The buyer's journey is the research process any buyer goes through leading up to a purchase. Every industry is different, and every company we work with is different, but all buyers go through the same basic process before they make a decision to buy something.
Your company goals and your buyer personas should affect how you help prospective clients go through this journey.
Awareness Stage
This is when the buyer first starts to realize they have an issue but have not quite defined it yet.
Tip for helping a prospect through the Awareness Stage:
They are not ready to be sold to or be offered your specific products and solutions yet. Content and communication during this stage should focus on helping them understand their problem and the importance of fixing it. What is at stake if they don't fix it? What can they gain if they start looking for a solution?
Consideration Stage
This is when the buyer clearly defines the issue and is ready to research possible solutions.
Tip for helping a prospect through the Consideration Stage:
Now is an okay time to start talking about specific solutions you provide. But this should still be a soft sell. Meet each of their pains and gains with your product or services solutions and be helpful in comparing your solutions to all other potential solutions on the market and position your unique selling points or value proposition.
Decision Stage
This is when the buyer decides on a solution and is ready to buy.
Tip for helping a prospect through the Decision Stage:
This is often the first time a buyer will talk to an actual sales representative. Make sure the sales messages are in line with the marketing messages they've been receiving through the other phases of the journey (no bait and switch!). Be ready to be helpful, answer questions and really begin to forge a relationship with the prospect. Remember, people don't buy from companies, they buy from people.
In short: leading a customer through their buyer's journey is how we help a website visitor become a prospect, a prospect become a lead, and a lead become a customer. Then it's time to delight your customer and help them buy more from you more often and even refer additional business to you.
Written by Lindsey Bowshier
Lindsey is the President of Tribute Media. Her degree is in English and Communication with an emphasis in Journalism, her background is in copywriting and content marketing, and she's had pretty much every job at Tribute Media since she joined the agency in 2014. Outside of work, Lindsey participates in a "super-cool-not-at-all-nerdy" writing group. Her favorite writer is Dorothy Parker.
