Have you ever wondered how many times you need to interact with a prospective customer before it leads to a sale? The truth might surprise you! It can take a staggering 50 touches with a prospect before they take the purchasing plunge. But hold on – does every prospect truly demand an extensive interaction marathon?
Pursuing a customer through a staggering 50 interactions might initially appear excessive and potentially unsustainable for a business. The prospect of achieving a satisfactory return on investment under such circumstances could indeed pose a daunting challenge. However, in the intricate dance of touchpoints and conversions, it’s crucial to keep in mind that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Each business, industry, and customer base is unique, and the ideal touchpoint count can vary significantly from one situation to another.
It’s also important to bear in mind that when we say 50 touches, this statistic primarily applies to cold prospects who are unfamiliar with your brand and have been directly contacted. Consider how you react when you receive an unsolicited phone call from an unknown energy company pitching their premium solar panels. You might feel annoyed that they have your number and immediately have reservations about trusting them. In such situations, you may not even have an immediate need for their product. If you do, you’re likely to conduct online research, including checking reviews, visiting their website, and exploring their social media presence before you begin to establish trust and rapport with the brand.
As previously mentioned, there is no universal approach to making a sale. Not every potential customer requires 50 interactions, it’s essential to assess the specific prospect and tailor your sales strategy accordingly.
Touchpoints refer to the various points of interaction or contact that a customer or user has with a brand, product, service, or organisation throughout their journey or experience. These touchpoints include a company’s website, social media interactions, customer service channels, physical stores, email marketing, mobile apps, advertising, product usage, word of mouth, and feedback channels. Each touchpoint plays a crucial role in shaping the overall customer experience and perception.
Since every prospect is unique, the required number of interactions can vary depending on various factors. Each interaction, however, brings you toward your ultimate goal of transforming curious prospects into enthusiastic customers. To accomplish this, it’s crucial to grasp your prospect’s journey and skilfully coordinate your touchpoints effectively, creating a blend of different types of interactions that cumulatively will lead to successful conversions.
The secret of landing the sale lies not only in the quantity, but in the precision of these interactions. On average, research suggests that it takes approximately 8 quality touches to successfully secure that crucial initial meeting or conversion with a prospect.
While the notion of 8 touchpoints is stated as the universal average, the reality is far more nuanced and multifaceted. Your initial interaction serves as a mere starting point. The journey toward sealing the deal involves a diverse array of high-quality touches that genuinely resonate with the prospect and contribute to the path of success.
Consequently, while 8 touchpoints may prove effective for one business, another enterprise might require 15, 30, or even more. The precise number is contingent upon a myriad of factors, making it challenging to pinpoint a definitive figure. These factors encompass the nature of the industry or product you’re selling (whether it’s a complex business solution or a consumer product), the type of customer you’re targeting, the pricing of your product or service (e.g., a high-end luxury item versus an everyday commodity), the timing (e.g., selling winter clothing in the summer), among other variables.
In essence, the key lies in ensuring that your interactions are consistently high-quality and tailored to the specific needs and preferences of your target audience, rather than fixating on a rigid quantity.
Generating a sales lead isn’t a one-and-done endeavour. Your interactions must not only be specific and relevant to your prospect but also occur consistently across various high-quality touchpoints. Otherwise, believing in the magic of 8 touches might not lead to the desired conversion. You might need to engage in many more interactions to achieve your goal.
Persistence is key. Surprisingly, 44% of salespeople drop prospects after just one follow-up call. However, statistics show that 60% of buyers say “no” four times before eventually saying “yes.” This underscores the importance of resilience in the touchpoint process.
While not all touchpoints are conversational, think of those that are as charming conversation starters at a fancy dinner party. You don’t walk up to someone and propose on the first hello, right? (If you do, you might need some new party etiquette.) The same goes for sales. Each touchpoint is like a dance step, leading your prospects from “Who are you?” to “Tell me more!” and finally, to “Where do I sign?” It’s all about trust, baby.
In the era of the Internet, social media, and digital communication channels, the path to purchase is no longer a linear route. Instead, it resembles a complex web of information consumption, where each potential customer gathers insights from diverse sources. Some might encounter your brand on social media, while others may hear about your products or services through recommendations. This intricate process is what ultimately fuels the journey from curious observer to a converted customer.
The entire strategy revolves around consistently leaving breadcrumbs of interactions across various channels to engage your target audience gradually, rather than immediately hitting them with that all-important call to action – “BUY NOW!”
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room – do these touchpoints really work, or are they just an overhyped marketing myth? Traditional advertising no longer holds the sway it once did with consumers. Enter touchpoints – these seemingly simple interactions, when combined, have significant influence. While a single touchpoint might not be transformational, collectively they work like building blocks, fostering trust, and understanding between the prospect and the brand.
Before a prospect becomes a customer, these touchpoints play a crucial role in helping them get acquainted with and trust the company. So individual touchpoints might not knock your prospects off their feet, but together, they’re like a symphony of persuasive melodies.
Moreover, not every potential customer is ready to buy immediately. This is where touchpoints shine. They serve as gentle reminders of your brand’s presence, ensuring that when the time comes for the prospect to make a purchase, your name is at the forefront of their mind.
Summing it up, touchpoints serve as the bridges between awareness and conversion. It’s not about pouncing on prospects like an overenthusiastic puppy (no one likes that), but about crafting an intricate tapestry of experiences. Each touchpoint is a stitch, binding awareness and trust, and weaving customers closer to the grand finale – the sale!
Multiple touchpoints are vital in leading customers to convert. Regardless of the amount of touches, be it 8 or 80. These touchpoints should initiate early in the process, even before the sales team gets involved. This is where marketing comes into play, creating touchpoints that set the stage for the sales team’s interaction.
As you embark on your own marketing escapades, keep in mind that those touchpoints aren’t just mundane interactions – they’re breadcrumbs of connection, trust, and possibility. So, go forth and sprinkle those touches like confetti at a celebration. Because each touch brings you one step closer to the ultimate destination: turning intrigued prospects into enthusiastic customers. Understanding your prospect’s journey is the key to orchestrating the touchpoint symphony that leads to a harmonious conversion.
When it comes to crafting impactful touchpoints that resonate with your prospects, the journey can be complex. That’s where a digital marketing agency like Evolution steps in. Give us a call to talk about the branding and marketing of your business on 03 5222 3328 or send us an email at hello@evolutiondesign.com.au to organise a meeting to discuss your next move.
Inspired by: emailtooltester.com / Stats from: invespcro.com / Image credits: Unsplash; Pexels
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