The Customer Journey

1) Chunk their journey into stages: from where they start their journey to where they finish it.

2) Focus on the main things you need to understand and know about your customer.

• What motivates them to buy this product? 
• What will make them to buy from you?
• What do they value?
• What are their pains and frustrations.

Stage 1 What has brought my customer to me?

#1 What reason(s) are your customers coming to you?

E.g. If you are selling windows, they could have a problem and need a replacement, its a new build, refurbishment etc

#2 Where are they in their thought sequence?

Researching type of specification,  price comparisons, seeking advice. 

#3 What conclusions do they need to make?

Give them all the information they need to make them feel comforable and confident in making their conclusions.

• The product fits their need.
• The value of the product is worth the price.  
• They see you as a trusted and credible person/business to deal with and deliver the product.  
• Straightforward to purchase. 

Useful exercises to understand your customers' mindsets better.

• Find someone/group who is like that customer group. E.g. people who are interested in healthy food will potentially be interested in other health products. 
• Go and talk to people (friends, work colleagues) who are like your target customer.
• Post on social media asking for what they think of ...
• Role play in a group and be in character of your target customer. Their frustrations and needs etc. 
• Track key customers' experiences as they traverse through their journey with your product/service. Look for 'disconnections' and 'delights' throughout their experiences.
• Diverse Teams - Send your managers to work with the sales and customer care teams to develop a deeper understanding on how to serve them better. 
• Engage through Events - Create an event e.g. Leadership & Innovation and invite your top customers. Two-way interaction/workshop will give you insights into their mindsets and later help you influence them.
• Vision your customers' tomorrow - construct different scenarios and brainstorm different outcomes.