How to Set Up an AI Sales Rep for Inbound Calls

To set up an AI sales rep, assign it to a number where new customers call (an ad number, quote line, or overflow on your main line), give it product and pricing facts you're willing to stand behind, tell it which four or five qualifying questions to ask, define when to transfer a ready buyer to a person, allow it to text or email follow-up information, and set firm limits on discounts and promises. Then test it with realistic buyer calls before turning it on.

Step 1: Decide where it answers

Placement	Who calls	Notes
Dedicated ad or quote number	New prospects	Cleanest; measures ad performance
Main line overflow	Mix of new and existing	Add rules to route existing customers
After-hours on main line	Mix	Consider receptionist role instead
Text replies on a sales number	New prospects texting	Short answers; offer a call

A dedicated number is the best start. See AI dedicated line vs backup.

Step 2: Write sales facts

Sales agents need more product detail than receptionists, but every word must be accurate.

• Each service or product, in one or two plain sentences
• Who it's for and who it's not for
• Prices, ranges with conditions, or how quoting works
• What's included and not included
• Typical timelines (as ranges you can meet)
• Guarantees and warranties, worded exactly
• Service area
• Current promotions with exact terms and end dates

See AI agent business facts sheet.

Step 3: Set pricing rules

Choose a rule per offering and write it into the instructions:

Rule	Instruction
Fixed price	"State the listed price."
Range	"Give the range and say the exact quote comes after [visit/consultation]."
No phone quotes	"Explain that we quote after seeing the job and offer to book the visit."
Promotion	"Mention [promo] only to callers asking about [service]; state the end date."

And always: "Never offer discounts, price matches or payment terms not in the facts."

Step 4: Qualifying questions

Four or five questions, one at a time:

1. What they're looking for
2. When they want it
3. Where (if location matters)
4. How they heard about you
5. Name, phone, email

See AI lead qualification calls for scoring rules.

Step 5: Define the handoff

Write a specific rule for "ready to buy":

"If the caller wants to proceed or book this week, transfer to sales. If nobody answers, schedule an urgent callback and tell them sales will call within the hour during business hours."

Choose the transfer target carefully: a salesperson or owner who answers, not a shared ring group that's always busy.

Step 6: Follow-up by text and email

Sales calls often end with "send me something." Enable:

• Texts: a link to your quote form, portfolio or booking page. Business texting from local numbers requires carrier registration, and CTIA's messaging principles expect consent; a caller asking you to text them is giving it for that message.
• Emails: service details or next steps, if the caller gives an address.

Instruct: "Only text or email when the caller asks or agrees."

Step 7: Honesty and accuracy

An AI sales rep must not:

• Claim to be a human
• Overstate results ("guaranteed to cut your bill in half")
• Pressure callers ("this price ends today" unless true)
• Disparage competitors

For outbound telemarketing, the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule prohibits misrepresentations about cost, quantity, performance and other material terms. Holding inbound AI conversations to the same standard protects you either way.

Step 8: Test with buyer scenarios

• Price shopper: "What's your cheapest option?"
• Ready buyer: "I want to do this next week."
• Researcher: "Just getting quotes."
• Out-of-area caller
• Discount seeker: "Can you do better on price?"
• Competitor comparison: "Why are you more expensive than X?"
• Existing customer on the wrong line

See test an AI receptionist before launch.

Step 9: Go live and measure

Track weekly:

• Calls answered, leads captured
• Hot-lead transfers and answer rate
• Callback speed for warm leads
• Booked appointments or sales from AI-captured leads
• Minutes and cost per lead

Outbound follow-up with consent

If a prospect agrees, an AI agent can call them back later about their inquiry. Keep it to people who asked to be contacted. The FCC confirmed in February 2024 that AI-generated voices are artificial voices under the TCPA, so consent is required. See AI follow-up calls to leads.

Example sales agent instructions

You are Max, an AI assistant for Summit Roofing, answering new-customer
calls. Find out: what they need (repair, replacement, inspection), when,
the property address, and how they heard about us. Collect name, phone
and email. Explain services using only the business facts. Inspections
are free; repairs and replacements are quoted after an inspection.
Ready this week: transfer to sales. If no answer, schedule an urgent
callback. Otherwise schedule a callback within one business day.
Offer to text the inspection booking link. Never offer discounts,
promise start dates or compare us to competitors.

When the AI sales rep isn't enough

AI sales reps work best for short, repeatable conversations that end in an appointment, estimate or callback. They're a poor fit for long consultative sales, negotiated contracts, or anything requiring a custom proposal on the call. In those businesses, use the AI to capture and book, and let your salespeople do the selling. The win is that no prospect waits on voicemail before getting to a person.

Handling price objections

Price questions are the most common sales-call moment where AI agents go wrong. Give the agent a pattern for objections:

1. Acknowledge: "That's a fair question."
2. Restate what's included from the facts: "The price includes removal of the old roof, materials and a ten-year workmanship warranty."
3. Offer the next step: "The inspection is free, and you'll get a written quote. Would you like to book one?"

What it must not do: lower the price, invent a discount, or criticize a competitor's quote. If the caller pushes, take a message for sales: "I'll have our sales manager call you to talk through options."

Setting up a sales rep in Callata

In Callata's AI Workforce, create an agent with the Sales rep preset (default name Max). Its starting instructions already ask what the caller needs, how soon and how they heard about you, explain services using only the business facts, collect name, number and email, then schedule a callback or transfer if they're ready to buy. Assign it to a dedicated number, and turn on texting, email and transfers to the salesperson you choose.

Each conversation's summary is saved to the contact, and transferred calls ring the salesperson's browser phone and cell. AI minutes are $0.25 per minute; Callata Office is $99 per month for five users, including up to three local numbers, with extra users at $20 each. Set up an AI sales rep in Callata.