As salespeople, we are trained to ask questions that uncover the needs of our prospects and then create a tailored solution based on the products we have to sell.
We present a solution and then explain why the products we recommend make sense. However, as a result of today’s complicated world of marketing, there is a need to evolve and improve because there is a key piece we often forget — consumer behavior.
From TV Screens to Inbox: Navigating the Modern Consumer Journey
Here is a little story that might sound familiar.
A few weeks ago, while watching TV, a commercial for a furniture store aired. The ad was a picture of a sectional, and being in the market for a new sofa grabbed my attention. I immediately Googled the name of the store on my phone and clicked on a link to their site.
Once there, an ad immediately popped up urging me to sign up for their emails to receive discounts and inspiration. Knowing that I was very interested in purchasing a sofa in the very near future, I signed up. I spent some time on the site looking at (and configuring) their sectionals before shutting it down for the night.
The next day, as I was scrolling through Instagram, I saw an ad for the furniture store in my feed. Later that day, an email was waiting in my inbox about an upcoming savings event. The furniture store was hoping to persuade me as I moved through my consumer journey.
The Power of the Consumer Journey
Understanding how consumers move through their journey from awareness to purchase gives you insight into how and where to influence them.
When you present a solution in the context of the consumer journey instead of the product mix, it makes it clear that each piece is essential to influence the consumer as they move through their journey properly. Presenting your solution this way helps to greatly reduce the likelihood that the prospect will want to cut out some part of your solution because they can clearly see the role that each place plays in driving their desired business results.
The furniture store did a great job attracting attention during the TV commercial. They kept me engaged through Instagram ads and email marketing. Their savings event motivated me to visit the store, and they converted me into a happy customer. I was happy to advocate for the store by showing off my new sectional in my social media feeds once it arrived.
This is exactly what you want for your customers (and prospects) — to see how your solutions can affect their target persona's consumer journey and the importance of each strategic tactic you're proposing at each point of the journey.
Presenting with the Consumer Journey in Mind
When solutions are presented to match the target persona's consumer journey, it’s important to position them so the prospect understands how you and your company's solutions will help them:
- Attract a consumer
- Engage that consumer
- Convert them into a customer
- Eventually, have that happy customer Advocate for their company
When you present the solutions based on the product mix, it’s too easy for the prospect to see certain aspects of your solution as the cherry on top of the sundae. They see it as a nice option but not something essential because they don’t understand the role that each product will play in achieving the results they want.
When you present the solution in the context of the consumer journey, it is clear where each capability will impact the consumer along their journey – making it harder to pull one out and still get the same result. It’s like taking all the ingredients from the sundae and putting them in a blender to make a smoothie. No one tries to take out parts of the smoothie while drinking it!
*Editor's Note: This blog has been updated since its original publish date.
