loose chat
Once the customer agrees to buy, create a clear record of what was ordered and what is still due.
Confirm the item or service, quantity, scope, total amount, delivery or service date, location, and payment status. For custom work, the quotation should carry the agreed scope. For money due after delivery or on a schedule, an invoice may be the better record.
Use WhatsApp to communicate the confirmation, but do not depend on a long message thread as the only source of truth.
- Confirm the exact item or service.
- Confirm total amount and payment status.
- Confirm date, delivery, or fulfilment plan.
- Use quotation or invoice records when appropriate.
Step 10
Verify payment before treating the sale as complete
A customer saying 'paid' or sending a screenshot should trigger verification, not an automatic paid status.
Check your bank, payment provider, POS settlement, or other trusted source. If only part of the amount arrived, record the partial payment and leave the balance visible.
Issue a receipt only for money that has actually been received and verified. This keeps the payment history consistent with the invoice and avoids disputes later.
- Verify payment independently.
- Match payment to the correct customer or invoice.
- Record partial payments accurately.
- Issue receipt after verification.
Step 11
Review the catalog regularly
An outdated catalog can create more customer-service work than having no catalog at all.
Set a simple review routine: check prices, descriptions, images, stock status, discontinued offers, service areas, and delivery expectations. Review sooner when supplier costs, business capacity, or standard scope changes.
Remove duplicate or confusing items. A smaller catalog with current information usually creates a better buying experience than a large catalog that customers have to clarify through chat.
- Review prices.
- Review availability.
- Review scope and descriptions.
- Remove discontinued or duplicate offers.
Step 12
Use WhatsApp to present the offer and LaunchBOS to operate it
The catalog helps customers browse; the Workspace keeps the actual business records connected.
Create standard products and services in the LaunchBOS Catalogue so the same names and prices can be reused in quotations and invoices. Use WhatsApp to show and discuss the offer, then move real customer transactions into the appropriate records.
LaunchBOS does not currently synchronise directly with the WhatsApp catalog. Keep the two aligned manually when standard prices or offers change.
- Add standard offers to the LaunchBOS Catalogue.
- Reuse them in quotations and invoices.
- Keep WhatsApp pricing aligned with the operating record.
- Use chat for conversation, not as the only transaction history.
Chat → reusable offer
Keep the product, service, and price in one place.
Add what you sell to the Catalogue so the same offer can be reused in quotations and invoices instead of being retyped from chat.