«Let me think about it,» «It’s not urgent right now,» «Let’s revisit this in a month,» «I need to compare options» – how much revenue is lost to these phrases? Every Head of Sales knows: behind prospects who are «not ready yet» hides a massive revenue stream. The problem is that most reps give up after the second or third contact. Big mistake. The real magic of large deals usually starts only after that point.
This article is a hands-on guide for Sales Leaders and Account Executives. We’ll break down what touchpoints are, why they are the future of customer engagement, and most importantly, how to turn them into a structured, repeatable process that consistently brings in revenue.
The sobering stats: why stopping at 2–3 touchpoints is failure
According to research, a significant portion of B2B deals close only after the 5th (or later) contact. The market is oversaturated with vendors and offers, all competing to be the chosen one. Buyers, meanwhile, are overwhelmed: they may need your product, but it’s «not urgent,» and with so many proposals, decision-making takes time. This is where a system of structured touchpoints comes into play: templates, reminders, and guided engagement sequences. Yet most sales reps make only 1–3 attempts before «closing» the lead:
- First call (needs discovery).
- Sending a proposal.
- Follow-up call: «Did you have a chance to look at it?»
Hearing «let me think» or «not right now,» the rep sets a reminder «call back in a month» and essentially forgets the lead. But the real work of nurturing and closing starts there.
For Sales Leaders: stopping at 2–3 touchpoints is not just inefficiency at the rep level – it’s a strategic revenue leak. The solution: move from random attempts to a repeatable process.
What are touchpoints in plain English?
A touchpoint is any interaction between your company and a potential or existing client. A call, an email, a LinkedIn message, a meeting, sending a case study, even a like on their social post – all of these are touchpoints.
Important: touchpoints are not just pushy reminders like «buy now.» That only gets you blocked.
Instead, touchpoints fall into two categories:
- Give (nurture, add value): share useful insights, research, or case studies – the goal is to lower barriers and build trust.
- Ask (call-to-action): gain a micro-conversion – schedule a meeting, set up a demo, agree on next steps.
The golden rule: don’t try to sell in every interaction. Alternate: 3–4 «Give» for every 1 «Ask.» That’s the winning formula for long-cycle B2B sales. This builds trust, not annoyance.
Service – your only real competitive edge
Let’s face it. Sooner or later, your product will be copied. Then, someone will figure out how to sell it cheaper. Price wars are inevitable. The only thing competitors cannot copy is your service and your relationship with clients.
Think of five-star hotels like Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons. They don’t sell just a bed and a roof. They sell impeccable service. Guests pay a premium for the feeling of care and predictable comfort.
In B2B and B2C sales, touchpoints are your service. They’re your expertise. They’re the details that make a client feel: «These people remember me, they understand my context, I can trust them.» When it’s time to decide, they’ll choose you – even if a competitor is 5% cheaper.
Ideas for touchpoints: building a nurture plan
The client has your proposal and is now «thinking, comparing, deciding.» What next? Here’s a list of touchpoint ideas that can last for months.
Informational and value-based touchpoints (Nurture):
- Articles and reports: Send them a recent industry study.
- Case studies: «Hi John, we recently delivered a project in your sector with +30% conversion. Thought this might be useful – here’s the case study.»
- Videos: Record a short explainer on your product or share a useful YouTube/TED talk.
- Market news: «New regulation X just passed. Here’s what it means for your business: 3 risks and 2 steps to mitigate them.»
- Event invitations: Webinars, conferences, business breakfasts (not just your own).
- Humanized content: short tips from your CEO, a quick infographic, or 60-second video with insights. In some markets, even a light meme (if tone allows).
Personal and emotional touchpoints (Care):
- Greetings:
- Client’s birthday (easy to find on LinkedIn).
- Company anniversary.
- Professional holidays (e.g., Engineer’s Day, Marketer’s Day).
- Public holidays (New Year, Thanksgiving, etc.).
It may seem trivial, but it helps clients remember you.
- Company news: «We’ve expanded our practice/launched a pilot program and would love to invite you in.»
- Branded gifts: Send a notebook, pen, or mug.
Sales-oriented touchpoints (Closing):
- Special programs: «We’re launching a 3-month pilot for companies in your industry. Limited to 5 spots. Includes audit, test run, and KPI report.»
- Updated proposal: «We’ve revised our offer with new data. Here’s the updated version.»
- Reactivation calls: «It’s been two months since we last spoke. Has anything changed?» Or: «We’ve just run a relevant case in your sector with Y% uplift. Got 10 minutes to discuss?»
- Email variant: Subject: «Quick case: +Y% in [industry] – 10 minutes?» Body: «We’ve just completed a project with +Y% results in KPIs similar to yours. Would you be open to a quick 10-minute call?»
These give value and context, not just reminders.
How to stay sane: systematizing touchpoints with scripts
Imagine a rep with 150 «thinking» clients. Some need a case study, others a holiday greeting, others a new offer. Easy tasks – but impossible to keep in your head without mistakes.
Excel sheets or Word files quickly descend into chaos:
- scripts get outdated;
- files get lost at the worst moment;
- different reps send conflicting messages;
- some ignore scripts altogether;
- without CRM, there’s no history of who received what.
The result: touchpoints turn into a lottery. Some clients get contacted on time, others are forgotten, others get duplicate outdated content.
The fix: not just text templates, but a system that prompts reps on what to say, when to reach out, and how. This is where CRM plus script-building tools come in.
The solution – script builders and touchpoint sequencing
Think of tools like ScriptCaller as «engagement planners» and «navigators» for sales reps: they don’t just store text, they guide timing and method of contact.
What this gives in practice
1. Script library
Unified scripts for each step and channel: follow-up after proposal, case study email, webinar invite, holiday greeting. Everyone uses the same versions, reducing errors.
2. Frequency and sequence rules
Don’t spam. Example: max one touchpoint every three days. If no reply in five days, the system suggests next action. If client says «not now,» it prompts you to follow up in a month.
3. CRM notes and tasks
After each interaction, ScriptCaller automatically logs comments in CRM with date, script used, notes, and schedules next steps. Missed deadlines are flagged to managers.
4. Activity feed
Every touchpoint is recorded: calls, emails, messages, client responses, meeting notes. A living «journal» of interactions for future reference.
5. Analytics on long nurturing
See where prospects respond most, where they drop off, which channel works best, which phrasing books more meetings, and when to stop to avoid burning the lead.
6. Hypothesis testing
Experiment with timing (3 vs 5 days), channel (email vs call), text variations. Gather data to see what truly improves conversion.
7. Protection against over-contacting
If a client unsubscribes or asks not to be contacted, the system pauses outreach or switches to low-touch (e.g., newsletters).
8. Different approaches for different roles
CEOs want financial arguments, CTOs want implementation details. Build separate touchpoint flows and content for each audience.
What Sales Leaders see
- How many leads actually get the required number of touchpoints.
- At which steps clients respond, meet, or decline.
- Average time from first contact to key milestones (demo, pilot).
- Where reps lose clients or break rhythm.
This isn’t just «deal closed / deal lost.» It’s a live picture of how the process flows, where attention drops, and what keeps deals moving.
The “shallow lead handling” problem
Important to remember: if you give a rep 400 leads, they cannot properly run each through a 5+ touchpoint sequence. They’ll do 1–2 shallow contacts and move on.
Sales Leaders’ job: limit active deals per rep. Better 50–60 leads deeply nurtured than 400 half-baked. Better to close 10 out of 50 with 10+ touchpoints each than 5 out of 400 with 2 touchpoints. Quality beats quantity.
Key takeaways: from chaos to system
- Face reality: most deals close after 5+ touchpoints. Stop giving up too early.
- Differentiate touchpoints: teach the team the difference between nurturing (Give) and closing (Ask). Don’t sell in every message.
- Create a content plan: prepare case studies, articles, videos, greetings. Build a calendar so reps know when and what to send.
- Systematize: don’t rely on memory. Use CRM to track history and tools like ScriptCaller to manage sequencing.
- Focus: fewer leads per rep = better nurturing and higher conversion.
Stop treating «thinking» clients as lost. They are your golden asset. Build relationships, show care and expertise, and watch your sales grow.
Example – 12 touchpoints for the B2B market
1. First call – introduction, needs discovery, agree to send proposal. (Ask)
2. Proposal email + short summary of key numbers/benefits. (Ask)
3. LinkedIn/InMail or message – «Sent you materials via email, please check.» (Give)
4. Follow-up email in 3–4 days with industry case: «How similar clients solved this.» (Give)
5. Short call – check if materials reviewed, questions. (Ask)
6. Send case study pack or 2–3 min video overview. (Give)
7. Offer a pilot or trial with minimal risk. (Ask)
8. Content touchpoint – invite to webinar, demo, or industry event. (Give)
9. LinkedIn/WhatsApp poll – «Did you test it? Need help setting up?» (Ask)
10. Expert email – ROI/cost-saving calculation. (Give/Ask)
11. Final call – discuss conditions, objections. (Ask)
12. Closing touchpoint – contract, invoice, onboarding plan. (Ask)
Bonus for attentive readers!
20–30 objection-handling phrases
«Too expensive»
- «I understand the budget concern. Let’s look at ROI: investing X brings Y% return in N months.»
- «Our price is higher because we include [support/service] that reduces risks and saves resources.»
- «Compared to the cost of downtime/errors/penalties, this pays for itself many times over.»
«We’ll think about it / not now»
- «May I ask what factors you need to weigh before deciding?»
- «Often ‘thinking’ means missing information. Can I send you a short case with numbers from your industry?»
- «Let’s schedule a quick follow-up in 2 weeks to revisit what’s changed.»
«We already have a vendor»
- «Great that you have a solution. May I show how we complement and enhance existing vendors?»
- «Many firms work with multiple providers to reduce risk. Want to see how that could look?»
- «What do you like least about your current vendor? Maybe we can cover that gap.»
«No time»
- «Totally understand. We can do a 10-minute call to see if it’s even worth continuing.»
- «We can start with a pilot that won’t burden your team – test small, review results, then decide.»
- «I’ll prepare a one-page summary with numbers so you can decide quickly.»
«Too risky»
- «We offer a pilot project – minimal cost, quick results, reduced risk.»
- «We’re ready to include KPIs in the contract to guarantee outcomes.»
- «We have a guarantee/insurance policy that eliminates this risk.»
«Don’t see the value»
- «Let me show an example from your industry: client gained +X% in 3 months.»
- «Value becomes clear with numbers. I can prepare a TCO/ROI analysis.»
- «Which metric matters most to you? Let’s see how we can improve it.»
«Takes too long to implement»
- «We have a quick-start package: results in 2 weeks.»
- «Implementation is staged: you get benefits after step 1, without waiting for full rollout.»
- «We assign a project manager to reduce your workload.»
«Send me the info by email»
- «Of course. May I also ask a few questions now, so I send you only what’s relevant?»
- «I’ll send it, but a 10-minute call will save you from having to read 10 pages.»
- «Would it help if I prepare a short video walkthrough instead of documents?»
«Not in the budget»
- «Budgets are flexible if there’s measurable impact. May I show a case where clients reallocated funds after seeing ROI?»
- «We can split the project into phases – start small within current budget.»
- «May I prepare a business case so you can defend the budget internally?»
«We don’t need it»
- «I hear you. But may I show how your competitors are already solving this and gaining advantage?»
- «Often people think they don’t need it until a problem arises. Can I share 2–3 risk scenarios?»
- «Which goals are top priority for you this year? Let’s check if our solution helps with them.»
Bottom line: Touchpoints are not spam. They are a system of care, expertise, and persistence. This is where revenue hides. Not in chasing new leads, but in properly nurturing the ones already in your pipeline.