89% of buyers say they are more likely to consider a brand if a seller changes the buyer’s way of thinking

Remember the importance of educating your buyer.

This is why I advocate for small businesses to organize their customer journey (buying process) around an education phase. An educated customer that changes the way they think about getting a result is a great customer.

Most small business marketers view the customer journey from a very traditional and outdated point-of-view with stages such as Awareness, Consideration, and Purchase, but for years I’ve promoted and consulted on executing a more holistic and effective approach in this “customer centered era” we live in today.

Education for a small business is the GREAT equalizer.

Spend time with your buyers to understand their problems, explain your processes, why you are different, and what value you bring. This will all translate into information that your customers use to change their way of thinking.

Another benefit of using my customer journey approach (Awareness, Education, Sample, Purchase and Refer) is that you’re armed with a repeatable methodology. Every client can be educated the same way, sample your expertise the same way, converted the same way, and the referral process can be managed the same way.

You not only have a repeatable process for mapping out the evolving relationship your prospects have with your organization in a way that makes sense to service, sales, and marketing, but you also have a repeatable process for their experience.