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🎯 What you’ll build

You’ll create your first sales pipeline in Vambe Mercur with AI assistants and human agents to automate customer interactions, qualify leads, and drive conversions.
Pipelines in Vambe are called “Embudos” (funnels) - structured flows that guide customers from first contact to conversion.

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Understanding Vambe Mercur

Vambe Mercur transforms your customer service by automating responses, scheduling appointments, and processing payments while you sleep. Everything starts with your pipeline (embudo).

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What is a Pipeline?

A pipeline is a visual representation of your sales process where potential customers move through different stages before converting. Each stage can be handled by:

AI Assistants

Blue stages - Automated virtual assistants powered by AI
  • Answer FAQs about products/services
  • Qualify initial prospects
  • Schedule appointments
  • Collect customer data
  • Process standard sales
  • Provide 24/7 support

Human Agents

Orange stages - Your team members for complex interactions
  • Handle special negotiations
  • Resolve complex cases/complaints
  • Close high-value sales
  • Provide detailed proposal customization
  • Manage exceptions and edge cases
AI assistants learn about your company through configuration “blocks” where you teach them your sales process, products, and communication style.

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How Pipeline Flow Works

When a customer starts chatting with your assistant, here’s what happens:
1

Contact Card Creation

The system automatically generates a contact card containing all conversation history between the AI and your customer.
2

Intelligent Processing

The AI analyzes each message and generates appropriate responses based on your configuration, deciding whether to: - Continue the conversation - Move to another AI assistant stage - Transfer to a human agent
3

Real-time Monitoring

You can see in real-time where each customer is in your sales process based on their responses.
4

Automatic Stage Progression

When customers show interest, the AI detects keywords or behavior patterns and automatically moves them to the next stage using configured “triggers.”

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Multi-Channel Support

Connect multiple channels simultaneously while maintaining consistent communication:
ChannelUse CaseIntegration
WhatsAppDirect, personal communicationBusiness API
InstagramSocial media lead captureComments, DMs
WebchatWebsite visitorsEmbedded chat widget
MessengerFacebook usersBusiness integration
All channels use the same assistant configuration, ensuring consistent messaging regardless of where customers contact you.

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Pipeline Use Cases

Perfect for consultations, demos, or service bookings
  • AI qualifies the customer and schedules directly in your calendar
  • Collects pre-appointment information
  • Sends automatic reminders
  • Handles rescheduling requests
Flow: Initial contact → Qualification → Calendar integration → Confirmation → Reminders
Ideal for online stores and product catalogs
  • Helps customers find products
  • Answers product questions
  • Processes basic orders
  • Handles shipping inquiries
  • Escalates complex issues to humans
Flow: Product inquiry → Recommendations → Order processing → Payment → Fulfillment
Great for B2B services and high-ticket items
  • Identifies qualified leads
  • Collects contact information
  • Segments customers by needs
  • Filters out non-ideal prospects
  • Prioritizes high-quality leads
Flow: First contact → Qualification questions → Scoring → Segmentation → Human handoff
Perfect for handling common inquiries
  • Resolves frequent questions instantly
  • Collects issue details
  • Routes complex problems to specialists
  • Provides 24/7 basic support
  • Escalates urgent matters
Flow: Issue identification → Self-service options → Data collection → Routing → Resolution

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Creating Your Pipeline

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Prerequisites

Before building your pipeline, ensure you have:
  • ✅ Completed the Quickstart guide
  • ✅ At least one communication channel connected
  • ✅ Clear understanding of your sales process
  • ✅ Defined customer journey stages
Important: Review the lead management guides before creating automated systems:

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Step-by-Step Creation

1

Access Vambe Mercur

Navigate to your Vambe dashboard and locate the pipeline section. You’ll see vertical rectangles (stages) in blue and orange representing your funnel.
2

Design Your Stages

Plan your customer journey:
  1. Entry point - How customers first contact you
  2. Qualification - What information you need to collect
  3. Engagement - How you nurture interest
  4. Conversion - Your sales or appointment process
  5. Follow-up - Post-conversion care
3

Configure AI Assistants

For each blue stage, configure your AI assistant:
  • Training blocks - Teach about your company, products, and processes
  • Response style - Define tone and communication approach
  • Triggers - Set conditions for moving to next stage
  • Data collection - Specify what information to gather
4

Set Up Human Handoffs

For orange stages, configure when and how to transfer to your team:
  • Handoff triggers - Define conditions requiring human intervention
  • Team assignment - Route to appropriate specialists
  • Context transfer - Ensure smooth conversation continuity
5

Test and Refine

Before going live:
  • Test all conversation paths
  • Verify trigger conditions work correctly
  • Ensure data collection is complete
  • Confirm human handoffs function properly

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Get Your Pipeline ID

Once your pipeline is created, you can retrieve its ID using the Vambe API: 
curl -X GET \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  https://api.vambeai.com/api/public/pipeline

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Expected Response

{
  "pipelines": [
    {
      "id": "pipeline_abc123",
      "name": "Sales Funnel",
      "stages": [
        {
          "id": "stage_1",
          "name": "Initial Contact",
          "type": "ai_assistant"
        },
        {
          "id": "stage_2",
          "name": "Qualification",
          "type": "ai_assistant"
        },
        {
          "id": "stage_3",
          "name": "Sales Consultation",
          "type": "human_agent"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
Save your pipeline ID - you’ll need it for API integrations, webhooks, and analytics tracking.

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Best Practices

AI Assistant Optimization

  • Keep training blocks focused and specific
  • Use clear, conversational language
  • Test edge cases and unexpected inputs
  • Regularly update knowledge base
  • Monitor conversation quality

Human Handoff Strategy

  • Define clear handoff criteria - Provide context to human agents - Set response time expectations - Train team on AI-generated leads - Maintain conversation continuity

Pipeline Performance

  • Track conversion rates by stage - Monitor drop-off points - Analyze customer journey data - A/B test different approaches - Optimize based on results

Customer Experience

  • Ensure natural conversation flow
  • Personalize interactions when possible
  • Provide clear next steps
  • Respect customer preferences
  • Offer human option when needed

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Next Steps

Congratulations! You now understand how to create and manage pipelines in Vambe Mercur.
Ready to build more advanced automations?

Advanced Pipeline Features

Learn about complex routing, conditions, and integrations

Webhook Integration

Set up real-time notifications for pipeline events

Analytics Dashboard

Monitor performance and optimize your funnels

Team Management

Configure roles and permissions for your pipeline
Need help setting up your first pipeline? Check out our detailed video guides or contact support for personalized assistance.