Customer journey mapping | Step 3 – The Pros & Cons
We are coming to Step 3 of the customer journey mapping process. The prospects have recognized that they have a problem or need (Step 1), they have started to search for a solution (Step 2), and now they want to weigh the options so they feel like they can make the very best choice for their situation. Just to refresh your memory, here are those five steps of the journey your prospects take to become your customers.
- Problem/Need
- Discovery
- Evaluation
- Decision
- Review
As you can see, prospects are smack dab in the middle of the process at this point. So let’s look at exactly what they are doing at this step.
Step 3. Evaluation or The Pros & Cons
In Step 1, we presented the idea of someone who was dealing with a nagging financial problem. He was tired of each month lasting longer than his money. In Step 2., we saw how he might try to address it - he might look at a financial product like a checking account that also offers a free personal financial management app. Or he might look at a completely different solution - like a financial seminar. By Step 3, our subject has decided on a category of solution. Let’s say he decides he needs a better checking account. Now he starts comparing accounts from different financial institutions. He looks at the pros and cons of each.
If you’re a bank, you may roll out a tool like the handy comparison matrix which compares your checking account to competitors' offerings and illustrates why you are the superior choice. At this point, our subject has narrowed his search to one solution category and is weighing options and examining features. This is the time to highlight where you excel and to illustrate for your prospect why your feature set is the best collection of possibilities for his unique situation.
As in the other steps, you’ll want to document the questions that the prospect has at this stage. Then list the sources he will use to answer to those questions (the channels). This will help spark ideas for the types of tools and messages that could help the prospect at this step. You can see how this process starts to help you develop a very targeted go-to-market plan that focuses on the way your specific type of prospects want to buy.