The Rule of 7 Touches Just Doubled
by Shannon F.
This rule probably once worked for you: contact a prospect at least seven times before you give up. If you’re still only making seven touches today, though, you’re likely struggling to convert leads into appointments. In a pared-down economy with fewer employees to do the same amount of work, it’s likely that you could make seven cold calls to a busy company and never even get a decision-maker on the phone. That’s why we recently started telling our clients not to give up until they’ve made at least 12 to 18 attempts. Yeah, that sounds like a lot, and it is. But here’s some good news: every touch doesn’t have to be a cold call. You can try reaching your prospects through email. You can send snail mail. You can even connect with potential clients on LinkedIn and send a personalized message. Here’s a suggested schedule for making 12 to 18 touches:
First touch: Call
If no success,
Second touch: Call
If no success,
Third Touch: Call
If no success,
Fourth Touch: Send an email or LinkedIn message.
If no success,
Fifth touch: Follow up on email message with a call.
If no success,
Sixth Touch: Call
If no success,
Seventh Touch: Send a mailer or an information packet.
If no success,
Repeat Touch One Through Seven.
So if making 12 to 18 cold calls feels like running repeatedly into a brick wall, remember that persistence works best when you vary your approaches. The same prospect who ignored your first seven cold calls may respond immediately to an email or mailer. The bottom line: don’t give up so easily just because the rules are changing.
