The buyer’s journey is the journey through which the customer goes to make his/her purchase decision, from becoming aware of his/her problem (or his/her need) until payment.
We even think that the buyer’s journey includes customer onboarding and loyalty.
The buyer’s journey includes both the buyer's reflection and the actions he/she must take throughout this journey:
-What questions does he/she ask?
-What problems does he/she encounter?
-How does he/she get information according to his/her level of maturity?
-How does he/she make his decisions?
-How does he/she pay?
-How does he/she live as your customer?
Naturally, the list of questions is not exhaustive and will need to be completed/adjusted according to your context.
The 3 stages of a Buyer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey takes place in 3 stages:
-He/she becomes aware of a problem/need (Awareness).
-He/she identifies and compares existing solutions (Consideration).
-He/she seeks to validate his reflection and makes his decision to buy (Decision);
Awareness
At this stage of the buyer's journey, your prospect's maturity level is low. An element in his/her daily life has just made him aware of a problem.
So, He/she tries to:
Understand this problem.
Where it comes from.
To check if it is essential to solve it (or not).
Example: A company director has just received the 3rd resignation of an employee in only 6 months. In Awareness, he wonders why his collaborators resign so much.
Consideration (evaluation of solutions)
During this second stage of the buyer’s journey, the prospect has gained in maturity. He/she identified the causes of his/her problem. He knows that it is important to solve them and seeks the solutions at his/her disposal.
At this point, the prospect:
-Identifies the different existing solutions.
-Compare these solutions.
-Reflects on their implementation.
Example: the manager has understood that his employees were resigning because of unsuitable management. He/she identifies management training as a potential solution. Just like the recruitment of a new manager or the implementation of an employer branding strategy. According to his/her context, he/she thinks the last option is the best.
Decision (purchase decision)
We are at the end of the buyer’s journey. Now, the prospect is very mature. He/she has identified the solution that seems best to him and knows the market. He now seeks to validate that his decision is good to take action.
During this last step, he/she:
Searches for information on the chosen solution.
Takes note of opinions and feedback.
Challenges the selected service provider(s).
For example, the leader knows that the best way to stop the epidemic of resignations in the company and to recruit effectively is to work on his employer’s brand. He/she wants to be accompanied by an agency. He/she identified agencies A and B as relevant. He/she then agrees to enter a commercial approach with them.
