This document provides guidance to sales representatives on strategically guiding customers through the buying journey. It outlines 9 key stages: 1) building need, 2) discovery, 3) consideration, 4) decision, 5) purchase, 6) delivery, 7) usage, 8) retention, and 9) advocacy. For each stage, it provides example messaging, qualifying criteria, success metrics, sales tools, and instructions for updating the CRM with stage-specific details to help reps effectively engage customers and maximize deal conversion and renewal rates. The goal is to align marketing and sales processes to optimize the customer experience at each step of the buying cycle.

1. 01 Executive Summary
02 Situation Analysis
03 Planning
04 Administration
05 Measurement
06 Budget
01 Overview Strategic Service Design
02 Why Customer Journey Mapping?
03 Business Drivers
04 Step1. Target Market
05 Step 2. Buyer Personas
06 Step 3. Map the Journey
Strategic
Services Design
Designing for Growth
© 2015 MacInnis Marketing Strategic Service Design.
07 Step 4. Gather the Data
08 Step 5. Map sales and buyer journey
09 Step 6. Buyer Process refined
10 Step 7. Touch point by stage
11 Buying Stages revisited

2. Humanising Services
Strategic Service Design
Identify the
current Journey
Discover
Collect Insight
Identify Patterns
and Evaluate
Build profile
Anticipate
Vision
Set goals and
Align the
Experience
Technology
ProcessPeople

3. Customer Journey Mapping
There are many types of maps. Each have the key purposes:
Journey Maps
Process Identifying process flows, gaps and overlaps
Lifecycle Customer experience over their lifetime.
Web Optimization for the customer/ prospect journey.
Content How your audience will receive content from what sources
over time
Resource What you need to do and when

4. Marketing Insights
What Can You Learn From Journey Mapping
 Visualization – of touch points affecting our
prospects and customers
 Pain Points– shows where you can improve
pain point or customer satisfaction
 Prioritization- indicates order of urgency
 Integrated Marketing –creates integration
points for marketing
 Customer Centricity– allows the whole
organization to have one view of the
customer journey

5. Business Drivers
Potential Outputs Implications for Buyers
Communication
Strategy
Develop integrated communication strategy
through all the touch points
Personalisation
Operational Strategy Identify the infrastructure needed to support
customer centric environment
Process re-engineering Refine the process
Best practice sharing
Gaps and opportunities
Data Management Develop a Data Strategy (competitive,
communication, loyalty and satisfaction)

6. Step 1. Target Markets
What are the groups we are trying to target and what are their needs and wants

7. Step 2. Buyer Personas
Criteria Persona #1 – Executive Buyer
Job Title CIO or VP of I/T
Education MBA or PhD in Business, Advanced Technical Degree
Top Priority Aligning I/T strategy to business strategy
Need To find solutions that save the company money and minimize risk
Media Trade rags, Gartner, Forrester, TechTarget
Likes/Dislikes Do not like sales calls, likes high quality content aimed at buyers
Income $150,000/year+ salary
Objections Your solution will not ‘fit’ in our environment

8. BACKGROUND:
• Newly Married
• Family Income $120- $150K
DEMOGRAPHICS:
• Age Range 30-45
• Interests: Technology, photography,
Design
IDENTIFIERS:
• Buzz words: sustainable affordable
design, innovative construction,
First Home Buyer

9. GOALS:
• Primary goal: Stop paying rent
• Secondary goal: Have a new home
CHALLENGES:
• Affordability
• Finance options
• Location suitable
HOW WE HELP:
First Home Buyer

10. MARKETING MESSAGING:
ELEVATOR PITCH:
First Home Buyers

11. Step 3. Map the Customer Journey
• Map the experience
• Plot the customer interactions on a map

12. What is the Customer Journey?
+
-
Research Try Buy Evaluate
Actions
Emotions
Questions or Needs
Touchpoints
journey

13. Step 4. Data Gathering
Gather data from customers on their experience going through each of the stages of the customer journey to
feedback back into the map
Stages Implications for Buyers
Pre-construction What was the experience like before you built?
• Research
• Communication
• Information
• Experience
• Gaps
Construction What was the construction phase like
What could we improve your experience
What did you like
Post Construction What was the post construction phase like
Improvements
Lifecycle

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Plot the new journey

15. How can the buying process & sales
process align:
Changes could be:
• Data entry and capture
• Assets used at each stage
• Feedback mechanisms
• Communication process
Stage 5. Map buyer and sales process together

16. Stage 6. Buying Process Stage Map
This tool will provide Sales Reps with insight into the buying process and how your sales process and types of assets & content align
with each stage.
Customer Stage Need Discovery Consideration Decision Review
Description Buyer aware they have
problem
Search for solutions Assessment of
alternatives
Purchase product that fits
their needs and problems
Did the purchase
accomplish its objective?
Key Questions to Ask Do I need this? What are
my requirements?
What differentiates you
from the competition?
Is solution easy-to-use?
Implementation time?
How can I prove ROI? Is the solution providing
value?
Duration 1 Day 30-90 Days 30-60 Days 15 Days On-going
Influencers Thought Leaders, Blogs Review sites,
customers, competitors
Customer Service, I/T,
Senior Executives
Senior Executives, I/T,
References
Internal users, business unit
leaders, senior executives
Sales Action Attention Educate Explain Reassure Maintain
Content Build need into key
messaging, blog posts
Infographics, viral
videos, analyst reports
eBooks, white papers,
demo videos, case studies
Pricing sheets, ROI
calculators, testimonials
Satisfaction survey, product
roadmap, new features
Messages Key benefits like save
time or money
Points of differentiation Solution is easy to use
and implement
Solution has positive ROI,
and is self-funding
We are here to help 24/7
Sales Cycle Stage Prospect Qualification Demo Proposal Contract/Purchase

17. Stage 7. Content Model by customer Journey

18. Stage 7. Marketing Goals by customer Journey
STAGES UNAWARE AWARE ATTENTION
INFORMATION
GATHERING
EXPERIENCE SIGN UP/SALE REFERRAL
Killarney Homes
Sales
Stages
Discovery
Prospecting
Consideration
Qualified
Opportunity
Review
Decision
Win/ Loss
Customer
Thoughts
Don't know anything
about you or your
company Yes we know about
Cadwell
They want more
information and are
ready to explore
working with you
We need a price
At this stage, they
may be ready for a
"taste" or an
"EXPERIENCE" prior to
purchase
The lead becomes a
customer when they
sign the agreement
and pay.
The customer is
happy to refer you
after experiencing
great service and
wants to tell your
story and REFER you
to their network
Marketing Stages Ideal Target Market Build a Connection Prospect Lead Qualified Lead Customer then Client Advocate
Content Strategy
Industry reports/
Whitepapers
Info graphics
Blog Post
Video Intro
Video
PR releases
How to Guides
Webinar
Project Profiles (web)
RIO calculators
Pricing guides
Information Pricing
Testimonials, EOI
Tender docs
Tender Panel
Survey O&MS
Survey
catch up E-News
PR releases
Articles
Distribution
Website
Social Media
PRwire
Website
Social Media
PRwire
Website
Social Media
PRwire
Email Email
Email
Social
Email
Blog
Social
Marketing / Sales
Stages
MARKETING, attract,
educate, interact,
nurture, manage,
track = 70%
MARKETING, attract,
educate, interact,
nurture, manage,
track = 70%
MARKETING, attract,
educate, interact,
nurture, manage,
track = 70%
SALES, qualify,
present proposals,
answer objections,
close, manage
SALES, qualify,
present proposals,
answer objections,
close, manage
SALES, qualify,
present proposals,
answer objections,
close, manage
SALES, qualify,
present proposals,
answer objections,
close, manage
Stage 7. Content Model by customer Journey

19. Stage 7. Content Calendar

20. Stage 7. Marketing Goals by customer Journey
Customer Lifecycle Stage Smart Objectives Strategies to achieve KPIs
Reach
Increase brand awareness on web,
social sites
Increase New Monthly visits to
website by +25% in 12 months
Increase the resources we have on
the site, content relevant to target
market audiences
New Organic Visits to the site
Act
Increase audience interaction
Increase organic traffic and reduce
paid
Make some content opt in.
Increase social promotion by
adding expert information
Use paid to distribute white papers
Increase Leads per content
download
Convert
Increase conversion rates from
lead to sales off and online
Increase our lead to customer rate
From 0 to 2%
Create Lower funnel assets that
improve the performance of our
nurture programs
Lead to customer conversion rate
%
Engage
Increase long term customer
loyalty and advocacy
Leverage technology to improve
personalisation of returning leads
Form capture and personalisation
of campaigns
Customer Surveys

21. Stage 8. Sales Opportunities:
This page of the Playbook should provide Sales Reps with a summary of the first play in your playbook. Add more plays as necessary.
Play #1 Rock the buying process
Description In this section include a brief summary of this play and why sales reps should expect success by running it. It might include information on existing
customers who are happy with your solution, how you transformed their business, or your key differentiators against the competition.
Market Drivers • Rent
Buyer Personas New Home Owner Families
Key Challenges • Other key challenge or pain points
Our Solutions Enter the products you have that address this particular sales
situation
Enter any partner products that are part of the solution or professional services
that might be required to get your product implemented successfully
Best Use Cases Enter details about the specific environments that your solution would work best in
Recent Wins Add recent customers who have gone through the buying process and purchased the solution outlined in this play. These are great to inspire
confidence and remind sales reps to consider them as reference clients or collect testimonials.
Sales Strategies Include tactics and strategies for getting into a sales cycle with new prospects.

22. Stage 9. Buying Stages – To be customised
How do We Help Prospects Purchase?
The buying process, how it aligns to our sales process and specific information, tools and advice about how
to succeed in each stage.
 1 – Building the Need / Prospecting
 2 – Discovery / Qualification
 3 – Consideration
 4 – Decision / Proposal
 5 – Purchase / Contract

23. 1. Building the Need / Prospecting Stage
Building the Need in the Prospecting Stage
Key Messages In this section include some of the key messages or ‘talk tracks’ that top performing reps have been successful using to generate appointments to talk.
Contact Approach • LinkedIn Connection Request
• Ask for Intro on LinkedIn from a joint connection
• Send email to request meeting after prospect visits your website
• 10 phone calls a week until you book appointment
Content Assets by
Buyer Persona
New Home Owner Retiree
Key Objectives • Book a 30 minute discovery call to discuss needs
• Invite to upcoming webinar on ‘need-building’ topics
Success Metrics Enter the number of new prospects that sales reps need to add to the funnel each month to hit their quota, based on historical metrics from top reps.
What to Listen for: If there are key signals the buyers send to indicate an urgent need, enter those types of comments in here to help new reps listen out for hot prospects.
Sales Tools Include links to any sales tools you have that will help for this stage such as,
Updating CRM Include instructions and information that needs to be updated in the CRM system following the completion of this stage such as demo date, key
contacts, preliminary needs and requirements, etc.

24. 2.Discovery / Qualification Stage
Helping the Buyer Discover Your Solution in the Qualification Stage
Key Messages In this section include some of the key messages or ‘talk tracks’ that top performing reps have been successful using to qualify opportunities.
Qualification
Criteria
• Has budget to purchase in next 6-18 months
• Expressed explicit need for a solution that you can provide
• Has been active (online or phone calls) in past 60 days
• Decision-making authority to make a purchase
Content Assets by
Buyer Persona
New Home Owner
• Other content or assets that help to qualify need
Family
Key Objectives • Understand the decision-making process, key requirements, identify stakeholders, and determine timeframe for a decision
Success Metrics Enter the number of prospects that sales reps need to qualify each month to hit their quota, based on historical metrics from top reps.
How to Qualify Enter the key qualification questions here such as ‘who is involved in the decision-making process?’, ‘what is your timeframe for implementation?’, etc.
Sales Tools
Updating CRM Include instructions and information that needs to be updated in the CRM system following the completion of this stage such as key influencers,
decision timeframe, competitors, etc.

25. 3. – Consideration
Getting the Buyer to Consider Your Solution with a Solid Demo
Key Messages In this section include some of the key messages or ‘talk tracks’ that top performing reps have been successful using in the demo stage.
Impact Questions • How will a solution like this impact your company technically?
• If you don’t do anything, what is likely to occur?
• If we can save you 100 hours of time, how much is that worth to you?
• Can you visualize your organization after a solution like this is in place?
Content Assets by
Buyer Persona
First Home Buyer Family
Key Objectives
Success Metrics Enter the number of prospects that sales reps need demo each month to hit their quota, based on historical metrics from top reps.
Demo Tips Enter any specific tips that have worked well on past demonstrations, such as call structure, presentation advice, specific questions or analogies used.
Sales Tools
Updating CRM Include instructions and information that needs to be updated in the CRM system following the completion of this stage such as Opportunity Amount,
Close Date, Key Objections, Products & Services in Solution, Implementation Timeframe, etc.

26. 4. Purchase / Contract Stage
How to Win the Deal and Get the Contract Signed
Key Messages In this section include some of the key messages or ‘talk tracks’ that top performing reps have been successful using in the contract stage.
Things to Capture • Willingness to be a reference customer
• Ask if they will do a video testimonial
• Commitment to participate on a panel at a webinar or conference
• The reasons they chose your solution and any content gaps in the process
Content Assets by
Buyer Persona
First Home Ower
• Contract
Family
• Contract
Key Objectives • Send the purchase contract to be signed to close the deal
• Determine timeframe for implementation and kick-off dates
Success Metrics Enter the number of prospects that sales reps need send contracts to each month to hit their quota, based on historical metrics from top reps.
Contracting Enter any specific tips that have worked well for past contracts and how to smoothly transition to the delivery team for implementation
Closing the Deal Provide any instructions on how to ‘seal the deal’ such as requirements to go and visit the customer, how to prep them for implementation, etc.
Updating CRM Include instructions and information that needs to be updated in the CRM system following the completion of this stage such as Updated Opportunity
Amount, Updated Close Date, Implementation Kick-Off Date, etc.