The buyer's journey describes the
process a typical business buyer takes as they move through the sales funnel.
It's their process, not yours.
The journey is not an administrative
process, but a cognitive one. The buyer moves from being complacent to
troubled, then becomes clear about needs and viable options, before deciding on
preferences and opening the way for an acceptable contract.
But the selling process does not - and cannot - precisely follow this path. There are steps the seller must take that are important for the seller that are not part of the buyer's journey. So how do you align these two journeys?
They should follow parallel paths.
The key is to walk through the journeys step by step and consider issues in
tandem. Start with the buyer's journey and ask yourself at each stage: 'what do
we have to do to help buyers move from one stage to the next?'
Consider, too, that as the seller
you must do things before the buyer's journey starts, and after it has
ended.
Your execution should focus on the
stages of the seller's journey. Your choice of tactics for your business should
be those best able to move your buyer through each stage of their
journey.
Consider the following sales process
which is aligned to the customer's buying journey
Consider the following sales process
which is aligned to the customer's buying journey
1.
Find new names in proven business lists.
and filter them to match your ideal customer profile.
and filter them to match your ideal customer profile.
2.
Position your business as a member of the
category
by sending potential buyers monthly invitations to house-branded events
by sending potential buyers monthly invitations to house-branded events
3.
Get independent speakers to 'trouble' buyers at
events by discussing
real-life examples of businesses that fail to address the problems you solve.
real-life examples of businesses that fail to address the problems you solve.
4.
Determine if they are sufficiently troubled
by reviewing responses to your post-seminar surveys.
by reviewing responses to your post-seminar surveys.
5.
Tele-market those with the highest scores on our
qualification matrix
and pass these names to the sales department only if they “score” well
and pass these names to the sales department only if they “score” well
6.
Get sales people to establish their credentials
in face-to-face meetings
7.
explaining measured ROI your customers have
gained.
8.
Help the buyer define their needs by conducting
a paid-for 'health check', with an offer
of a rebate of fees against future purchases.
9.
Review the results of the health check with the
buyer and
discuss key contract terms on a 'should we engage' basis to identify show-stoppers.
discuss key contract terms on a 'should we engage' basis to identify show-stoppers.
10. Propose
a solution that directly addresses agreed gaps.
Engage the buyer with confidence in your ability to address these gaps
by taking them on a tour of two existing customers' sites.
Engage the buyer with confidence in your ability to address these gaps
by taking them on a tour of two existing customers' sites.
11. Encourage
the buyer to select you as a preferred vendor
by conducting a direct competitive comparison against agreed gaps
by conducting a direct competitive comparison against agreed gaps
using third-party data to support your assertions.
12. Help
the buyer to enter into a contract by making the first steps simple and
affordable and condition them for future growth through user-group
presentations
highlighting
new applications of the technology.
Remember, your task is not to work buyers through your sales
process, but to help them along their buying path. .
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