Understanding The Customer’s Journey: Why It’s So Important

This blog post will cover

• The customer buying journey
• Status quo vs desired outcome
• Creating doubt: Why it’s so important

The Customer Buying Journey

Customer journey mapping is the process of mapping out and understanding the processes that a customer goes through from first being aware of your company to the final act of buying (hopefully). It is made up of 4 stages; Awareness, Interest/Consideration, Decision, Retention. In this campaign, I have control up till the decision stage, so that’s what we’ll be focusing on. 

Status Quo vs Desired Outcome

One other important concept to understand when it comes to your business is a prospect’s status quo (current situation) and compare it to their desired outcome. My job as a marketer is to find out not just the whats, but the whys and hows that are lost in the mess. Here’s how I understand how this pans out:

Example: Weight Loss Journey

Status Quo: (Highlight pain points)

• Seeing no results from your actions, which are;
• Going to the gym
• Doing more cardio
• Controlling your caloric intake
• Trying out so many expensive-to-change diets; keto, intermittent fasting
• All this but NOTHING works
• This cycle is very demotivating and they feel like quitting

Desired Outcome: (Highlight their dreams)

• Losing weight quicker and faster
• Being more happy and confident in their bodies
• Being able to eat good food while still smashing their fitness goals
• The journey becomes less struggling and more enjoyable
• Fitness is now an integral aspect of their life

Positioning your Service as the Bridge:

Your job as a marketer is to figure out how the service or product you sell is going to form a bridge for the customer to cross from status quo to their desired outcome.

Why Creating Doubt in their Mind is Important

Great, you’ve identified the past, the present, and the future. Now in order for the customer to actually be sold on your product, they need to truly believe that they need it. And that comes from believing that they WON’T be able to do it on their own; sounds harsh, but here’s the harsher truth:

Let’s go back to our weight loss journey earlier on. We identified that the prospect was unable to see any results despite doing the most for his health, and that this demotivating cycle would eventually lead him to quit. Progress: none.

But, as the expert that you are, in your many years of helping people get their desired bodies, YOU (or the business owner) knows the ins and outs of what works and what doesn’t. You know what sort of diet, training plan, and lifestyle this prospect should be having if he wants to achieve his goals. That’s why convincing the prospect that they won’t be able to do it themselves and hence need your help is not only beneficial for you, but for them as well as you are able to provide them the dream life they want.

Read this next blog to find out how I’m applying this exact strategy for my second client.

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