The Client Buying Process

Buyer’s Process

Awareness Stage: Your prospective client realizes that they have a problem or opportunity.

Consideration Stage:  your prospective client defines their problem and does research for options to solve it.

Decision Stage: Your prospective client chooses a solution and makes a purchase. 

Post Decision/Purchase Stage: Your new clients evaluates the decision he made to purchase from you. Don't lose your buyer at the stage. The first 100 days is incredibly important.

Understand Your Prospective Client Persona

Understand the unique process of your prospective client persona. First they are aware of their problem, considering solutions, and deciding on the right solution to create an effective buyer’s process. Interview your current and prospective clients to better understand the buyer’s process. Below are questions you can use for this process. 

Awareness Stage

First in the process is the awareness stage. When your prospective client is experiencing and expressing symptoms of a problem or opportunity, and doing research to give a name to the problem. Your prospective client is looking at products and services, and not yet pricing at this stage. 

1. What specific words or phrases prospective clients are using to describe their challenges? 
2. How do buyers educate themselves on goals and challenges? 
3. What’s the consequence of inaction? 
4. How do clients and prospective clients decide to prioritize to solve their problems? 
5. What are common fallacies in their thinking? 

Consideration Stage

The consideration stage is when your prospective client clearly understands and gives a name to their problem or opportunity. they understand all available methods and approaches to their problem given the research.

1. What products or solutions do prospective clients or clients investigate? Can they be lumped into product lines or service lines?
2. What are the pros and cons of each product line?
3.  How do clients decide which product is right for them?
4.  How are clients learning about each of the products? They can look at the website, online ads, blogs, social media, print media, Reddit or Wiki or other options. 

Decision Stage

The prospective client has decided on their solution to their problem. All available vendors have been whittled to a list, and from that list, reduced to one company and one solution. 

1. What criteria are prospective clients and clients using to evaluate the available product and service lines? 
2. What did your clients like about your product line? What worries do they have? 
3. Who all needs to be involved in the purchase decision? What questions do different decision makers have? The CEO will have different questions than the CFO. 

Post-Decision Stage

Don’t lose your new client at this stage! The First 100 Days is incredibly important, courtesy of Joey Coleman. 

1. Did you give an individualized thank you call? Thank your new client for your trust and answer any additional questions. 
2. Make a “Welcome to the Family” video customized to your new client. 
3. Email your new client a third party testimonial to validate their wise purchasing decision with you. 
4. In the first three months, are they satisfied with the product you provided? Did you send a Net Promoter Score Survey?