Did you know that it’s estimated that Americans see upwards of 4000 ads in a single day?

There has never been a time with more content, information, and distractions at our fingertips. In 2020 alone, researchers estimated that there was a 60% increase in the amount of content people consumed. So today we’re asking the big question - how can sales professionals stand out in this sea of content?

The answer is to take a surround sound approach to your outreach and to make sure you’re not falling into the trap of thinking: if someone is interested, they’ll definitely respond to your first point of contact. We outline some tips on how to do this below.

How Many Times Should I Reach Out?              

Can you remember the last time (if ever!) you made a deal after one cold call?

While there is no magic number of touchpoints that suits every business, many people would be surprised to know that 8 touchpoints is a good rule of thumb to go by. The path to close a deal is no longer a straight line, but a complex web of different touchpoints and opportunities to demonstrate value. People are busy, and it’s important to remember you’re competing for their attention against a myriad of other factors, so one touchpoint, no matter how great your email or voicemail is, is just not going to cut it. Continuing to build awareness and educate your prospects over several touchpoints ensures you’re a step above the competition.

What Avenues Should I Take for my Outreach?

The answers are endless here and growing everyday with the advent of new tech and social platforms, but here’s a great sales mix to get started:

• Phone Calls
• Emails
• Facebook Messages
• In-person Events
• Paid Advertising

So Do Multiple Touchpoints Really Work?

Yes! And we have the data to prove it. Across the board at Resquared, we’ve found that almost all of the time, follow-ups generate more leads than the initial outreach. A great example is outreach to a hair salon through our platform. With 164 emails sent as a first touchpoint, just 12 people followed up with a second touchpoint through Facebook messenger. The data shows that there was a substantial 20% increase in responses when a follow-up was sent. We’ve seen this trend across every sector and have even seen up to a 50% increase in some instances.  

The better the experience and the more valuable each of these touchpoints are to leads, the more ready they’ll be to respond and even convert. For some tips on writing emails and messages that have high response rates, check out this blog!

When Should I Follow Up?

We recommend planning out a cadence and sequence of outreach from the very beginning of our prospecting. Resquared builds and tests sequences that are optimized for prospecting local businesses  through Facebook, email, and phone calls. Here is an example of a cadence that Resquared clients have access to in our knowledge base below. If you're curious to learn more about how we can help you streamline the prospecting process, be sure to request a demo here.

Day 1

1. Set up your search

2. Send 10 Facebook Messages

3. Send 40 Emails

~Wait at least 1 hour~

4. Send 10 additional Facebook Messages

~Wait at least 1 hour~

5. Send 10 additional Facebook Messages 

If you get any replies, respond immediately (within 5 minutes). Ideally, call them as soon as they respond to you. 

Day 2

1. Review who has opened your emails.

a) For prospects that have opened your email one or no times: Send them an FB message.

b) For prospects that have opened your email two or more times: Call them.

2. Review the Facebook messages you have sent. 

a) For prospects that viewed your message but have not replied: Send them a second Facebook message.

b) For prospects that have not viewed your message: Call them. 

Day 3

By now, you should have done at least two of the following for every prospect: Email, Phone call, Facebook message. On day 3, reach out to them using whatever method you have not yet used to attempt to make contact. If they are missing either a Facebook page or an email address, call them another time.

This workflow can begin multiple days per week. 

11+ leads per week -- Begin this flow once per week.

20-40 leads per week -- Begin this flow twice per week. For example:

Monday - Start flow A

Tuesday - Day 2 of flow A

Wednesday - Day 3 of flow A and day 1 of flow B

Thursday - Day 2 of flow B

Friday - Day 3 of flow B

35-55 leads per week -- Begin this flow three times per week. For example:

Monday - Start flow A

Tuesday - Day 2 of flow A and day 1 of flow B

Wednesday - Day 3 of flow A and day 2 of flow B and day 1 of flow C (busy day!)

Thursday - Day 3 of flow B and day 2 of flow C

Friday - Day 3 of flow C

Main Takeaway: The number one rule when it comes to prospecting: make sure you're taking the time to reach out more than once with thoughtful, personalized messages. Our team is always here to help support this process. Reach out here today!