It’s well known that it takes several communications with a prospect before they are ready to buy, but most sales people don’t realize it takes even more than they think. It’s a common error to stop marketing to a prospect too soon. Many times the marketing message is stopped just short of getting the prospects attention.

I read the following list years ago when reading some of Jay Conrad Levinson’s gorilla marketing books. Jay has published dozen’s of marketing books and his influence in the marketing field is world renown.

I often use this list to help sales people understand the thought process of a potential customer when they are looking at a marketing message.

This list was originally published in Thomas Smith’s guide Successful Advertising. I believe it’s message is just as useful and thought provoking today as it was when it was originally published in 1885.

1. The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it.

2. The second time, he does not notice it.

3. The third time, he is conscious of its existence.

4. The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.

5. The fifth time, he reads it.

6. The sixth time, he turns up his nose at it.

7. The seventh time, he reads it through and says, ‘Oh brother!’

8. The eighth time, he says, ‘Here’s that confounded thing again!’

9. The ninth time, he wonders if it amounts to anything.

10. The tenth time, he asks his neighbor if he has tried it.

11. The eleventh time, he wonders how the advertiser makes it pay.

12. The twelfth time, he thinks it must be a good thing.

13. The thirteenth time, he thinks perhaps it might be worth something.

14. The fourteenth time, he remembers wanting such a thing a long time.

15. The fifteenth time, he is tantalized because he cannot afford to buy it.

16. The sixteenth time, he thinks he will buy it some day.

17. The seventeenth time, he makes a memorandum to buy it.

18. The eighteenth time, he swears at his poverty.

19. The nineteenth time, he counts his money carefully.

20. The twentieth time he sees the ad, he buys what it is offering.