Number of Client Touches To Translation Project Confirmation

An interesting business metric to track might be the number of ‘touches’ required with a client before an order for translation services is placed. The more human touches (interactions) required the higher the costs for the project acquisition.

What are touches? We consider a touch to be anything that requires human attention. An email or a phone conversation are touches.

The number of touches for a new client can be as few as one before an order is confirmed. We quote all projects so at least one touch is required. Multiple quotes are sometimes requested. Customers can have questions before placing a firm order. The more quotes and questions the higher the number of touches.

From an efficiency standpoint the fewer the touches to order confirmation the better. Although more touches also has an upside since each client interaction provides an opportunity to create a greater bond with the client. Whether a few touches or more, there’s a possible advantage.