AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising

BlogTrends in the Sales Journey

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Customer Journey Map, User Buying Process, Store Promotion and Advertising, User Feedback and Retention.
Blog/Planning & Marketing/Research

Trends in the Sales Journey

At the end of the day, we’re all selling something to someone. Whether you’re looking to attract patients, students or customers they all go through a sales journey. AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising has led journey mapping and sales funnel exercises for healthcare, education, nonprofit, financial and B2B clients. Each organization is unique, but we’ve noticed a few trends along the way in conducting sales journey map sessions.

Customer Journey Map, User Buying Process, Store Promotion and Advertising, User Feedback and Retention.

1. What Do You Mean You Don’t Agree With Me?

We are always a little surprised that team members are not aware of the fundamental sales components necessary to complete a sale, attract a patient or entice a student to attend a college. The touchpoints, or as Google calls it “moments of truth,” are siloed and poorly understood by others who could enhance or optimize touchpoints for the good of the organization.

2. Why Are We Doing It This Way?

One of the most satisfying parts of running a journey map process is when there are “aha” moments around unproductive touchpoints. It usually starts with the question, “Why do we do that?” And can end with, “Let’s invest in some other critical touchpoint.”

3. Hello, Is Anyone There?

A visual journey map allows you to quickly see where large communication gaps exist. Imagine your prospect waiting for information, but the next touchpoint is so late that they’ve lost interest. Or even worse, the next touchpoint never comes.

4. PERSPECTIVE MATTERS.

A truly surprising twist of perspective comes during the sales journey map process—genuine empathy seems to build for the prospective patient, client, donor or student. Walking a few miles in the customer’s shoes forces us to look outside in rather than inside out. It’s a new perspective that will yield results.

5. Hope Is Not a Strategy. Luck Is Not a Factor.

We all appreciate lucky moments in the sales process, but some organizations seem to be only built on luck and hope. Unfortunately, neither is a strategy. Proactive, strategic approaches work best and become luckier and luckier.

To discover what you can learn about your sales journey process through journey mapping, connect with a marketing research specialist at AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising today.

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Rachael is a relationship builder, a keen listener and a diagnoser of organizations' marketing issues and challenges. Here is how one client described Rachael. "She is smart, respectful, and listens to our direction and ideas. She uses her expertise to enhance plans by drawing on her knowledge and experience and communicating our vision to the rest of the AMPERAGE team." Rachael received her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa and her Master's of Business Administration from Kaplan University (now Purdue University). Rachael worked for nearly eight years in higher education as the regional director of business development at Kaplan University (now Purdue University Global). At AMPERAGE, Rachael ascended quickly from Account Executive to Director of Marketing. She has worked with many clients, but she has worked most closely with the Eastern Iowa Airport - CID, Kirkwood Community College, Cowley College, Southeastern Community College, Heartland Express and Iowa Health+. She has presented at numerous conferences, including National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), The Way Up and UNI PRSSA. Rachael is also a community leader volunteering for the United Way and American Heart Association. She is currently on the local Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association in Linn County. According to Rachael, "My mother survived a stroke 15 years ago, so I naturally became passionate about fundraising and educating communities about warning signs/symptoms of stroke and heart disease in women." Because of these kinds of personal passions, philanthropy and nonprofit work have become hallmarks of AMPERAGE's work and volunteerism. If you want a sample of a little of Rachael's right- and left-brain thinking, click on the AMPERAGE Marketing AMPcast or an AMP Blog.