Buyer Journey

What is the Buyer Journey?

The buyer journey is the active process prospects go through when becoming aware of a problem, considering solutions, making a purchase decision, and (hopefully) becoming loyal customers.

Unlike the sales funnel (which focuses on your selling process), the buyer journey focuses on the prospect's experience and decision-making process.

Buyer Journey Stages:

• Awareness: Realizing they have a problem
• Consideration: Researching potential solutions
• Decision: Evaluating and selecting a solution
• Retention: Post-purchase experience and expansion

Why the Buyer Journey Matters

Customer-Centric Selling

Modern buyers control their journey.

Old model: Salespeople controlled information flow and guided buyers through a defined process.

New model: Buyers self-educate and engage sellers on their terms.

Content Strategy

Journey stage dictates content needs.

Different journey stages require different content:

• Awareness: Educational content about problems
• Consideration: Solution comparisons and evaluations
• Decision: Validation, ROI proof, implementation details

Sales Engagement

Match outreach to journey stage.

Outreach that matches where prospects are in their journey performs better.

The Buyer Journey Stages

1. Awareness Stage

Prospects realize they have a problem.

Characteristics:

• Recently experienced pain or challenge
• Starting to research the problem
• Not yet evaluating specific solutions
• May not even know solutions like yours exist

• Educate, don't pitch
• Focus on problem articulation
• Build awareness of your category
• Capture contact information for nurture

2. Consideration Stage

Prospects evaluate potential solutions.

Characteristics:

• Understand their problem clearly
• Actively researching solution options
• Comparing vendors and approaches
• Narrowing down choices

• Demonstrate solution fit
• Provide comparisons and differentiators
• Address specific evaluation criteria
• Move toward qualification and next steps

3. Decision Stage

Prospects choose and purchase a solution.

Characteristics:

• Shortlist of 2-5 vendors
• Evaluating final details (pricing, terms, implementation)
• Stakeholder alignment in progress
• Timeline urgency increasing

• Address final objections
• Provide validation and social proof
• Negotiate terms and close deal
• Smooth handoff to onboarding

4. Post-Purchase (Retention)

New customers become successful users or churn.

Characteristics:

• Implementation and onboarding
• Value realization and ROI
• Expansion opportunities or churn risk
• Renewal decisions

• Ensure successful onboarding
• Identify expansion opportunities
• Maintain relationship for renewal
• Generate referrals and case studies

Buyer Journey vs. Sales Funnel

Mapping Your Buyer's Journey

Research

Understand how your buyers actually buy.

Research Methods:

• Interview recent customers about their journey
• Analyze win/loss patterns
• Review website and search behavior
• Talk to sales and customer success teams
• Survey prospects who chose competitors

Journey Mapping

Document the typical path.

Journey Map Elements:

• Key stages and milestones
• Touchpoints with your company
• Content consumed at each stage
• Decision makers and influencers
• Timeline and triggers

Alignment

Align your process with their journey.

Alignment Activities:

• Create content for each journey stage
• Train sales on journey-stage-specific messaging
• Build handoffs between stages
• Measure conversion through the journey

Key Takeaways

• Buyer journey = prospect's process from problem to purchase
• Stages: Awareness → Consideration → Decision → Retention
• Buyer-controlled vs. sales funnel which is seller-controlled
• Match content and outreach to journey stage for better engagement
• Research actual buyer journeys through interviews and data analysis
• Modern buyers self-educate—focus on being helpful, not pushy
• Map your journey to understand where to engage and how

Sources:
- HubSpot - The Ultimate Guide to the Buyer's Journey