Terms

Touches

Touches are the individual points of contact or interactions a company makes with a potential customer during an outbound campaign. These interactions can take many forms, such as emails, phone calls, or social media messages, and are designed to build a connection and guide the prospect through the sales process.

Historical Context

The word "touch" has deep roots, first recorded in English between the 13th and 14th centuries. It stems from the Vulgar Latin ‘*toccare,’ meaning to knock or strike, and entered English via Old French. The word's origin is thought to be imitative, mimicking a tapping sound.

While initially referring to physical contact, its meaning expanded over centuries. It grew to encompass metaphorical and influential interactions. This linguistic evolution paved the way for its modern business sense as a point of communication.

Applications and Uses

In modern outbound strategy, touches are the fundamental actions used to engage prospects. These carefully planned interactions serve multiple purposes, from initial contact to closing a deal, forming the backbone of the entire sales sequence.

  • Awareness: Introducing the brand and its value proposition to a cold audience.
  • Nurturing: Building rapport and trust with prospects over time through consistent, valuable communication.
  • Conversion: Prompting a specific action, such as scheduling a meeting or requesting a demo.
  • Reactivation: Re-engaging with dormant leads or previous customers to explore new opportunities.

Touches vs. Touches that people often might confuse with

While both are key to outreach, touches and impressions serve distinct strategic purposes.

  • Touches: These are direct, personalized interactions like emails or calls. Their advantage is building deeper relationships, crucial for high-value deals common in enterprise sales. However, they are resource-intensive, making them a more calculated investment for mid-market companies focusing on efficiency and scale.
  • Impressions: These are passive exposures, such as ad views. They excel at building broad brand awareness cheaply, a key advantage for mid-market companies needing to maximize reach. The disadvantage is their low engagement, making them less effective for driving immediate action in complex enterprise sales cycles.

Cultural Significance

The word "touch" is deeply woven into our culture, extending far beyond physical contact. It metaphorically describes communication, empathy, and skill, as seen in phrases like "keep in touch" or "a finishing touch." This linguistic richness reflects its fundamental role in social connection, emotional expression, and human experience.

Technological Impact

Technology has revolutionized how businesses execute touches, moving from manual efforts to automated, data-driven outreach. This shift allows for personalization at a scale previously unimaginable, making each interaction more relevant and effective.

  • Automation: Sending thousands of personalized touches automatically, saving immense time.
  • Data Enrichment: Creating detailed prospect profiles for hyper-personalized messaging.
  • AI: Crafting compelling messages and optimizing campaign timing for maximum impact.

Frequently Asked Questions about Touches

How many touches does it take to make a sale?

There's no magic number, but industry benchmarks often suggest 8-12 touches. The ideal quantity depends on your industry, deal size, and prospect's role. The key is consistent, valuable engagement, not just hitting a specific number.

What's the difference between a touch and a touchpoint?

The terms are often used interchangeably. A "touch" typically refers to a direct, intentional outreach action like an email or call. A "touchpoint" can be broader, including any interaction a prospect has with your brand, like seeing an ad or visiting your website.

Is it possible to have too many touches?

Absolutely. Bombarding prospects with low-value messages leads to fatigue and can damage your brand's reputation. Focus on quality over quantity, ensuring each touch provides value and respects the prospect's time. This approach builds trust rather than annoyance.

Other terms

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Adobe Analytics

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Cold Call

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Virtual Private Cloud

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Firewall

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Account-Based Marketing

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Sales Script

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Early Adopter

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Sales Coaching

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Sales Sequence

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Data Encryption

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Discount Strategies

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CI/CD

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Weighted Sales Pipeline

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Warm Calling

Warm calling is contacting prospects with a prior connection, like a referral or social media interaction, to make your outreach more relevant.

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Sales Workflows

Sales workflows are a set of automated actions that streamline the sales process, helping teams engage leads consistently and close deals faster.

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Marketo

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Warm Email

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B2B Sales Channels

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GTM

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Buyer’s Remorse

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Value-Added Reseller

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User Experience

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Lead Generation Tactics

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Google Analytics

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C-Level or C-Suite

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Account Click Through Rate

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Account Management

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Corporate Identity

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User Interaction

User interaction is any action a user takes within a digital interface, like clicking a button, scrolling a page, or filling out a form.

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Content Management System

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Smarketing

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Draw on Sales Commission

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Draw on Sales Commission

FAB Technique

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Sales Engagement

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Landing Pages

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Docker

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Clustering

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Outbound Lead Generation

Outbound lead generation means proactively reaching out to potential customers who haven't yet expressed interest to introduce them to your brand.

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Search Engine Results Page

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Intent-Based Leads

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Talk Track

A talk track is a script that guides sales reps during calls. It ensures they cover key points and maintain a consistent message with prospects.

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Interactive Voice Response

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Brand Equity

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Low-Hanging Fruit

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BAB Formula

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Process Automation

Process automation uses technology to execute recurring tasks or processes, replacing manual effort to cut costs and boost efficiency.

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Revenue Operations KPIs

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Sales Bundle

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Latency

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Single Page Applications

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Nurture Campaign

A nurture campaign is a series of automated messages designed to build relationships with potential customers and guide them toward a purchase.

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Sales Process

A sales process is a structured set of steps that a sales team follows to move a prospect from an initial lead to a closed customer.

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Customer Buying Signals

Customer buying signals are the actions, behaviors, or statements a prospect makes that indicate they are moving towards a purchase decision.

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Churn

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Data-Driven Lead Generation

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Site Retargeting

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Sales Methodology

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Digital Rights Management

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Business to customer

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Funnel Analysis

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Account-Based Analytics

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De-dupe

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Scrum

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Return on Marketing Investment

Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) measures the revenue generated by a marketing campaign relative to the cost of that campaign.

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Product-Market Fit

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On Target Earnings

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Functional Testing

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Sales Dashboard

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Ad-hoc Reporting

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Consumer Relationship Management

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Customer Segmentation

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LPI

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Copyright Compliance

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Copyright Compliance

Business-to-Business (B2B)

Learn about B2B, including what is it, its key elements, the benefits of B2B partnerships, the differences between B2B and B2C, and strategies for effective marketing.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation uses software to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as email marketing, social media posting, and ad campaigns.

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Gamification

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Intent leads

Intent leads are prospects who show buying signals through their online actions, indicating they're actively looking to make a purchase.

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Closed Won

Closed Won is a CRM status for a sales deal that has been successfully concluded, resulting in a signed contract and a new customer.

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Deal Closing

Deal closing is the final step in a sales cycle. It's when a prospect signs a contract and officially converts into a paying customer.

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Personalization

Personalization is the practice of using data to tailor products, services, or content to an individual's specific needs and preferences.

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Incident Response

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Average Customer Life

Average Customer Life is the average time someone remains a customer. It's a key metric for predicting revenue and measuring customer loyalty.

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Virtual Selling

Virtual selling is the process of selling to customers remotely using technology like video calls, rather than meeting them in person.

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Version Control Systems

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Salesforce Administrator

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Customer Relationship Marketing

Customer relationship marketing is a strategy for building lasting connections with customers to foster long-term loyalty and engagement.

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Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis means identifying your rivals and assessing their strategies to pinpoint your own business's strengths and weaknesses.

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Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the predictable, recurring income a business expects to receive each month from all active subscriptions.

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Key Accounts

Key accounts are a company's most valuable customers, vital due to their significant revenue contribution and strategic importance for growth.

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Average Order Value

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Demand Generation Framework

A demand generation framework is a strategic process for creating awareness and interest in your product, ultimately driving new business.

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User Testing

User testing involves observing real users interact with a product to identify usability issues and improve the overall user experience.

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Lead Response Time

Lead response time is the duration between a potential customer showing interest and your team's first point of contact with them.

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Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance (QA) is the systematic process of ensuring a product or service meets specified quality standards from development to delivery.

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Social Proof

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation.

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HubSpot

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Positioning Statement

A positioning statement is a concise description of your target market and how your product or service uniquely fills their needs.

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Service Level Agreement

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract defining the level of service between a provider and a client, including metrics and penalties.

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Marketing Qualified Account

A Marketing Qualified Account (MQA) is a target company that has shown significant engagement, indicating it's ready for the sales team to pursue.

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