WhatsApp CRM Implementation Checklist: Your First 14 Days

Days 1–2: foundations

Install the extension, define 4–6 stages with written exit criteria, agree the tag taxonomy (source/intent/priority), and import active contacts via CSV. Nothing else until these exist.

Days 3–5: assets

Write the eight core templates, set default follow-up intervals per stage, and document the two rules: capture-at-arrival, next-action-always. Print them; absurdly, printed rules get followed.

Days 6–10: habit formation

Work normally with mandatory capture for every new chat. Daily five-minute reminder sweep. Expect resistance on day four — that’s the dip where implementations die; push through with paired accountability.

Days 11–14: first review

Run the weekly pipeline review on real data: where do deals stall, which tags go unused, which templates get edited every time (meaning rewrite them). Adjust one thing, not five.

Ongoing: hygiene

Monthly: archive stale leads, prune tags, export backups. Quarterly: revisit stage definitions against actual win paths. The system decays silently if nobody owns maintenance — name that person.