A playbook: where to add questions across flows

Mike sketches a playbook: map flows, ask at abandon, post-delivery, subscription milestones, and moments to delight.

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We co-authored The Conversational Report with Postscript to understand one simple question: when shoppers text brands back, what happens next? The punchline is uncomfortable. Customers treat texting like a real conversation, but most brands treat replies like a support inbox, or ignore them entirely. That gap is where a lot of abandoned carts live.

Role-based hook: For DTC founders and operators scaling past $1M who want SMS to do more than broadcast promos, and want replies to turn into revenue plus better creative and PDPs.

Mike Manheimer from Postscript joins to break down what the data says, why brands struggle operationally, and how AI changes the economics of responding quickly.

What we get into:

Why brands misread replies as “support,” and why that kills revenue
The consumer expectation gap, plus why 26% real time reply rate is a gift for anyone who executes
The easiest way to start: add one question to your welcome flow and watch what comes back
Turning reply data into a weekly insight loop for PDP, creative angles, and offer clarity
What a real playbook looks like beyond “send more promos”

Who this is for: Retention, growth, CX, and founders who know SMS works, but feel like it has not matured into what it should be.

What to steal: