> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.talkfurther.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.talkfurther.com/products/ai-email-sms.md). # AI Email & SMS In senior living, speed and consistency of communication often determine whether a lead converts into a tour or quietly drops off. Traditional sales teams struggle because: * **High lead volume and slow response times.** Prospects may wait hours—or even days—for a reply, especially after hours or during peak demand. * **Missed opportunities.** Without timely follow-up, even well-qualified leads disengage before booking a tour. The **AI SMS & Email Platform** solves this by automating the initial outreach and ongoing follow-up process. As soon as a lead enters the system, Further's AI platform will take over until it can schedule a tour, a call or set up a next step for your team. The result is **always-on, 24/7 communication** that ensures no prospect is left waiting. Customers who activate this feature have seen a **33% lift in lead-to-move-in conversion rates**, translating directly into more tours, more conversions, and higher occupancy—with no added burden on your staff. ![AI SMS & Email](/files/UMKS5NwRlBcWBYboDy6v) *** ## What It Does The platform enables **automated, AI-powered conversations with prospects** across SMS and email. Key capabilities include: * **Automated outreach:** Send personalized messages after form fills, CRM lead entries, or interactions with the Virtual Sales Assistant. * **Marketing automation:** Nurture prospects with educational content, event invitations, or community updates. * **AI responses:** When a prospect replies, AI steps in with answers drawn from a knowledge base unique to each community. * **Next-step scheduling:** AI can directly book tours or calls, or notify sales teams of meaningful engagement. * **Always-on coverage:** Ensure every prospect receives timely replies—after hours, weekends, and during peak lead volume. *** ## How It Works 1. **Lead enters the system.** Triggered by form fills, CRM syncs, or AI Sales Assistant hand-off. 2. **Outreach campaign begins.** Automated SMS or email campaigns encourage replies, questions, or tour bookings. 3. **AI takes over.** Once a prospect engages, the AI uses the community’s knowledge base to answer questions about: * Floor plans * Care services offered * Monthly costs & inclusions * Community activities * Events & amenities 4. **Next steps are scheduled.** AI books tours, coordinates calls, or alerts your sales team about new engagement. 5. **Team backup.** If a question can’t be answered, AI loops in your team for seamless continuation. The AI has been trained on nearly **8 million leads and millions of conversations**, giving it deep expertise in anticipating prospect questions and unblocking their journey to a decision. Every conversation is tracked and evaluated by internal tooling at Further to make sure we did an excellent job answering each question and guiding each conversation. We are having conversations at scale, and over 95% of email and SMS conversations are fully automated. ![Monitoring Platform](/files/fsTjrOr4kj8TMhTHU0Gy) *** ## Integrations & Configuration * **CRM Integration:** Two-way sync with industry CRMs (Yardi, Salesforce, Aline, WelcomeHome, and more) ensures that outreach, replies, and scheduled tours flow directly into your existing workflows and work well with sales team activity * **Knowledge Base:** Each community has a dedicated knowledge base, curated with details like care levels, pricing, amenities, and floor plans. This ensures responses are personalized and accurate. * **Campaign Builder:** Flexible campaign setup for sales, marketing, and educational messaging. *** ## How to Set It Up 1. **Prerequisites:** * Connected CRM system * Community knowledge base populated with floor plans, pricing, and care/service information * User role with permission to configure campaigns ![Knowledge Base](/files/arW8nwRlW4Xt8ChYBqOZ) 2. **Enable AI Messaging:** * Navigate to **Settings → Messaging → AI SMS & Email**. * Toggle **Enable** for your selected communities. ![Knowledge Base](/files/rQiqhRpKBnnDtPm0Xfns) 3. **Override Automated Answers:** * Set up your own rules for specific topics at the community or organizational level (eg. never mention Veterans Benefits as an option) 4. **Test & Monitor:** * Send a test lead through your form or CRM import. * Verify SMS/email is delivered * Check weekly reporting for reply rates and automation levels ![Knowledge Base](/files/DVSuPETI6TFv3313W6qo) *** ## Troubleshooting Tips * **Symptom:** Messages not sending\ **Fix:** Confirm campaign is active and CRM triggers are correctly configured. Also make sure you have completed the Twilio A2P 10DLC compliance process. * **Symptom:** AI not answering prospect questions accurately **Fix:** Check that the knowledge base is up to date under each community in the communities tab. You can override responses in the Messaging Assistant or add additional information under survey data in the communities tab. *** ## FAQs * **Does the AI replace my sales team?**\ No. The AI supplements your team by handling first-line communication 24/7 and booking next steps. Your team remains central for relationship building and closing. * **What happens if AI doesn’t know an answer?**\ The AI will not guess. It loops in your team immediately to handle the response. * **How personalized is this?**\ Every community has its own knowledge base. AI responses are tailored to your specific care services, amenities, floor plans, and events. * **What kind of lift should we expect?**\ Customers have seen an average **33% increase in lead-to-move-in conversions** when AI SMS & Email is activated. *** ## Conclusion The AI SMS & Email Platform gives your communities a competitive advantage by ensuring prospects always get timely, accurate responses—and most importantly, next steps booked. With automation trained on millions of real conversations, you’ll see higher conversion rates, happier prospects, and less burden on your team. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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