Knowing what customers want and need is the key to successful marketing. But if you have the right mechanisms in place, finding out isn’t difficult. What’s really challenging for business leaders and marketers is persuading consumers to choose your products or services instead of those offered by competitors.
If you can’t understand why one of your direct competitors is experiencing strong sales growth while yours are stagnant, it’s time to walk in the shoes of your target customers. How do you do this? By creating a customer journey mapOpens a new window .
What Is a Customer Journey Map?
A customer journey mapOpens a new window charts the journey of a typical customer throughout the purchasing process. It is the sum of the experiences between the consumer and the brand — and not just the processing of transactions.
The average customer journey starts with the initial exposure to your brand. Imagine someone sees a social media ad for your home decorating service. They see that you’re a growing, family-run organization that specializes in interior design.
The customer wants to get their bathroom completely redecorated, so they call your office. One of your administrators answers the phone, and talks the customer through the different services on offer. The customer then hangs up, and thinks about things for a couple of days.
While the customer like what they initially heard, they want to know more. They visit your website, and peruse the “About Us†page. After a brief visit to your “Services†page, they decide to get in touch using the online contact form.
The person in charge of your website gives you the customer’s contact details, and you give her a call. After a long chat, she asks you to provide her with a quote, so you arrange a home visit.
You discuss your ideas, and listen to her requests. Armed with this information, you go away to work out your best quote — which you deliver by email. The customer replies within an hour, and asks you to go ahead with the work.
Once the work is completed, you send an invoice to the customer. The customer is very happy with the work, and tells three of her friends about you. She also invites you back to quote for the redecoration of her living room.
The journey began the moment the customer saw your social media post, and it ended the moment she told her friends about your fine work. But crucially, she came back to your company as a result of the experience she had.
A customer journey map is a visual representation of this entire interaction. It includes the phone calls, texts, emails and face-to-face meetings. By mapping the experience, you can assess the customer’s experience in detail, and identify any areas that can be improved.
Creating a Customer Journey Map
The most effective customer journey mapsOpens a new window are created in chronological order. Beginning with the customer’s initial contact with your brand or company, log every “touchpoint†between your organization and the average customer. Every time you or one of your colleagues communicates with the customer, record the moment on your map.
Get an Unbiased View of Your Sales Process
Forming an objective view of your own sales process is difficult — particularly if you created it. Ask someone you trust to pick apart the customer journey, step by step. And to gain an understanding of what your customers think about the process, create customer feedback surveys that ask the most pertinent questions.
Record the Actions Taken at Each Stage
Under each “touchpointOpens a new window ,†record the various interactions that typically take place. For example, during your first phone call, what questions does the customer usually ask? Are you or one of your colleagues able to answer common questions via every means of communication? Record the various actions both you and the customer take at every stage.
Identify Key Motivations
At each stage of your typical customer journey, what does it take to motivate the customer to advance to the next stage of the sales process? For instance, if discounts tend to persuade customers during the first interaction, record this on your map.
Identify Obstacles
At every “touchpoint,†make a list of the common obstacles that can get in the way of completing a sale or moving to the next stage of the process. Do logistic issues become a concern? Does cost prove to be a barrier? Does one or more of your company policies stop people from committing to your company? Do customers tend to turn to your competitors at a certain stage of the sales process?
Create a Highly Visual and Descriptive Map
Create a visual customer journey map with lots of diagrams, annotations and color-coding to make assessing the process a relatively simple process. The map can then be used as a point of reference during discussions with colleagues.
You should find that each “touchpoint†between your business and the customer includes several different scenarios and outcomes. List them all, but try to stick to one or two words for each.
When you fully understand your sales process from the point of view of your customers, you can tailor it to maximize both customer service and sales.