Now, what exactly is the Customer Journey?

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It is the journey that a customer takes from the moment they become aware of a need, through consideration and purchase decision, to the post-sales, retention and loyalty stages. In short, it is the process that you go through from your first contact with our brand to becoming, ideally, a faithful ambassador for our brand.
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Why is it essential to map the Customer Journey?

Although all companies have this journey implicit, many have not clearly identified it. Mapping it is crucial because it allows us to understand the buying process from the perspective of the customer, not the company. In doing so, we detect opportunities for optimize the experience, reduce friction and cover gaps at every stage

For example, understanding how a customer comes to know us, what resources they use along the journey and what points of contact they generate positive or negative emotions, allows us to design more effective strategies that better accompany our prospects on their journey and favor their satisfaction.

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The stages of the Customer Journey in the B2B context

When mapping the Customer Journey, it is essential to consider the differences between B2B and B2C contexts to ensure the desired impact. In the B2B field, the customer journey has key features that we must take into account:

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1. It's not linear: B2B buying processes usually last for weeks or even months. Often, the Buyer Persona Doesn't make decisions individuallyl; these decisions fall on multifunctional teams or purchasing committees, where roles such as area managers, financial directors and end users of the product or service are involved. This process involves evaluation cycles, vendor comparison and internal reviews before making a decision.
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2. Different paths: unlike the B2C context, where decisions tend to follow a more homogeneous pattern, in B2B, each customer can follow completely different paths in their buying process. Some can prioritize the search for success stories or references from other clients, while others prefer to perform pilot tests or request technical demonstrations. This means that each interaction must be adapted to the customer's specific needs and pain points at that point in the journey.

So how do we do it at TreSPI? Although it's not a straitjacket, we rely on the Gartner model to structure our approach. This model serves as a starting point for us to better understand the buying journey, but we always adapt it according to the specific needs of each client. The key stages are:

1. Awareness ()
Located in the “Top of the Funnel”, it is where the customer recognizes a need or problem and begins to look for solutions. This stage usually focuses on research and not on specific vendors. This is where we should focus on creating relevant content that captures their attention and educates them about possible solutions.
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2. Consideration
At this point, the customer is already aware of the available options and compares providers to decide which one can best meet their needs. Our role is to provide clear information, differentiate ourselves from the competition and facilitate evaluation.
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3. Decision
At this stage, customers often participate in meetings with pre-selected suppliers to deepen the value proposition. They can also perform tests as demos or pilots to evaluate if the solution meets their specific needs. The sales team plays a crucial role in ensuring that these interactions are clear, decisive and build trust, helping the customer to make an informed final decision.
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4. Retention
Once the purchase has been made, the focus is on accompanying and educating the customer about the use of the product or service purchased, ensuring their satisfaction and encouraging their continuity.
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5. Loyalty
At this stage, we seek to turn our customers into brand ambassadors, people who genuinely recommend our products or services. The key is to maintain close relationships and provide consistent value that exceeds your expectations.

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How to map the B2B Customer Journey?

The mapping starts with identify clear objectives, such as reducing friction or improving critical points on the route. Some key steps include:

1. Define the Buyer Persona: understand who the customer is, how the purchasing committee is formed, their roles in the decision-making process and how they interact with our brand.
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2. Identify stages and touchpoints: document every point of contact between the customer and our brand, from the first announcement to support interactions.
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3. Mapping emotions: evaluate the emotions associated with each stage of the journey, from positive experiences that generate trust to friction points that cause dissatisfaction.
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4. Prioritize improvements: analyze the most critical points and design strategies to address the most important challenges.

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Who is in charge of the Customer Journey?

The Customer Journey is a key tool within a broader strategy: Customer Experience (CX), which refers to How a customer perceives their interaction with our brand at every touchpoint. Optimizing the Customer Journey is essential to offering a comprehensive and satisfying customer experience.

Customer Experience is an organization-wide effort, each member must have the “chip” to think about how to contribute from their role to the customer journey. From marketing to support, to sales and product, all teams must work collaboratively to ensure that the experience is smooth, consistent and aligned with customer expectations and business objectives.

Now, the marketing team, which has evolved beyond being on the sales side, plays a key role as a facilitator, supporting not only the sale, but also the support, product and customer service areas.

Every department plays an essential role in the customer journey, from attracting prospects to promote retention and loyalty. Interdepartmental collaboration is essential to ensure that the experience is fluid, coherent and effective at every stage.

Understanding and optimizing the Customer Journey not only improves customer satisfaction, but it also directly impacts key metrics such as retention, return on investment and lifetime value. It is an exercise that requires commitment and strategic vision, and therefore, it must be a priority shared by everyone within the company.