The Six Stages of Your Buyer Journey
Buyer Journey Map.
One of the best pieces of advice that I can offer you is to take the time and draw out a buyer journey map. This will provide the information needed to determine how a prospective client goes from not having a clue who you are to investing in one of your products, services, programs and/or experiences.
Stage One: She feels like something is missing, or that something could be different, or that she’s not living the life she wants to live. She is still in the complaining, whining, moaning and groaning stage. She may even feel helpless or hopeless.
Stage Two: She has experienced a rupture in her life and can no longer ignore the problem. She is in the awareness stage and desires change today!
She asks some of her friends or colleagues for advice, but leaves out anything that makes her feel shame, guilt, and/or embarrassment. She may even ask a different group of people for a referral. She goes onto Linkedin, Google or watches YouTube videos with a search term for her problem.
She is in full research mode. Therefore, your content - whether audio, visual or written - must give voice to her unmet desires - both on a personal and professional level.
TIP! People come online for information, education or entertainment, NOT necessarily to invest in coaching, consulting, speaking and training products, services, programs and experiences.
Therefore, during the awareness stage, please keep in mind that unless referred directly to you by a family, friend or colleague, your Ideal client may not be aware of you, or your offers..
Let me say that in a slightly different way: At this stage, she is probably NOT aware of the benefits of your product, service, program, retreat, association or academy. Therefore, your goal is to create micro-content that is buyer-centric, attention-grabbing, concise, engaging. easily consumable, and macro-content that your ideal client will find relevant, entertaining and educational. By doing so, you will be seen as an entrepreneurial leader who can help them to get results.
Your individual offers may be topics in and of themselves, but more often they are a solution that's supported by the content you create. Thus, the content points to your solution as the thing your audience needs to buy to make their life even better. It may not be the only solution, but your content should give people the idea that it's a great solution. This approach subtly reveals that you will address their problem in a clear, concise and direct manner. This is an important building block when it comes to communicating that you will save them time, money, energy, etc. If they feel that you have value, they will naturally reveal their interest and conduct further research , which may or may not move them towards a sales conversation with you.
Stage Three: She is the consideration stage of determining which products, service, and programs are the best fit for her. She will look at the offers very closely to determine which one addresses her fears, wants, needs, secret desires, schedule and budget.
During the consideration stage, it is imperative that the information on your website or social media channels is up to date, relevant and speaks directly to the desires of the client. The most important thing is alignment and consistency. Be the same person online and offline. Be consistent in your service delivery so that it is crystal clear you are the person that can take them from where they are to where they desire to be and beyond.
Stage Four: Purchasing decisions made based upon who addressed her anxieties, doubts and unspoken expectations.
During the purchasing stage, lead with love. Present a solution that is mutually beneficial, listen to their feedback, and let them decide how to respond to you. Do not shame or embarrass them for their circumstances, hang-ups, or concerns.
No one owes you anything, so do not attack or belittle them, or try to make them feel like dirt because they can’t or won’t work with you yet. If they decline your offer, let them know you’re happy to work with them if they change their minds, and move on with the clients who’re ready for you. You only want the people who want you too, not the ones who’ll buck and complain every step of the way.
Stage Five: After her purchase, if you have an up-sell, cross-sell, or down-sell offer, she may purchase companion and/or complimentary products, services, programs, and experiences.
After a client invests in themselves through you, be phenomenal. Wow their socks off. Surprise and delight them with VIP treatment and luxe goodies.
Believe me, phenomenal customer service will never go out of style.
Stage Six: If she is satisfied with the results, and your level of service and engagement, praise will spread like wildfire. She is now a customer evangelist and will tell everyone about how you are pure awesomeness.
If she is dis-satisfied, and you do not address her concerns, you will be asked for a refund and your reputation in the marketplace will be damaged.
Summary
It is critical that your content strategy align directly with the buyer journey. This approach allows you to meet the client where they are and build a strong relationship, from awareness to consideration to decision to referring you to family and friends. Let it be easy! Speak with clarity, brevity and authority about how your company has solutions that align with the challenges and desires of your ideal client.
Inquiry
What is your process of documenting the buyer journey? Do you interview prospective and existing clients? Do you write out the story using Kenn Adams Story Spine , Joseph Campbell’s Hero Journey or Pixar’s Storytelling Script for inspiration? Do you use a framework like Donald Miller’s Storybrand, Dan Roam’s Pop Up Pitch , or Gary Fox’s Persona Toolkit? In the comment section, share with me what approach has worked best for you.
This blog post was updated 7 December 2021.
