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Customize the actions Sona takes on calls with this step-by-step guide

Want your AI voice agent to dynamically respond to different types of calls? With Sona jobs, you can provide custom instructions to Sona based on specific conversation scenarios. For example, if a caller is interested in getting a quote for a service, Sona can run a lead qualification job. Or if a customer wants to speak to a team manager, Sona can run an escalation job. In this article, we’ll share when you should use jobs and we’ll give you a few best practices for setting them up. We’ll also share example job templates you can use for your own Sona configuration.

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Sona knowledge vs jobs: what’s the difference?

Knowledge refers to general business information Sona can use to answer questions. You can share your pricing, business hours, certifications, or shipping and refund policies in Sona’s knowledge base. Sona uses this information to provide accurate, on-brand responses to your clients. Jobs refer to specific tasks Sona can take based on your custom instructions. Think of a job as a workflow Sona runs based on what a caller says in the conversation. Examples of jobs include qualifying leads, taking messages, scheduling appointments, or sending customer intake forms. Here’s a comparison table to help you quickly differentiate between knowledge and jobs: One quick way to differentiate between knowledge and jobs is general vs. specific. If there’s a general piece of information that Sona should know about your business, add it in a knowledge page. If there’s a specific action or task you want Sona to perform on your calls, add it as a job.

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What makes up a Sona job?

Here’s what you need to include in each job you create:

1. Name and emoji (up to 100 characters): Give your job a descriptive name and emoji. This will help you identify the job and distinguish it from all the jobs in your workspace.
2. Description (optional, up to 500 characters): Let your team know what the goal of each job is in this section.
3. Trigger (up to 500 characters): Describe when Sona should run the job. Share context on caller intent, like what a customer may be looking for or asking Sona about. Provide specific keywords and conversational phrases if you can.

   Here’s an example trigger for a plumbing customer intake job: The caller is seeking plumbing services — such as mentioning they need a plumber, have water leaks, drainage problems, water heater issues, pipe problems, or are looking for assistance with any plumbing matter. Look out for “installation” and “install” requests as well.

4. Instructions (up to 10,000 characters): Tell Sona what to do with step-by-step guidance.
   • Provide custom scripts that you want Sona to follow word for word.
   • Share conditional conversation flows with “if…then” statements. For example, let’s say Sona asks a caller about the urgency of a request. You can tell Sona: “If they say their request is urgent, then offer to transfer their call to your team.”
   • Add actions to your instructions where relevant. You can instruct Sona to Transfer call or Send SMS depending on the job.

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Best practices for Sona jobs

Here are a few tips to successfully set up your jobs:

• Use clear, specific triggers with concrete examples. For instance, for a lead qualification job, let Sona know to look out for potential new customers who ask about your services, pricing, or typical implementation timeline.
• Structure instructions as sequential steps, not dense paragraphs. Organize your instructions in a numbered list to make it easier for Sona to guide conversations effectively.
• Include explicit conversation phrases and transitions. Take control over what Sona says with specific phrases to guide each section of a conversation.

  For example, here’s a transition phrase for your lead qualification job to set expectations with callers: “Thank you for calling. I’d be happy to schedule an appointment for you, I’ll need to collect some basic information so that we can connect you with the right person on our team.”

• Set up a custom voicemail greeting. If Sona transfers a call to a Quo number or user and they don’t pick up, the call automatically goes to voicemail. Make sure you have a custom voicemail greeting that provides actionable next steps to customers.
• Collect verbal consent to text callers. Want to add a Send SMS action to a Sona job? Instruct Sona to confirm they wish to receive texts from your business. The caller has to provide verbal consent by saying yes on the call.

  Here’s an example script to collect verbal consent: “Would you like us to text directions to Acme? Just say YES if that works for you.”

• Provide opt out language in the Send SMS action. Let customers know that they can always unsubscribe from receiving text messages from your business. Add SMS opt out language to your Send SMS actions. This is a requirement when you text any US number.
• Avoid using link shorteners. For any jobs where Sona sends a text, don’t use public link shortener services like bit.ly or tinyurl. The recipient’s carrier may filter out the message as scammers often use these types of links.

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Sona job example templates

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Lead qualification job

This job helps Sona qualify potential customers by gathering structured information about their needs, budget, authority, and timeline. Use this job when you want to identify strong leads and prepare them for a productive handoff to your team.

View Instructions Script

Customize this with your business info to create this job in Sona

Respond with the following script:Thanks for your interest in [Company Name]! I’d be happy to help you explore whether our solution would be a good fit for your needs. Let me ask you a few questions to better understand your requirements. This will help our team have a more productive consultation with you.

1. Building rapport & gathering contact information
   First, may I have your name, please? [after they provide name]
   Great to meet you, [Name]. And what company are you with? [after company name]
   What’s your role at [Company]? [after role]
   Perfect. Could you share your business email address? I’d like to send you relevant information based on our conversation today. [after email]
   And what’s the best phone number to reach you at for any follow-up?
   Just out of curiosity, how did you hear about [Company Name]? [acknowledge referral if applicable]
2. Understanding business context & pain points
   Now, [Name], could you tell me a bit about your business? What does [Company] do?
   What’s driving your interest in looking for a solution like ours right now?
   Are you currently using any software or tools to handle [relevant process]?

• If yes: How’s that working for you? What would you like to see improved?
• If no: How are you managing this process today?
  What are the main challenges you’re facing with your current approach?
  If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about this, what would it be?

3. Qualifying questions by key criteria

Company size & scale
To ensure our solution scales appropriately:

• How many employees does your company have?
• How many potential users would you have?
• For relevant metrics:
  • How many_[customers/transactions/projects/users] _ do you handle per period?
  • What does your current volume or growth rate look like?
• Do you have multiple locations or teams?

Budget & purchasing process
Understanding your budget helps us connect you with the right resources:

• Have you allocated a budget for a solution like this?
  • If yes: What range are you considering?
  • If no: When might the budget be available?
  • If unsure: Who typically handles budget decisions?
• How does your company evaluate and purchase software?
• Do you require security certifications, compliance checks, or specific integrations?

Decision-making process

• Besides yourself, who else is involved in evaluating a solution like this?
• Are there any must-have criteria?
• Have you started looking at other solutions?
  • If yes: Which ones? What matters most in comparing them?

Timeline & urgency

• What’s your ideal timeline for implementation?
• Is anything driving that timeline (e.g., contract ending, busy season)?
• How soon do you need to make a decision?
• What happens if you don’t?

4. Next steps

Thank you for sharing all this information with us. Here’s what I recommend next:

• Our team will review everything you shared
• A specialist will reach out within one business day to schedule your demo
• They’ll walk through how the solution addresses your challenges
• You can ask any detailed questions then

Does that sound good?If lead is early-stage:

• We can send resources on your challenges
• Follow up closer to your decision timeline
• You’ll get access to our resource library

5. Warm conclusion

[Name], thank you for taking the time to share everything with me. I’ve documented your:

• Main challenges
• Timeline
• Key requirements

You can expect to hear from us within [timeframe]. I’ll also send you some helpful resources.Do you have any other questions before we wrap up?Thanks again for considering [Company Name]. We’re excited about the possibility of helping your team with [main objective].

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Escalation job

This job helps Sona route callers to a human when they need personal support, express frustration, or request a manager. Use this job when you want Sona to hand off complex or sensitive situations to your team.

View Instructions Script

Customize this with your business info to create this job in Sona

When a caller triggers an escalation:

1. Acknowledge the request
   I completely understand. Let me connect you with someone from our team who can help you directly.
   [_If caller is frustrated] _acknowledge their frustration first.
   [_If caller has a complex request] _“This is a situation where one of our team members would be better equipped to help you.”
2. Gather essential context
   Before I transfer you, may I have:

• Your name
• A brief description of what you need
• Your callback number in case we get disconnected

This will help our team assist you more quickly.

3. Check if they need anything else
   Before transferring, ask if there’s anything else you can help with. If they say no, transfer the call.
4. Document & transfer
   [Log the reason for escalation and any relevant context.]
   Transfer the call to [ENTER TRANSFER DESTINATION].

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Take a message job

This job helps Sona capture messages when callers want to leave information, ask questions Sona can’t answer, or make requests outside appoint­ments or transfers.

View Instructions Script

Customize this with your business info to create this job in Sona

When a caller triggers taking a message:

1. Acknowledge & offer help
   I’d be happy to take a message for our team. They’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
2. Collect caller information

May I have your first and last name, please? [Wait for response]And what’s the best phone number to reach you at? [Wait for response]

3. Capture the message
   What would you like me to pass along to the team? [Listen carefully and let them fully explain] [If unclear] Just to make sure I have this right, you’re [briefly summarize their request/question]. Is that correct? Is there anything else you’d like me to include in the message?
4. Set expectations
   Perfect. I’ve documented your message. Our team typically responds within [timeframe - e.g., one business day]. [If urgent] I’m noting that this is time-sensitive.
5. Confirm & close
   You can expect to hear from us at [phone number provided]. Is there anything else I can help you with today?  Thank you for calling [Company Name]. Have a great [day/evening]!

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Schedule an appointment job

This job helps Sona collect caller info and send a booking link via SMS. Use this job to automate appointment scheduling without requiring live agent time.

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Send address or directions job

This job helps Sona verbally give the caller your address and optionally text them directions. Use this job to make it easy for callers to find your location.

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Send intake form job

This job helps Sona send required intake forms to callers via SMS ahead of an appointment. Use this job to streamline your pre-appointment workflow.

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Looking for more ways to use Sona with your call flows?

Check out these best practice guides:

• How to route calls efficiently for your law firm
• How to manage calls efficiently at scale for startups
• How to effectively manage incoming calls for your home service business