The 3 Stages in the Buyer’s Journey

The first step in moving to an inbound sales model is understanding how your customers buy your product or service.

This is known as the buyer’s journey: the active research process someone goes through leading up to a purchase.

The process has three stages:

• The Awareness Stage
• The Consideration Stage
• The Decision Stage

Each stage asks a different question of the buyer, and each needs a different kind of help from you. Get it right and your marketing meets people where they are, instead of pushing a sale too early or arriving too late.

1. Awareness stage

Buyers notice a challenge they’re experiencing or an opportunity they want to pursue. They may not have a name for it yet. They’re trying to understand the problem, not shop for a solution.

Ask yourself:

• How do buyers describe their goals or challenges?
• How do buyers educate themselves on these goals or challenges?
• What are the consequences if the buyer does nothing?
• Are there common misconceptions buyers have about addressing the goal or challenge?
• How do buyers decide whether the goal or challenge should be a priority?

What helps at this stage

Educational content that names the problem in the buyer’s own words:

• Short articles and guides that answer common questions
• Social posts and videos that explain a problem simply
• Checklists or quick self-assessments

Keep the focus on the buyer’s problem, not your product. A hard sell here usually pushes people away.

2. Consideration stage

Buyers have clearly defined their goal or challenge and committed to addressing it. Now they’re evaluating the different approaches and methods available to solve the challenge or take the opportunity.

Ask yourself:

• What categories of solutions do buyers investigate?
• How do buyers educate themselves on the various categories?
• How do buyers see the pros and cons of each category?
• How do buyers decide which category is right for them?

What helps at this stage

Content that compares approaches honestly:

• Guides that explain the options, including when each one makes sense
• Comparisons, such as doing it yourself versus hiring help
• Webinars, explainer videos or detailed how-to articles

Being fair about the options builds trust, even when an option isn’t the one you sell.

3. Decision stage

Buyers have already chosen a solution category. Within that category, they may have a shortlist of offerings that best meet their needs, or they may be weighing the first solution they found.

Ask yourself:

• What criteria do buyers use to evaluate the available offerings?
• What do buyers like about your offering compared to alternatives?
• What common concerns do buyers have about your offering?
• Who needs to be involved in the decision? How does each person’s view differ?
• Do buyers want to try your offering before they buy it?
• Beyond the purchase, do buyers need to make other preparations, such as implementation plans or training?

What helps at this stage

Content that reduces risk and makes the next step easy:

• Clear service pages that explain what’s included and how you work
• Answers to common concerns, such as timelines, process and support
• Examples of your work, explained honestly
• A free consultation, trial or demo, where it fits your business

How to map your own buyer’s journey

You don’t need a big research project. An afternoon with your team is enough to start:

1. List your most common customer questions. Ask whoever talks to customers most.
2. Sort them by stage. Is the person still understanding the problem, comparing options or choosing a provider?
3. Check your content. For each question, do you have a clear answer on your website?
4. Fill the biggest gap first. Many businesses have plenty of decision-stage content and very little for awareness, or the other way around.
5. Review it each year. Buyers change, and so do the questions they ask.

When your content covers all three stages, your website can guide people from their first search to their first conversation with you. Our content marketing service is built around this kind of mapping.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Selling too early. Pushing a demo or quote on someone who is still learning about their problem.
• Only writing for the decision stage. If buyers can’t find you while they’re researching, a competitor shapes their thinking first.
• Using your own jargon. Buyers search in their words, not yours.
• Forgetting the other decision-makers. A partner, manager or finance lead may need different answers.

Conclusion

Buyers want to be educated, supported and guided through their buying process. A key part of an inbound sales strategy is connecting with buyers before they reach the decision stage. Your goal is to guide them toward a decision, not to wait for them to make up their minds.

Resources

• HubSpot: What is the buyer’s journey?