Our customers take steps in a journey, not a slippery slide down a funnel
October 30, 2014
We've been using a very unfortunate metaphor for years: the sales funnel. Supposedly, leads are dropped into the top and slide out the bottom as customers. Yuck.
Actually, we are guiding contacts on a journey, and we need to think about the next step they have to take because we can't take it for them.
CMS Wire: Customer Journeys Trump the Traditional Sales Cycle, 2014-Sep-15 by Julie Hunt
To connect authentically to what customers need and want, customer journeys trump the traditional sales cycle. The sales cycle has been an inside-out process, tied primarily to sales goals and operations.
Learn more about tracking the customer journey at our companies:
How It's Done: http://www.slideshare.net/TPDashboard/touchpoint-dashboard-journey-mapping-guide-2014
Nuances of Using: http://www.slideshare.net/suitecx/frequently-asked-questions-about-customer-journey-mapping
Research on Its Effectiveness: http://www.slideshare.net/McK_CMSOForum/customer-experience-journey-webinar-v10-091713