The average number of touchpoints needed to secure a sale, or appointment generally falls between 7 and 12. However, this varies by industry, target audience, and product or service type. Here’s why multiple touchpoints are necessary and how they work:

Why Multiple Touchpoints Are Necessary

• Building Trust: Buyers need to trust the seller, and trust develops over time through consistent and meaningful engagement.
• Cutting Through Noise: Prospects are inundated with marketing messages, so repeated interactions ensure your message stands out.
• Guiding the Buyer’s Journey: Buyers often move through awareness, consideration, and decision stages before committing. Multiple touchpoints help guide them.
• Relevance and Customisation: Frequent contact allows you to refine your messaging and address specific concerns, making your offering more appealing.

Typical Sales Touchpoints

• Awareness Stage: Social media ads, blog visits, email newsletters, or website engagement.
• Engagement Stage: Personalised LinkedIn messages, phone calls, or direct email outreach.
• Consideration Stage: Webinars, product demonstrations, or sharing case studies and testimonials.
• Decision Stage: Proposal discussions, follow-up calls to address objections, or in-person meetings to finalise details.

Factors Affecting the Number of Touchpoints

• Industry: B2B sales or high-ticket items typically need more interactions (10–15+), while consumer sales might only require 3–5 touchpoints.
• Lead Type: Warm leads, such as referrals, may convert faster, while cold leads from unsolicited outreach require more nurturing.
• Approach: A strategic follow-up plan can reduce the number of touchpoints needed by effectively addressing concerns early on.
• Communication Channels: Some channels, like personalised phone calls or in-person meetings, can fast-track trust and reduce unnecessary follow-ups.

Strategies to Reduce Touchpoints

• Personalisation: Craft messages tailored to the prospect’s specific needs to make each interaction more impactful.
• Multi-Channel Outreach: Engage prospects across email, phone, social media, and in-person to reach them in their preferred way.
• Pre-Qualification: Focus on well-targeted leads to reduce wasted efforts and ensure efficient use of touchpoints.
• Automation: Leverage tools to automate routine touchpoints, such as follow-up emails or reminders, while maintaining a personal touch.

Key Takeaway

While the general range is 7–12 touchpoints, prioritising quality over quantity is essential. Strategic, timely, and relevant engagement will always outperform excessive, unfocused interactions.

The Chancellor’s Spring Statement, scheduled for 26 March 2025, is expected to focus on navigating the challenges of public finances, economic growth, and household pressures.

Economic Context

The UK economy is forecast to grow by 2% in 2025, though inflation is projected to remain above the Bank of England's 2% target for several more years. This economic backdrop follows significant tax increases announced in the October 2024 Budget, where £40 billion in measures were introduced, including raising employers' National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15% for salaries above £5,000. These policies have triggered concerns across businesses and households, compounding challenges for an economy still recovering from previous shocks.

Taxation and Public Finances

Despite the £40 billion in tax hikes, a £22 billion deficit in public finances has been identified, suggesting further fiscal measures may be necessary. Economists anticipate additional increases in capital gains and inheritance taxes as the government seeks to address this shortfall. Meanwhile, the rise in employers' National Insurance contributions has created significant burdens on businesses, particularly in labour-intensive industries like retail and hospitality, raising concerns about job losses and reduced investment.

Business Challenges

Business confidence has dipped to its lowest level in two years, with many companies reducing staff due to rising employment costs. December 2024 saw the fastest rate of job cuts in four years, highlighting the strain on businesses. The government may need to consider targeted support for struggling sectors to counteract the impact of its tax policies and foster stability.

Household Finances

Households are bracing for rising costs in 2025, with food prices expected to increase by up to 4.9%, energy bills climbing, and mortgage payments potentially rising if there are further interest rate hikes. Stamp duty thresholds are set to drop in April, increasing costs for property buyers, and rail fares are expected to rise by 4.6% from March. These pressures will likely lead to calls for government intervention to support families.

Potential Policy Adjustments

The Chancellor could use the Spring Statement to refine some of the policies introduced in the Autumn Budget. Possible measures include adjustments to the National Insurance increase, which has proven particularly controversial. Additionally, there may be new proposals targeting Inheritance and Capital Gains taxes to help bridge the fiscal deficit. Support for businesses, such as reliefs or incentives, might also feature to counteract declining confidence and rising unemployment. For households, the government could announce measures to ease financial pressures, such as subsidies for energy bills or targeted support for low-income families.

Conclusion

The Spring Statement presents an opportunity for the Chancellor to balance fiscal discipline with much-needed support for businesses and households. As stakeholders across sectors await the announcements, the government’s response will be crucial in shaping the UK’s economic outlook.

1 February 2025 – Due date for Corporation Tax payable for the year ended 30 April 2024.

19 February 2025 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 February 2025. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 February 2025)

19 February 2025 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 February 2025.

19 February 2025 – CIS tax deducted for the month ended 5 February 2025 is payable by today.

1 March 2025 – Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 31 May 2024.

2 March 2025 – Self-Assessment tax for 2023-24 paid after this date will incur a 5% surcharge unless liabilities are cleared by 1 April 2025, or an agreement has been reached with HMRC under their time to pay facility by the same date.

19 March 2025 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 March 2025 (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 March 2025).

19 March 2025 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 March 2025.

19 March 2025 – CIS tax deducted for the month ended 5 March 2025 is payable by today.

The cash basis is now the default for self-employed income reporting. Learn about the key updates, opt-out options, and how this simplified method can ease your self-assessment obligations with HMRC.

The cash basis is used by sole traders and other unincorporated businesses to determine their income and expenses for self-assessment. This simplified method can ease record-keeping and income reporting to HMRC, whilst still providing a suitable measure of profits for many businesses.

Since 6 April 2024, the cash basis has become the default method for calculating income and expenses for self-employed individuals and partnerships when filing their Income Tax self-assessment return.

Businesses that prefer traditional accruals accounting or who are ineligible for the cash basis, must opt out of the cash basis when submitting their self-assessment return. The first return requiring this decision will be the 2024-25 return, due by 31 January 2026.

There have also been a number of other changes to the cash basis that took effect for the current 2024-25 tax year. This includes the following:

• The removal of the turnover thresholds for businesses to use the cash basis.
• The removal of the restrictions on using relief for losses made in the cash basis, aligning the rules with accruals.
• Interest restrictions have been removed so both cash basis and accruals accounting are subject to the same tax rules.
• People with more than one business will be able to choose whether they use the cash basis or accruals accounting for each business they have, rather than having to pick one method for all their businesses.

The cash basis is not available to limited companies and limited liability partnerships.

Capital Gains Tax rates have increased for disposals from 30 October 2024, with further changes ahead. Stay informed on the updated rates for assets, property, and reliefs to optimise your tax planning.

We would like to remind our readers of the updated Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rates that apply to gains realised on or after 30 October 2024. The main CGT rates for assets other than residential property and carried interest has increased to 18% (from 10%) for Income Tax basic rate payers, and to 24% (from 20%) for Income Tax higher rate payers.

For trustees and personal representatives, the CGT rate will has also increased to 24% (from 20%) for disposals made on or after 30 October 2024. The CGT rates for residential property disposals (18% and 24%) remain unchanged.

The CGT rate for Business Asset Disposal Relief and Investors’ Relief will increase from 10% to 14% for disposals made on or after 6 April 2025. A further increase to 18% will apply for disposals made on or after 6 April 2026. The lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief remains unchanged at £1 million, but the lifetime limit for Investors’ Relief will be reduced from £10 million to £1 million for qualifying disposals made on or after 30 October 2024. Special provisions apply to certain contracts entered into before 30 October 2024.

Additionally, the normal and higher rates of CGT on carried interest (currently 18% and 28%, respectively) will rise to a single unified rate of 32% from 6 April 2025. From April 2026, carried interest will be subject to a broader package of policy changes, which will be announced at a later date.