I was watching a video the other day and they were saying that it takes 7 touches before a client takes notice of you.  I'm so old, I remember the days when it was 1 and then 3 and then 5. :)

But does it really take 7 touches?

NB: In the feedback I get from people using deal sequences, people work out you are using deal sequences and block you right across the touch points, mobile and social media.  People are not stupid, they know what's going on and they will block you.  Anyway back to the touches.

The buyer has moved to digital

In the physical / analog world where you cold call and email people, I can imagine it's getting difficult to get people's attention, after all, the buyer has moved to digital. 

I was told when I moved into sales to "fish where the fish are" problem for all business is that the buyer has moved to digital and most sales today is in the physical world / analog.  In other words, sales is NOT fishing where the fish is. 

How do you reduce the number of touches?

1. Have a buyer-centric profile - This is a Linkedin profile that is centric around the buyer, rather than around yourself.  We help salespeople get a buyer-centric profile as part of module 1 of our "social selling and influence" training and coaching.

2. A wide and varied network - This is all about having a digital territory, we know that the modern buyer is on digital, so let's "fish where the fish are" and connect with the people we are trying to influence.  Please, please, please, don't spam people, this is all opportunity to have a conversation.

Let's take 2 mins to talk about conversations.  What I sell and what you sell requires a conversation, right?  Conversations create sales.  When you connect with people, this is all change to have a conversation.

If you want to know how to do this, we teach it in our "social selling and influence" training and coaching.

3. Insightful content - We know from the research, here, and research here, that the modern buyer is looking for insight, they are looking for you to tell them something they don't know.  That's why you need to share authentic content and not brochures.

Back to conversations, let's not forget, posting isn't the outcome, conversations are the outcome.  What you need to do is share content that creates conversations. 

If you want to know how to do this, we teach it in our "social selling and influence" training and coaching. 

This will reduce the number of touches and will also stop people blocking you.

Want to know more about social selling, check out my new book

"social selling techniques to influence buyers and changemakers - 2nd edition".

In this brand new edition, I have updated all the text, I have also got 15 practitioners, so people who are doing this already to explain how they are get (practical) business benefit. From the CEO that has been running a digital business for over 18 months to sales leaders who use social selling every day.  

Articles on how these business have and are implementing digital, from Mercer, Telstra Purple, Ring Central, Cyberhawk, Namos, Ericsson, Crux Consulting, DLA Ignite and more.

It's available on Amazon worldwide.  Link to Amazon.com here and Amazon.co.uk here.