ElevenLabs Conversational AI

The voice engine behind TeleTalker

TeleTalker is the phone; ElevenLabs is the voice and the brains. This guide shows how to design, configure, deploy, and refine the conversational AI agent that actually talks to your callers — listen, think, speak.

Inbound
Caller audio
Listen
STT
Think
LLM + RAG
Speak
TTS
Outbound
Spoken reply

The caller speaks → speech becomes text → the agent decides what to say or do → the answer is spoken back in your chosen voice.

01 — Core concept

Three coordinated layers

Every production voice agent needs to listen, think, and speak in real time. ElevenLabs unifies these so you design conversations instead of stitching separate speech-to-text, language-model, and text-to-speech vendors together.

Listen

Real-time speech recognition (STT) transcribes the caller quickly and accurately so the agent can respond without awkward lag.

Think

Agent logic routes the transcript through instructions, tools, and RAG-backed knowledge to decide what to say or do.

Speak

Low-latency TTS generates natural conversational audio in a voice chosen for the agent's role, brand tone, use case, and language.

02 — Setup path

Start blank, or from a template

Blank agent

For custom workflows, unique logic, and full control over behavior and tools.

  • Best for bespoke business flows
  • When the assistant needs special rules
  • More control, more setup

Quick-start template

For a fast start — a personal assistant or business agent you configure instead of building from zero.

  • Best for prototypes and demos
  • Common assistant patterns
  • Configure, don't code

For a TeleTalker virtual receptionist, a business-agent template is usually the fastest route; go blank when your call flow is unusual.

03 — Agent identity

Define the purpose and boundaries

The use case and industry shape the agent's persona, tone, vocabulary, and what it should prioritize. Write it in plain language: who it is, who it serves, what it must never do, and when it hands off to a human.

Purpose statement template
You are a [role] for [business or team].
Your goal is to help callers with [main tasks].
Use a [tone] style.
Only answer using the approved knowledge base when accuracy matters.
If asked, clearly confirm you are an AI assistant — never claim to be human.
Escalate to a human when [handoff conditions].
04 — Voice design

Pick a voice that matches the job

Filter thousands of voices by language, accent, tone, and use case. A support agent may sound calm and informative; a coaching agent may sound warm and encouraging. Match the voice to your brand and the caller's expectations.

ContextVoice character
Customer supportCalm, clear, patient
Sales / bookingsWarm, confident, upbeat
Professional servicesMeasured, trustworthy
HospitalityFriendly, welcoming
05 — Brains & actions

Add knowledge and tools

A useful agent needs both facts and actions. Knowledge grounds it; tools let it do real work.

Knowledge base (RAG)

Upload URLs, files, or text so answers come from approved information, which reduces hallucinations.

  • Product facts & pricing
  • Policies & hours
  • Support articles & scripts

Tools & integrations

Add webhooks, client tools, or integrations so the agent acts beyond talk.

  • Book or reschedule a meeting
  • Fetch order or booking status
  • Create a ticket
  • Route to a human
Webhook planning template
action: book_meeting
when to call: caller asks to schedule
required fields: name, phone, preferred_time, topic
success: confirm the booking was captured
fallback: route to human if details are missing
Keep sources clean

Name knowledge sources clearly, keep them current, and remove outdated ones when policies or prices change — including the corrected $0.05/min rate.

06 — Deployment

Connect the agent to TeleTalker

TeleTalker is the integration surface: it receives caller audio, sends it to the agent, gets a spoken reply, and can trigger actions. The flow mirrors the listen–think–speak loop over a real GSM call.

  1. Inbound: TeleTalker captures caller audio and sends it to the STT endpoint.
  2. Process: the transcript feeds the configured agent (LLM + RAG knowledge).
  3. Outbound: the agent's response is spoken back through low-latency TTS.
  4. Action: webhooks fire asynchronous events or hand off to a human.
AreaWhat to prepare
AuthenticationUse scoped API keys limited to only the endpoints the agent needs.
StreamingPlan low-latency audio buffering so conversations feel natural.
SafetySet credit quotas and monitor usage to avoid surprise costs.
ActionsConnect only the tools the agent needs, and test each with realistic calls.
07 — Performance

Monitor, audit, and improve

After launch, track whether the agent is useful, affordable, and responsive — then use real conversations to refine it.

Watch these metrics

  • Active calls & average duration
  • Total cost & credit usage
  • Success rate (workflow completed)
  • Response latency

Audit conversations

  • Did the caller get the right answer?
  • Did the agent ask needless questions?
  • Did a tool fail?
  • Was a response too slow?
Good habit

Review metrics weekly during early launch, then settle into a steady cadence once the agent is stable. Configure a human-handoff path for repeated misunderstandings or failed tool actions.

08 — Responsible voice

Voice, consent & disclosure

A natural voice is a responsibility. Treat privacy and consent as part of the build, not an afterthought.

Default opening line (set as the agent greeting)
"Hi, this call is handled by an AI assistant and may be
 recorded for service quality. How can I help you?"
09 — Before you go live

Launch checklist