Create YOUR Client Journey Map

Transcription

1 Create YOUR Client Journey Map What the heck is a client journey map? Only one of the most powerful tools you can have as you build your business! Seriously. Most business owners look at their marketing and their sales processes completely separately. Marketing becomes overwhelming (and ineffective) because there are hundreds of choices and thousands of decisions to make. What colors should you use? What should you tweet? Blog or podcast or video? Sales is challenging because it s hard to get people to move along from liking your Facebook page to actually buying from you. But it doesn t have to be that way, and I m about to share with you a very simple tool to help you overcome that overwhelm. It s called the Client Journey Map. The instructions are simple, but often my clients find this exercise challenging the first time through because they ve never thought of it endto-end. So if you find it challenging, I want to encourage you to keep at it. The insights and strategic payoff is so worth it! Instructions: 1. Start at the end with your client sale and move back each step to create your initial client journey. You may have three steps, or twenty-three steps. Whatever the number of steps, simply work your way backward until you get to the first contact. 2. Walk through the entire process from your client s point of view. What questions and blockers could keep that person from moving forward? 3. What marketing do you need in place to get your client from step 1 to step 2 and on until they finally buy from you? Page 1

2 Before we jump into the actual Client Journey Map, let s take a look at each stage your ideal clients could go through on their buying journey: Awareness Interest Evaluation Sale Client Refers Awareness: This is typically a person s first interaction with you where they become aware what you offer. They are usually a LONG way from buying anything at this point as they re trying to figure out what you offer. Interest: At the interest stage, this person is starting to pay attention to what you offer and beginning to think about how you could help them solve a problem they have. Evaluation: Now this person is definitely interested in you + your competitors. They re trying to see who they can trust, what really matters, who has a track record of success and so on. Knowing what they re looking for will help you move them into a sale! Sale: Whooo-hoo! You ve taken this person through your funnel and gotten a sale. Guess what? You re not done yet! Now it s time to WOW your client and turn them into a raving fan where they re referring more clients to you and becoming a lifetime client. Client Refers: Yes! This is a huge testament for your business creating a product/service/program that delivers results AND creates happy clients. Happy clients refer their friends, family and associates and that builds your business even faster. Repeat Business from Client Repeat Client Business: This is more advanced as you think about what else your clients may want from you. It s a lot easier (and a lot less expensive) to sell a happy client on MORE from you than it is to get a new client from Awareness To Sale. Page 2

3 Example Debbie s Doggie Day Care/ Dog Walking Business Here s an example of a simple client journey map Cathy Client hears about Debbie s Dog Walking Business Cathy Client visits website DebbiesDogWalking.com to learn more about my services Cathy Client reads client testimonials Cathy Client clicks on the Schedule a Time To Talk link to talk with me Cathy Client talks with me and asks lots of questions. I offer a trial run of my services. Cathy Client thinks about the trial run. I set up a call back next week. I call Cathy Client at our appointed time. She s ready to try out my services Cathy Client gets her GoPro video from her dog s trial walk and a report on her Doggie Daycare activities Cathy Client picks up Fifi, who is happy to see her and tired from a fun day. SALE: Cathy Client signs a 6-month agreement as a New Client (Whoo-hoo!) Cathy Client s dog Fifi joins a Tuesday walk and stays in Doggie Daycare for 3 hours. Referral: Cathy Client refers 3 friends to test out my service (Whoo-hoo!) Page 3

4 Now it s your turn. Map out the journey your clients take to get to a sale. Start at Step 11, the sale, and work backwards. Page 4

5 Next, write down what marketing supports each step of your client journey. For example: Cathy Client hears about Debbie s Dog Walking Business Awareness: flyers around town, ads in newspaper, Google ad words Cathy Client visits website DebbiesDogWalking.com to learn more about my services Interest: website, videos on YouTube, blog, testimonials Cathy Client reads client testimonials Interest: website, videos on YouTube, blog, testimonials Cathy Client clicks on the Schedule a Time To Talk link to talk with me Evaluation: easy to set a time to talk and answer all her questions Cathy Client talks with me and asks lots of questions. I offer a trial run of my services. Evaluation: easy to try us out before committing. Cathy Client thinks about the trial run. I set up a call back next week. Evaluation: follow up, show I m trustworthy I call Cathy Client at our appointed time. She s ready to try out my services. Evaluation: come to our facility, orientation w/ myself + staff, Fifi test drives our service Cathy Client s dog Fifi joins a Tuesday walk and stays in Doggie Daycare for 3 hours. Evaluation: client and Fifi test drive actual experience Cathy Client gets her GoPro video from her dog s trial walk and a report on her Doggie Daycare activities Evaluation: easing client concerns, showcasing fun Cathy Client picks up Fifi, who is happy to see her and tired from a fun day. Ask for Sale: reassure client, ask for sale, offer incentive SALE: Cathy Client signs a 6-month agreement as a New Client (Whoo-hoo!) Sale: send new client welcome pack + gift Referral: Cathy Client refers 3 friends to test out my service (Whoo-hoo!) Client Refers: thank client, give client and friend a gift Page 5

6 Your turn! What do you do for each step in your sales cycle? Page 6

7 Now you re ready to take it a step further and actually getting into the minds of your client. Know where they get stalled or stopped. And then figuring out a marketing tactic to help move them along faster. I believe that a good marketing strategy: Is laser-focused on the most important business goal that will increase your sales Highlights your competitive advantage and Creates passionate fans who become lifelong clients and vocal promoters of your business So the biggest question to ask yourself as you think about developing your strategy is: What is your most important business goal that will increase your sales? For about 95% of my clients, it s one of these five: Not enough people know about you (an awareness problem) The hook or message isn t attracting people (an interest problem) They re not showing why they re the BEST choice (an evaluation/credibility problem) They re not asking for the sale (a sales problem) They re not getting referrals (a sustainability and repeat business problem) Now think about your business. What would you identify as your most important business goal that will increase your sales? Awareness and/or lead generation you need more people to know about you Hook and/or message you need to emotionally engage people with you and your business Competitive differentiation and/or credibility you need to stand out from the crowd Sales you need to ask and/or make it easy for people to buy from you Referrals you need to make it easy for your clients to refer and/or do repeat business with you Something else Start by focusing your marketing efforts on the most important goal that will increase your sales. Once that is in fixed, go to the 2 nd most important goal and so on until you have your marketing funnel created. Page 7

8 That s it, congratulations! Taking the time to map out your client journey is a secret key that not many people talk about to create your marketing strategy. Now you re off to a strong start as you begin to laser-focus your efforts on marketing that delivers bottom-line results. This is just a sneak peek into the type of work I do with my clients in my private business coaching and marketing strategy programs. If you are a service-based business owner (like a coach, consultant, doctor, attorney, bookkeeper, web designer, etc ) and you re ready to take all the guesswork out of your marketing strategy, click here to grab your complimentary 30-minute Business Breakthrough Strategy Session where we can talk about the #1 thing you can do to move your business forward. This FREE strategy session is a great opportunity to speak with me live and get coaching on the big issue that you re struggling with in your business right now. Simply visit /strategy to grab your session today. Let s connect! Page 8