How Many Times Should You Touch A Lead?

If every time you picked up the phone you could get a hold of a hot lead, selling anything in your business would be a no-brainer. But no matter how good a sales person you are, you will spend time quoting people who just aren’t ready to buy — yet.

A big mistake sales people make is to throw these “cooled” prospects into the “follow up with later” pile… and never touch them again. You’re busy, and it’s tough to tackle that heap of dusty contacts. But if you don’t do something to stick in your leads’ minds, you can’t count on them remembering you when they’re finally ready to buy.

You have to touch leads repeatedly to make the sale… or risk losing out to another sales person. So what’s the right number? And what’s the best way for a busy agent to squeeze follow-ups into their schedule?

And The Magic Number Is…

S E 7 E N

Whispered by marketing execs and experts around the country, seven is considered the magic number of times a person must see your message before they’re ready to buy. Some people go so far as suggesting 10 touches are needed before money exchanges hands.

This doesn’t mean you have to log in seven phone calls to every lead you get. Your marketing materials can do the touching for you, whether it’s a letter thanking your lead for the opportunity to quote them, a promotional postcard, an email auto responder or a copy of your newsletter with a note saying, “I thought you’d be interested in this.”

Other examples of touchs include.

• Emails
• Phone calls
• Letters
• Invites
• Adverts
• Signage
• Postcards
  

Each time your prospects’ eyes land on your message, you’re building the connection between your name and “your product or service” in their minds. You never know when one of them will suddenly decide it’s time to purchase from you, so your message better be in front of them again and again!

Some statistics for you to consider:

The average # of prospects who will respond to the 1st touch = 2%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 2nd touch = 3%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 3rd touch = 5%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 4th touch = 10%
The average # of prospects who will respond to the 5th and above = 80%

Create A Follow Up Campaign… And Stick To It!

The biggest challenge you face when it comes to following up leads is finding the time to do it.

If you’re already mailing out postcards and newsletters, adding new names to your list is simple — all you have to do is re-evaluate your timing. Make sure you’re touching people the most during that first month and a half, and then slow down to a quarterly schedule.

Most importantly, your follow-up campaigns must be consistent. If you stop and start touching leads (and it’s tempting to do when you are overflowing with work) you won’t see a payoff. Establish a follow up routine, stick to it, and then you can count on commissions from your older leads during both the crazy and slow times.

As always, your feedback and comments are welcome.