Why You Need a Sales Path

Sales.  It often feels like a four letter word, but it shouldn't.  Sure, nobody likes a sleazy salesman, but sales really shouldn't have to be pushy anyway.  Sales should be simple.  Simple for a customer to find what they want and simple for them to pay for it.  To pay a lot for it, and to buy it again, and again, and again.  

But if the process is difficult, this isn't going to happen.  This is why it is critical for your business to strategically create a well defined sales path - i.e. the buyer’s journey with your business - which is the process of introducing a customer to your business and providing them with a step-by-step path to move from being a prospect to becoming an ideal customer (i.e. buyer).  

We teach that a buyer’s journey (i.e. sales path) should have four clearly defined steps: Find it. Taste it. Love it. Lock into it.

Step 1: Find It

The very first step in the sales path is for the customer to find your business.  There are many different ways that your business can be found - these are called channels and include things like referrals, seeing your store from the road, social media, web traffic, or even paid advertising like billboards, print, and mailers.  The goal in this step is to make a potential prospect aware of your existence - they need to find you before anything else can happen.

Step 2: Try It

Once a potential customer has discovered your business, the next step is for them to test the waters and get a feel for your business.  The natural progression of a customer is not to jump from discovering a business to being a loyal fan - just like most don’t get married after the first date, it takes steps to get there.  The progression is that a customer really wants to try your product or service before they commit on a larger scale.  This often means that they want to see what you have to offer BEFORE THEY PAY for anything.  Like a free sample in a mall food court, they want to make sure the water is okay before they get in.  The goal in this step is to help a prospect decide that they want to be a customer.

Step 3: Love It

Once a customer has decided that they like what they see, the next step of the sales path is for the customer to make an entry-level purchase.  They aren't jumping all in, but are willing to get their feet wet with a noncommittal purchase.  This is often a lower priced product or service that is a one-time purchase with no ongoing commitment.  Customers may come and go from your business at this stage without a rhyme or reason as they are sort of outliers and maybe even sort-of regulars, but not necessary loyal to your businesses.  The goal of this stage is to build trust and to move them into the final stage of the sales path: Lock Into It.