Has The “7 Touches Rule” Gone The Way Of The Dodo?

Earlier this week, I had conversation with a good friend, Dr. Jake Mazulewicz, owner of JMA Human Error Solutions and The JMA Training Method.  We were trying to determine how many touches (interactions with a prospective client) are required before he or she would purchase from you. Our talk was sparked by a recent comment made in passing by one of his prospects: “Jake must get his business only through word-of-mouth marketing.”

Admittedly, Jake had been relying primarily on marketing efforts such as conference presentations and one-on-one meetings for promoting himself and generating good prospects. The comment left him wondering if perhaps he needed to boost his online presence to gain better visibility and credibility—thus, the genesis of our discussion.

I began by sharing with Jake a universally-acknowledged rule in sales that states you must “touch” a prospective client a minimum of seven times before s/he will buy from you. Ever-inquisitive, Jake replied with an excellent-but-rarely-asked question: “Where the hell did that stat come from?”

We both did some digging around to find an answer, and we learned a couple key points:

1) This 7-touch concept is woefully outdated; and 2) Due to internet technology, the number of potential touches in today’s market has grown considerably since this 7-touch theory was formulated.

The History

Although many versions of this theory have surfaced over the years, most would agree that the “Rule of Seven” was created by Dr. Jeffrey Lant, dictating a minimum of seven interactions with a prospect within 18-months in order for them to remember you. This rule made a lot of sense years ago, before information was readily available as it is today. Until recently, salespeople (and the companies they represented) controlled most of the information available to the general public on any particular product. Other than direct testimonials, product information was provided exclusively in the form of brochures, catalogues, and sales pitches, and nearly all purchases were attributed solely to the company’s direct outreach efforts. This also meant sales reps controlled the number of times the prospective customers had access to these details.

Ergo, an average of seven interactions were required for a salesperson to develop a trustworthy relationship with the buyer—instilling enough confidence in the prospective customer to facilitate a purchase.

Why this makes NO sense in today’s market place:

Let start with the obvious: The internet changed everything. Information about the product, the company, and even about the salesperson is now available with the click of a button. This truly puts the consumer in the driver’s seat, which wasn’t the case prior to the internet. Prospective buyers nowadays often know more about a particular company’s history, services, and products than do the company’s sales reps themselves. With access to vast amounts of information and research data online, a prospective buyer might receive an untold number of passive touches before having any direct interaction with the company’s sales personnel.

The current data states you’d better pay attention to your online presence.

A recent finding released by Sirius Decisions suggests 67% of the B-to-B (business to business) buying cycle is now conducted online. It is hotly debated as to how often and where in the sales cycle the 67% occurs—the beginning, middle or end of the sale. I would argue it is far more critical to simply face the fact that 67% of your sales cycle is being conducted in Cyberspace.

That said, it is possible to control some of the information floating around the web about your company—specifically the content and presentation of websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, and Facebook pages. You can also shape your online identity by constantly updating your bio and LinkedIn profile. All these elements (combined with professional reviews and customer testimonials) effectively influence the public’s perception of your company’s products, services and brand.

I was discussing this very concept with Proximo Marketing owner and brand specialist, Courtney Buzzell, and she agreed. If you want to see an actual snapshot of some of the items that make up your virtual profile, do a Google search with your first name, last name, and company’s name, and see what pops up.

Use your offline presence to help your online presence:

Most of this article is dedicated to helping you understand the need to beef up your online presence. If this concept strikes a chord with you, I recommend seeking the advice of a professional marketing firm to help you identify steps you can take to boost your visibility and credibility.

That said, it’s imperative to remember every time you step into the public eye, you are contributing to your brand. Whether attending a networking event, presenting at a conference, or even standing in line at a coffee shop, engaged in a spontaneous business chat with someone, you are always promoting yourself and your company.

The importance of presenting quality marketing materials and directing prospects to your website is a no-brainer. You can also amplify your efforts by posting shout-outs and positive comments about events you’ve attended (especially if you were the headliner) or write-ups and interviews from reputable media outlets. (Side note, but worth mentioning: If it’s favorable and presented in a way you’d like others to see—don’t be shy about “promoting” yourself.)

Bottom line

The internet has been, and will continue to be, a game changer due to its widespread accessibility, and anything you are remotely affiliated with can and will be posted online for public view. In that light, it would be easy to become preoccupied with negative comments on your blog or with a lower number of re-posts than you’d hoped for, but you’d be better off focusing on showcasing your highest quality materials on blogs, videos, events, e-books, podcasts, and social media profiles—confident they will find their way to savvy searchers out there. Combined with all the other information about you floating around the web, these items will be used as data points—the sum total of which will help people determine whether to purchase from you…or not.