Creating a roadmap of the buying journey assists the client in defining, evaluating, selecting, purchasing and implementation your solution which is a benefit to both parties.
Client Benefits
- Clarity and Structure: A structured plan provides clear guidelines and criteria for evaluating options, which helps to clarify the decision-making process.
- Informed Decisions: A plan encourages thorough research and analysis, allowing stakeholders to gather and assess relevant data that supports their choice.
- Risk Management: By identifying potential risks and uncertainties in advance, a plan can include contingency strategies to mitigate those risks.
- Alignment with Goals: A clear plan helps ensure that decisions are aligned with the organization’s overall objectives and strategic direction.
- Improved Communication: A well-documented plan facilitates communication among stakeholders, helping everyone understand the rationale behind decisions and involved processes.
- Efficiency: With a clear plan, the time spent on decision-making can be reduced, as it streamlines steps and minimizes confusion.
- Accountability: A structured approach defines roles and responsibilities, increasing accountability among team members involved in the decision-making process.
- Evaluation and Improvement: Post-decision evaluations become easier with a clear plan, allowing organizations to assess outcomes and refine their processes for future decisions.
Sales Rep Benefits
- Trust: A solid plan helps to reduce buyers anxiety. This is especially important if the stakeholder hasn’t made a similar purchase or needs encouragement and resources to influence others.
- Champion Alignment: Stakeholders are familiar with problems and needs but may not be capable of influencing a decision. A sample plan can identify limitation and help guide you to a champion.
- Access: Both parties must provide access to resources. Setting expectations early and maintaining an organized approach helps to improve chances that the client will deliver.
- Objection Handling: Honest assessment of risks and uncertainty is critical. A buying journey roadmap acts as a vehicle for this assessment to anticipate problem and find solutions.
- Influence: A buyers journey will always be tailored to the client but introducing an ideal course of action helps structure requirements that favor the sales rep and create obstacles for competitors.
- Onboarding: New participants can easily identify past assumptions, validations and commitments to expedite the decision making process.
- Speed: Managing steps beyond the next one will help to ensure calendars are open and resources are available.
Overall, establishing a mutual agreed upon buying journey can lead to better, faster, and more strategic decisions that ultimately contribute to success for your client. But what can it do for you: