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Creating and Editing a Conversational SMS Data Collector
Conversational collectors have OTTO ask open-ended questions one at a time. Each answer is captured as a structured data field. Use for lead qualification, name capture, and intent collection.
What It DoesHas OTTO ask open-ended questions one at a time, capturing each answer as a structured data field.
How It WorksThe conversation adapts question by question; answers map automatically to clean contact fields.
Best ForLead qualification, name capture, and intent collection where a natural back-and-forth works best.
Create a Conversational Collector
- 1Go to Lead Collectors → + New Collector.
- 2Select Conversational as the collector type.
- 3Name the collector and click Create.
Building the Question Sequence
In the Conversational editor, add questions one at a time. Each question is a separate step. OTTO sends each question, waits for the contact’s reply, stores the answer, then sends the next question. The sequence continues until all questions are answered or the contact stops responding.
Keep questions short and conversational — this is a text message, not a form. One question per message. 15 words or fewer per question produces the highest completion rates.
Example 3-step conversational qualification sequence:
- “Hi! What’s your first name?”
- “Thanks [Name]! What service are you looking for today?”
- “Perfect — and are you looking to get started this week or in the next few weeks?”
Data Capture Fields
Each question in the sequence maps to a data field in the contact record. Standard fields: First Name, Last Name, Service Interest, Timeline, Location, Custom Field 1–5. The field mapping is configured in the question editor — drag the question to the appropriate field label. All captured data appears in the lead detail view and is included in the Prepare Caller alert.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a contact replies with something unexpected?
OTTO has a configurable fallback for unrecognized replies — typically rephrasing the question. For conversational collectors, OTTO stores whatever the contact says and moves to the next question. All raw replies are visible in the contact record.
Can I have OTTO skip questions based on earlier answers?
Conditional logic is available in Conversational collectors. Configure branching in the question editor — if the contact answers a specific value, OTTO can skip to a different step or end the flow early.