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Robert Julian Smith
The last time I heard about the 2–3–5–10–80 rule, I was listening to Neil Patel and Eric Siu on the Marketing School podcast.
You know the one:
- 2% of sales happen on the first contact
- 3% on the second
- 5% on the third
- 10% on the fourth
- and 80% between the fifth and twelfth
It’s been circulating for years. So, as I usually do, I went looking for the original study behind it.
And guess what?
There isn’t one.
No credible research. No primary data. Just an idea that’s been repeated so many times it became “truth.”
But even if it’s not scientifically proven, it obviously makes sense.
It’s one of those “no sh*t, Sherlock” type of truths; simple, but not easy.
The Hard Part Isn’t Knowing, It’s Doing
I’ll admit it: I sometimes fall victim to the same thing I warn my clients about inconsistency.
When results don’t come fast enough, it’s easy to lose momentum.
But looking back at my years in sales and marketing, I’ve realized that almost everything worthwhile came after the fourth or fifth follow-up, not before.
When I was selling Xerox copiers in New York, it wasn’t the first call that made the sale, it was the fifth or more.
When I launch marketing strategies for clients today, the magic happens after weeks of testing, tweaking, and staying at it.
Success doesn’t show up on the first contact. It shows up when you keep showing up.
The “Happy Loser” Mindset
Years ago, I read in the Harvard Business Review in 2006( the only one I kept – a special double issue on sales) about a concept by psychologist and anthropologist Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, who coined the term “Happy Loser.”
He observed that the best salespeople aren’t crushed by rejection; they almost enjoy it.
They see “no” as part of the natural process. They keep smiling, adjusting, learning.
They know that persistence not luck separates the pros from the rest.
It’s a mindset I try to remind myself of every day.
Marketing Is the Same Game
Marketing works the same way.
The first few touches are just noise. Then slowly, with consistency, things begin to click.
Most businesses give up right before that moment.
They post three times, send one newsletter, or run one campaign and when it doesn’t “go viral,” they stop.
But here’s the truth:
Work hard, sell easy.
Or, as I like to say do the hard, consistent work now so the sales come naturally later.
Final Thought
The 2–3–5–10–80 rule may not be a real study, but it captures something real:
people buy and trust only after repeated contact.
Marketing, sales, brand building it’s all the same.
The first few tries are the warm-up.
The fifth is where momentum begins.
So if you know something is working, don’t stop.
Keep going.
That’s where the real 80% happens.
About Robert Julian Smith
Marketing strategist and consultant helping SMEs and entrepreneurs become known, liked, and trusted by their target markets.
He teaches AI and Marketing at Umbria Business School (Confindustria Umbria) and is a guest lecturer at LUISS and LUISS Business School.
Robert works with companies across Italy and abroad to integrate strategy, creativity, and technology, bridging human behavior and innovation.
He writes about marketing, sales, and artificial intelligence, exploring how they reshape trust, communication, and business growth.
