Although no two decision journey/purchase decisions are the same, buyers typically pass through three stages in their thought process before making any sort of choice. These stages include: 1) the awareness stage; 2) the consideration stage; and 3) the decision stage.
Awareness
The first stage in the decision journey, awareness, happens in two parts:
1) buyer becomes aware of a personal need; and
2) buyer becomes aware of your company with respect to that need.
Once the buyer realizes that they have a need that needs filling, they begin to search for a solution (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015). This part of the awareness stage is done solely by the customer - marketing has very little control.
The customer then begins to conduct research. How do you as a marketer ensure that they become aware of your company? One way to make certain that potential customers are finding your content is by making sure that you have an effective SEO strategy (Source: Smart Bug Media, 2014). Once ensuring that an effective strategy is in place, it is your job to create content that is focused on your buyer’s pain points, not just on your product or brand (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015).
72% of buyers will turn to Google and enter keywords that give them more of an understanding of what it is that they are looking for (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015; Smart Bug Media, 2014; ). Understanding what common search terms are being used can make your SEO strategy more effective. So what exactly are customers looking for in a Google search? Research suggests that buyers are usually looking for educational material, customer reviews, and testimonials (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015).
Want to learn more about how you can tailor your content to each purchase decision stage? You can find our previous post, “Which Digital Content Types to Use For Each Purchase Decision Stage”, found here.
Buyers today are more empowered largely because they take an initiative to seek out information that they require to make a purchase decision. As they delve further into their research, they have a better understanding of what criteria they are looking for, which later allows them to prioritize their questions during sales presentations and product demonstrations (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015).
Interested in learning more about how customers today shop? May I suggest having a look at our infographic, “Today’s Buyers are more Empowered!”, found here. If you find this topic of interest, may I also suggest reading our previous post, “How an Empowered Buyer Impacts the Sales Process”, found here.
Consideration
Next buyers go through the consideration stage. They aren't quite ready to buy, but are certainly getting closer to narrowing down their decision.90% of business buyers say that when they are ready to buy, they will find you (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015).
Buyers are typically in this stage when they feel the desire to compare products (Source: Smart Bug Media, 2014). A comparison also allows them to eliminate products that do not fit into their criteria. It’s important to understand that at this stage, buyers do not want direct selling (Source: Smart Bug Media, 2014). They are still looking for information and doing further research before making a purchase decision.
If your buyer doesn’t have the final say in the purchase decision, this is the time when they will seek out final approval from upper management. These types of buyers generally look for specific information about pricing, ROI, and the bottom line in order to justify their expenditure to management (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015).
Where exactly a buyer stands in this decision making process can be difficult. Sales enablement is a great tool to help determine the answer to this question. Through sales analytic software, marketing and sales teams can track content consumption allowing for a determination of where exactly the buyer stands and how marketing can create content to fulfill this stage. In turn, the customer benefits tremendously because they aren't required to ask questions and makes him/her feel as though your company truly understands their needs prior to it being comunicated to you.
Haven’t heard of sales enablement? May I suggest reading our previous post, “What is Sales Enablement? A Sales Enablement Definition for 2015”, found here.
(Image Source: Xerago, 2013)
Decision
Your buyer is finally ready to purchase. They’ve approached you with some last minute questions, and you can tell they’re ready to move forward. At this point, customers will be thinking about preparation, implementation, quick start costs, and customer support (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015). These are some of the final questions that a customer will ask to help them to determine which solution best fits their needs and budget (Source: Sales Force Pardot, 2015).
From a sales perspective, it is here that your buyer becomes a sales qualified lead. Marketers must create content with one goal in mind: move the prospect even closer to the close (Source: Smart Bug Media, 2014). Sales enablement software can enhance content creation and content delivery at this stage as sales reps can customize and tailor marketing materials to the customer. The result - more engaging conversations. Customers also can receive virtually all types of content on any device even quicker than before.
Sales enablement tools effectively maintain and build relationships with leads at the decision stage. Integrated with your current CRM system, sales reps can record important customer information, conversations, and interactions. Keeping a record of all this information helps sales reps to continue with engaging conversations and allows them to keep in touch before and after the buying decision. Continuing to build relationships and following up with customers after a purchase helps to ensure that customers will consider you again when it becomes time for another purchase.
Not sure if sales enablement is for you? May I suggest you consider reading our previous post, “How to Determine the Right Sales Enablement Software”, found here.
While no two decision journeys are exactly the same, understanding how buyers typically make their way through the decision journey is important to the sales process. Understanding these three stages not only helps you to understand your buyer, it also assists you in successfully guiding customers through their decision journey at a faster rate through a simpler process.
[RELATED CONTENT] Mapping decision journeys is no easy feat without the right tools. Check out the case study below to find out why Urgo described Skura SFX access for their marketers as being 'like kids in a candy store!'
If you want to see Skura for yourself, feel free to book a demo and let us show you what decision journey excellence can feel like.
