Ever since it was developed, the sales funnel system has been the primary framework in business development. It is the process of finding and connecting with prospects to turn them into leads, and eventually to customers and repeat buyers. It has been the ideal setup, for a long time, in ensuring that a business avoid losing or “spilling” potential customers – individuals or other businesses.
The concept stems from the marketing tool AIDA, which means attention, interest, desire, action, and has the objective of building customer relationships.
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In the modern environment, though, the sales and marketing process is anything but linear, which is an assumption in the sales funnel system. There is a need for businesses to determine the different factors that affect customer behaviors to make sure that marketing resources and effort spent are converted into real sales.
This is where the customer decision journey (CDJ) steps in.
CDJ veers away from the funnel and focuses on the “circular” or looping journey a customer undergoes in deciding to purchase a product or service. Its phases are the following: initial consideration of the brand or supplier, active evaluation or information gathering about potential purchases, closure of the transaction, and post-purchase wherein the consumer experiences the product or service.
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By applying CDJ, a business can find out what matters to consumers, where to channel resources to maximize results, and foster a healthy relationship between marketing and sales.
Business executive Steven Rindner has a strong background in business and corporate development and growth strategy across various industries, namely, healthcare, media, technology, and real estate. Subscribe to this blog for more business articles.
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