Touchpoint strategy = mapping the customer journey

This is one of the most important consideration in the customer journey - and yet it is often poorly executed by even some of the best brands.

You've heard of the phrase "you never get a second attempt to make a good impression"? Well, in business, you always get a second chance to make a bad impression. That's why consistency is so important to maintain corporate values with your customers - it is the essence of trust and trust is the foundation stone on which good relationships prosper.

But what are customer touch points? Quite simply, they are the means by which a company interacts on a daily basis with its clients. In the marketing arena, this invariably involves any actions which are taken and which subsequently occur during process-driven communications with prospects and customers.

• All marketing communications (e.g. website, brochure, stationery)
• All marketing messages (e.g. direct, advertising, events)
• All customer interactions (e.g. email, telephone and one-to-one)

The overall objective is to create consistent, credible and professional touch points across the entire communications suite to support brand values and endorse the ethos of the organisation.