Seven-Touch Customer Journey
Build repeated trust signals before asking a prospect to purchase
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
The Seven-Touch Customer Journey treats conversion as the result of a sequence rather than a single campaign. A prospect may discover a podcast, consume several episodes, subscribe, join an email list, follow the brand on social media, attend a webinar, and only then purchase. Each action increases familiarity and strengthens the know, like, and trust relationship. The exact number and sequence vary by business, but the operating principle remains consistent: identify the journey, supply valuable interactions, and continue nurturing people who do not buy immediately. Campaign performance should therefore include delayed conversions and future customer value instead of labeling every non-buyer as a wasted lead.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show during Rick Mulready's explanation of the commonly cited seven touchpoints required to move a follower toward becoming a customer.
Core principles
- 01Prospects rarely purchase after their first interaction
- 02Every meaningful action can advance the customer relationship
- 03Trust develops through repeated, valuable encounters
- 04A lead who does not buy now may convert in a later launch
How to run it
- 1
Identify the entry points
List the channels through which people first discover the business, such as a podcast, social post, advertisement, or lead magnet.
Pro tip Separate first-time prospects from people already familiar with the brand.
Watch out Do not assume the campaign immediately preceding a purchase created the entire relationship.
- 2
Map meaningful actions
Document the actions that deepen engagement, including subscribing, following, registering, watching, replying, and attending.
Pro tip Count actions that demonstrate attention rather than passive impressions alone.
Watch out Avoid forcing every customer into one identical sequence.
- 3
Deliver value at each touch
Use educational content and relevant offers to strengthen familiarity, credibility, and trust throughout the journey.
Pro tip Match each call to action to the prospect's current level of awareness.
Watch out Repeated promotional messages without fresh value can weaken trust.
- 4
Measure time to purchase
Calculate how long customers typically remain in the audience or on the email list before buying.
Pro tip Compare purchase timing across acquisition sources and cohorts.
Watch out A short attribution window can hide conversions that happen months later.
- 5
Nurture the not-now audience
Continue serving non-buyers between launches and invite them into the next suitable offer when they are warmer.
Pro tip Treat each launch as another touchpoint rather than a final verdict.
Watch out Do not automatically classify non-buyers as failed or worthless leads.
In the wild
Rick described customers who listened to his podcast for years before joining his accelerator. Discovering episodes, subscribing, joining the email list, and following him on Instagram all functioned as touches before the eventual purchase.
→ A long nurturing period culminated in a purchase once sufficient trust and readiness had developed.
A prospect registers for a launch webinar but does not purchase. Over the following months, the business sends useful emails and publishes educational content before retargeting the prospect during the next launch.
→ The original acquisition produces delayed revenue instead of being written off after the first campaign.
Common mistakes
Expecting instant conversion
Treating an email signup as if it should immediately produce a purchase ignores the trust-building journey that often precedes a considered decision.
Calling non-buyers failed leads
A lead may need additional content, time, or another launch before becoming ready to purchase.
Crediting only the final touch
Last-touch reporting can obscure the earlier interactions that created awareness and trust.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for businesses with considered purchases, recurring launches, memberships, or longer sales cycles.
Not ideal for
It is less useful for low-consideration impulse purchases with little need for education or trust.
From the transcript
“you know, the number that gets thrown around is seven, but there's a lot of literature out there. That's like somewhere between seven and 20…”
“It just, there's a journey involved and it's a customer journey.”
“If they don't purchase right now, it doesn't mean it's a lost lead or I wasted money now I get to nurture them.”
From the episode
7-Figure Ad Strategy: Behind the Scenes with Rick Mulready
Rick Mulready