80% of sales require 5 follow-ups
Misquoted Confidence: high
Primary source found, but the way it is quoted changes the subject, metric, population or precision.
- Commonly cited as
- "80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls" (National Sales Executive Association)
- True origin
- Long Island chapter of the National Sales Executives Association (now SMEI) — Member survey
- Type
- Stat check: A widely repeated statistic traced back to its origin.
- Year
- 1942
- Data as of
- 1942
- Last checked
- What the source says
80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact
- Method & sample
- A 1942 survey of chapter members; SMEI says the sample was under 40.
- Drift between quote and source
- Metric: 'fifth to twelfth contact' became 'five follow-ups'
- Date: 84 years old, quoted as current
- Sample: under 40 salespeople
- Interest
- SMEI sells sales training and certification.
Safe rephrasing
A 1942 survey of fewer than 40 sales executives reported most sales closing after several contacts; it is not modern evidence.
Sources we opened
Machine-readable: /api/claims/80-percent-sales-5-follow-ups.json · Last checked 2026-10-16