How Many Touches to Make a Sale? Numbers Revealed

How often have you heard someone in sales say, “It’s all about the follow-up?” They are 100% correct. But the question is, how many touches to make a sale? It often feels like a guessing game. 

Understanding the customer journey, building lasting relationships, and making that final sale require multiple interactions over time – what marketers and salespeople call “touches.”

The path to acquiring a customer rarely happens with just one interaction. So, the million-dollar question always arises: “How many touches to make a sale?”

Debunking the Magic Number

If you’ve done any research on this subject, you’ve probably seen various claims that a certain number of touches are needed to reach your ROI. You know, the magical formulas claiming to unlock sales success. Truth be told, that exact magic number is a bit of a myth. The business world thrives on data, and the reality is a lot more nuanced than a single magic number.

The Buyer’s Journey and Why a Set Number is Unrealistic

A touchpoint is any interaction your prospect has with your brand, like stumbling upon a social media post, downloading a resource, receiving an email, attending a webinar, or having a chat with a sales rep. Each touchpoint slowly but surely moves them closer to potentially becoming a customer. 

This is commonly known as the “buyer’s journey,” and according to research, 76% of consumers buy something after they see it on social media.

Think about it; would you buy a car after a single interaction with a car salesman? Maybe if you’re feeling spontaneous (and the price is ridiculously low.), but in most cases, you wouldn’t even think about it, right?

What is the 7 11 4 rule?

The 7 11 4 rule, once considered a marketing rule of thumb, suggested it took an average of seven hours of product exposure within eleven days using four or more marketing channels to convert a lead. 

This rule is generally considered obsolete now, though, because the business landscape has shifted drastically since then, primarily due to the massive rise of the digital age. Marketers have adapted by embracing personalized email nurturing sequences to cultivate leads more strategically and less obtrusively.

The Impact of Industry and Buyer Persona

The journey for someone buying software differs greatly from buying groceries or even a custom-designed home. So the number of touchpoints necessary to close a deal hinges significantly on factors like:

Product Complexity

The level of hand-holding required by prospects depends on the complexity of the product or service being offered. If the product is highly technical or requires significant customization, prospects may need more guidance and support throughout the decision-making process.

For example, closing a sale with a large company for an enterprise software solution will take significantly longer (and therefore more touchpoints) than convincing someone to buy a $10 t-shirt from an online store.

Price Point

Higher price points typically necessitate more consideration and nurturing from the seller. Prospects making larger investments are likely to conduct thorough research, seek reassurance, and require personalized attention to feel confident in their decision.

Buying Process

In scenarios where multiple decision-makers are involved or the buying process is formally structured, the timeline for closing a deal may be extended. Each decision-maker may have specific requirements or concerns that need to be addressed, and formal procedures could add complexity and length to the sales cycle.

The Dangers of Neglecting Follow-Up

What’s important here is persistence without being nosy. Yes, we live in an era bombarded with information, making people excellent at filtering out noise – and that includes your sales attempts. 

Don’t Make the Sales Process Harder Than It Has to Be.

There is a delicate balance here. While following up is important, bombarding leads with irrelevant content, aggressive sales pitches, and ill-timed communication leads to irritation. 

People do business with those they trust and genuinely like working with. Think about your experiences as a consumer – don’t you appreciate helpful content and valuable insights? 

The 7 Key Emails

Building a strong connection with your audience can feel overwhelming with so many different ways to communicate. A great starting point, though, is an email campaign. Think of them as milestones in nurturing a relationship, providing value at each stage. 

Here are seven key emails to consider adding to your sales process once you have your email lists ready. 

If you don’t have an email list yet, The List Warehouse offers a wide range of high-quality B2B and B2C email lists tailored to your specific target audience. With our expertise and targeted lists, you can effectively implement your marketing campaigns to drive engagement, nurture leads, and boost your sales success.

Welcome Email

Start strong. Thank new subscribers for joining you. Share your excitement for connecting with them. Perhaps tell them something about what to expect next.

Nurture Email Sequence

This is where you start providing those much-needed valuable insights through email sequences. Deliver bite-sized, digestible content focused on solving their pain points. Think case studies, tutorials, and tips and tricks. These help you establish credibility as an expert.

Engagement Email

Is a prospect browsing your website but not taking that next step? Time for an engagement email to cultivate relationships with potential customers. This can be anything from highlighting special offers to simply checking in and offering assistance.

Testimonial/Social Proof Email

Sharing customer success stories builds social proof. These real-life examples resonate and provide powerful third-party validation of what you’re offering. People love testimonials because statistics show that 92% of consumers trust recommendations they hear from others.

Webinar/Event Invitation Email

Want to offer immense value? Host webinars or events and invite them. This format allows you to go deeper into their challenges while positioning yourself as an authority.

Survey/Feedback Email

People want to feel heard, right? Asking for their input with surveys or simple feedback forms shows them that you care. Direct feedback also helps you tailor your messaging and improve it in your next emails.

Re-engagement Email Sequence

What about those who have forgotten about your emails? Sometimes, a friendly nudge is all they need. Share something brand new or remind them you are there for them when they’re ready.

EQ Matters

Beyond strategy and mechanics, success in this game heavily involves something you can’t program into a bot – emotional intelligence (EQ). Sales have always boiled down to connecting on a human level. 

Understand a prospect’s emotions and respond with empathy – that’s how you truly build lasting relationships. While intellectual ability matters, emotional intelligence matters more for jobs that require a high degree of social interaction.

How Many Touches to Make a Sale: Measuring Success and Adjusting Your Sales Strategies

As marketing expert Dr. Jeffrey Lant points out, while impulse purchases only require one touch, most people are not going to make a major purchasing decision until several touchpoints have been made. A good rule of thumb would be:

• Impulse Buy: 1 touch point.
• Under $100: 2 to 4 touch points.
• Over $100: 5 to 7 touch points.
• High Ticket: 9 to 12 touch points.

So if you were asking “How many touches to make a sale?”, there’s no one size fits all solution. What works for a massive tech company won’t apply to an independent consultant. Regular analysis and adjustment based on those insights will make or break you in today’s market. 

Be Natural When Marketing for a Sale

While predicting how many touches to make a sale is virtually impossible, consistency and valuable interaction over time remain critically important factors. When you understand what makes your target audience tick, craft compelling and engaging touchpoints, and continuously adapt your strategies, you significantly increase those odds. 

Embrace flexibility. Celebrate every interaction. But most of all, focus on forging those valuable connections with authenticity at the heart of everything you do.

Ready to reach your customer’s touchpoints? Consider email marketing today. The List Warehouse offers the best email lists tailored to your specific target audience. Contact us to explore how we can help you optimize your email marketing strategy and reach your potential customers with precision and impact.