The Sales Customer Journey: A better way to stress-free sales days

In this three-part series, we will discuss how a well-thought-out sales strategy can dovetail into a marketing customer journey. The series will end with a fresh perspective on business development and how a change in mindset will build BD Managers into a significant force in any business. Of course, there is much complexity to all of this, but I want to break it down to the most essential components.

The Sales Customer Journey - Part 1

Understanding the sales customer journey is essential for any salesperson aiming to convert prospects into loyal advocates for a brand and begin to properly divide their time between “hunting” and “farming. The journey comprises several key stages: Awareness, Consideration, Interest, Purchase, Retention, Loyalty, and Advocacy. Each stage reflects the customer's different thoughts and behaviours, requiring specific interactions from the sales team. Here is a brief look at the Sales Customer Journey Process, which will guide you through the step-by-step path you must follow.

Research Stage

At the beginning of the journey, you must focus on understanding your prospects' needs and the market landscape. Look for how your products or services can be used by various businesses or customers – in my experience, you think outside of the box. An example from my career came from a food company that made hot dogs, and in this case, we developed some that had some fun flavours with more of a sausage bit to them, but they were skinless like any hot dog. At the outset, I realized that a product like that could be served to long-term care facilities due to its lower sodium content and less resistance to the bite (yep, many of us will lose our teeth at some point!). It opened a vast opportunity in healthcare and to the industry's distributors.

Start by identifying potential customers' needs. This foundational step helps you effectively tailor your approach to address these specific needs. Make sure to look at geographic locations and consider the seasonal needs of those places. Study the demographics and psychographics, homing in on generational emotional and rational decision-making. Don’t forget to look at all the sales verticals, such as various retail environs or unique locations like industrial, government, education, etc. Your plan must also include your company’s abilities and capacity to serve. Understand what you can promise and what success looks like for each customer you approach. Develop a comprehensive sales plan that aligns with these needs, ensuring you have a clear strategy. Your preparation should include route planning to reach key decision-makers within target companies and geographic locations to avoid wasting travel time and getting more done daily. This planning phase sets the stage for future interactions, making your approach more targeted and efficient. Lastly, be prepared to understand your customer's size and scope so you can prioritize their business—more on that as we progress.

Awareness Stage

In the Awareness stage, your potential customers learn about different companies and their offerings. This is your chance to make a solid first impression. Participating in industry events like trade shows can significantly increase your brand's visibility. These shows are expensive to have a booth, so consider simply attending and pressing the palm with potential customers. I have also had good luck with focusing on renting a room at a venue close by and creating a branded event that trade show attendants and prospects want to take time away from the tradeshow to visit. Cold calling can take up much time, and patience, care, and skill are required not to rush the sale and scare off the potential business. Realizing this is a first date and a marriage proposal makes everyone feel awkward. The goal here is to establish your presence and begin building relationships, and only on rare occasions will you close the sale quickly. Above all, you want to use this opportunity to find reasons to come back again (a second date?). Please think that through before you get too far into the initial prospecting phase. There's more to these first meetings, which will unfold in the rest of this series, but you have enough to do now.

Consideration Stage

As customers enter the Consideration stage, they start comparing different options and evaluating what each company can offer them. This is where you need to highlight what makes your company unique. Emphasize your competitiveness, the strengths of your sales and marketing efforts, and your brand's unique value propositions. Providing detailed sales materials that showcase the benefits and unique selling points of your products or services can help customers see why they should choose you over your competitors. With all of that in mind, realize that these are real people you are meeting with, and they unintentionally make emotional decisions first before rationalizing those feelings with product features. The best salespeople don’t jump in with a pack of features meant to win the sale; they know how to ask leading questions that narrow desire in your products. Much of that comes down to brand values, not buttons and nobs, like car commercials that sell the swoopy landscapes and adventure, not the engine power. The best yet is to know as much about your competition as possible. You will likely be asked to compare and contrast, so be ready.

Interest Stage

I add this stage because it meshes later with marketing, but this is where you will start to arrive at objections and the need to begin price negotiations, making it different from consideration, as emotions play a lesser role. Customers who show interest delve deeper into specific offerings, seeking detailed information and weighing the pros and cons. You provide transparent pricing and comparative information, helping them make informed decisions. Address any concerns or objections they may have promptly and thoroughly. This stage is about building trust and ensuring that customers feel confident in moving forward with your company. If you feel it, you can throw out a couple of test closes. Try a “small item close” for fun. Back at my first sale job, I used to close many VCRs (video cassette recorder - a thing used to record TV shows back in the day kids), by closing them on a head cleaner to maintain the machine. That seriously dated me, didn't it? This is the right time to bring in samples or show how your service performs. Depending on your product or service, try the “puppy dog close” – nobody takes a dog back to the shop after taking it home to see if they like it! If you aren’t ready to try that, ask for the sale! How about, “What’s the best time to drop that off?”. Be bold!

Purchase Stage

Once customers are ready to purchase, they seek assurance of value and support. Ensure timely follow-ups and meetings by keeping a well-maintained sales calendar. Offering product samples or trial periods can instill confidence in the product, showing your commitment to customer satisfaction. You aim to ensure a smooth and reassuring purchase experience at this stage. Tie in your customer service team if you have that available. If you have a CRM (customer resource management application), this is where you want to spend time and effort in documenting, planning, and setting up communications. Please be aware that this is where you NEED a team behind you. This is where a transition for that customer into your company and team will give you more time to continue hunting for new prospects while your team builds a loyal customer. Don’t make the mistake of taking full ownership of your customer base. You will get overwhelmed soon and won’t do an excellent job of prospecting or servicing your customers. You won’t hit your goals.

Retention Stage

After the purchase, customers evaluate their experience and the value they get from it. Continue to support them with follow-up product applications, providing advice and tips to maximize their product use. Engage customers with demonstrations and exclusive events to enhance their experience further. Focus on long-term satisfaction and value creation, emphasizing the customer's lifetime value. A customer's lifetime value is a way to consider the customer's entire relationship with your company rather than the power of a single sale. Get a broader perspective on how long that customer will be with you. How many products will they eventually buy? Not all of your product line needs to be purchased today. In many cases, this is a much longer game. There is nothing like getting regular orders from a customer without a lot of sales effort. Work with others in your company to develop a more robust understanding of the customer so servicing can be handled by the team. Think of this stage as cultivating the land, reseeding, and harvesting crops. You can also step back on the intensity of the visits to focus on prospecting for new customers. If you like "hunting" or "farming" better, what you excel at, and what your company demands of you, you can adjust your percentages between the two strategies.

Loyalty Stage

As customers strongly prefer your brand and products, your focus should shift to maintaining and nurturing this loyalty. Introduce new products or services to meet their evolving needs, keeping them engaged and invested in your brand. Organize loyalty events that reward and recognize their continued support. Offering incentives for continued business and referrals can further strengthen their loyalty.

Advocacy Stage

Finally, when customers become enthusiastic promoters of your brand, you reach the Advocacy stage. Encourage satisfied customers to refer others, leveraging their positive experiences to create new awareness cycles. This stage not only brings in new potential customers but also reinforces the loyalty of existing ones. Work with your team to amplify these good vibes to the market.

The attached Sales Customer Journey Map is a strategic tool that helps you understand and anticipate customer needs at each stage of their journey. The best part is that you can now take the pressure off the initial sale and know there will be a time and place to close the sale. You won’t feel the need to do everything all at once. Your closing ratio will skyrocket, and so will your happiness quotient. You can create more personalized and effective engagement strategies by aligning your interactions with the customer's mindset. Solid research and planning are foundational to this process, ensuring that every step is intentional and geared toward building lasting customer relationships. Following this structured path enhances the likelihood of closing sales and fosters long-term loyalty and advocacy. By mastering this journey, you will be well-equipped to turn prospects into loyal advocates for your brand.

?

Stay tuned for next week when we go over the Marketing Journey Map. You will see how marketing will make you a more efficient salesperson, close sales more effectively and get customers to loyalty faster. I know most salespeople view marketing as a siloed series of events with nothing to do with sales - a cost rather than a value-add. In the last part of our series, I will show you how the two can work together to achieve amazing company results!