The Delay step lets you add a pause before your sales agent starts talking. It is optional, but a short, natural wait can make the conversation feel less robotic to the person on the other end.
When the delay actually runs
This trips people up, so let's be precise: the delay runs after the prospect taps the opt-in button in your opt-in message, not before that message goes out. The opt-in message arrives right away, they tap, the delay counts down, and then the agent begins. So the prospect always gets instant confirmation that something happened; the pause is just before the human-feeling part starts.
That is also why the example opt-in messages mention a short wait ("Wait time < 1 minute"): the message can set the expectation the delay then honors.
Set a delay
- On the Delay step, enter how long to wait, from 5 seconds to 14 minutes 59 seconds.
- To skip it entirely, leave it off. The agent starts as soon as they tap.
If this initiative has no opt-in message, there is no tap to wait for, so the delay runs before the first message instead.
If you enter a value outside the range, Cloziq asks you to pick one within it.
This delay vs. the agent's reply delay
They are two different knobs. The initiative delay shapes the first impression: how long after the tap the agent opens. The agent's Reply Delay (on its Automation tab) shapes the rest of the chat: how quickly it answers each message. Set them independently. New agents already come with a 15 second reply delay, so an initiative delay stacks on top of that for the first message.
Waiting mid-conversation is a different thing
Neither of those pauses the agent partway through a conversation. Both are about timing, not about the prospect's answer.
If what you actually want is for the agent to stop and stay on a question until someone answers it, for example when they say they need to check with their partner first, that is a Hold flow action on the sales agent's Sales Flow tab, not a delay. A hold keeps the conversation on that step, lets the agent keep talking there, and releases when their answer changes or they say they are ready to move on. See Building your sales flow.
How long should it be?
- A few seconds to a minute suits most cases. It softens the instant-bot feeling without losing momentum.
- A few minutes can suit higher-touch offers, where a considered pace fits the brand.
- Avoid the maximum on hot triggers like story replies. People are most responsive in the first minutes.
Tips
- If you are not sure, start short. You can adjust and republish any time.
- Pair the delay with a warm opt-in message and a clear button. Timing helps, but the message does the heavy lifting. See Writing your opt-in message.