Customer Journey Map: Why you should bother about it
A few years back, I used to view Customer Journey Maps as mere buzzwords in the tech world. I shrugged them off, believing that practicality lacked in these frameworks. After all, real life tends to play out its own script, often smashing any pre-made structure, leaving us to navigate on the fly. Flexibility is key, right?
But boy, was I mistaken. Today, I see the time I squandered ignoring a simple yet effective methodology. I’ve come to understand that the essence of a framework isn’t about shoehorning reality into it (let’s face it, reality never fits perfectly). Plus, applying a framework doesn’t cramp your style; instead, it sheds light on your flexibility while helping you grasp the outcomes you’re after for every customer, anytime.
What CJM can help you with is to better understand:
- What are these types of interactions we have with the customer?
- What is the aim and goal of each stage?
- What is the timeline we target for each stage?
- Who owns each stage of the journey?
Let’s break it down in more detail (I’ll also leave a link to the CJM template for you at the end of this post).
What are these types of interactions we have with the customer?
Most of my experience is in B2B SaaS, so while the specifics will vary for your business the stages I usually focus on are:
- Land
- Onboarding and Implementation
- Adoption
- Advocacy
- Expansion
- Renewal
These stages flow naturally, each one stemming from the previous. It's a classic Customer Journey Map approach that I've learned a lot from. When you think about these stages, the logic starts to emerge.
Is it the right time to ask “Customer X” to give a testimonial about our software (Advocacy)? If the customer is just getting started (Onboarding and Implementation stage) — the answer is most probably “No”. The customer hasn’t yet started getting real value out of our solution and it’s early for them to confidently share testimonials.
Can I expect a customer to buy more from us (Expansion) if they are using only a few of our offerings while their contract includes much more (Adoption)? Not yet. Invest in helping them to extract more value and you’ll notice they plan to buy more from you organically.
Can there be exceptions? Absolutely!
For example, a customer might have an extensive POC/free managed trial and during this interaction, they’ve realized all the power of your solution as well as had a chance to interact with a wide range of folks from your team. They could be open to the idea of giving you a testimonial, but remember — you still have to deliver all the other stages after that and maybe even need to start thinking about how you can exceed their expectations now, so you can compensate for that credit given to you ahead of time.
What is the aim and goal of each stage?
This part is key. Each stage needs to give clarity to you on what you’re trying to achieve and how this will benefit your customer as well. It’s a two-way street. If each stage is executed well, you and the customer will be able to establish a long-term partnership.
You also need to have success criteria for each stage (i.e. I can safely consider this stage to be completed when “X, Y, and Z” has taken place).
If you were able to answer what the aim and goal of each stage is, your team will perform as a well-oiled machine.
What is the timeline we target for each stage?
You want smooth sailing through each stage, identifying snags promptly.
Next to each stage, jot down a suggested timeframe. Not too slack, not overly aggressive — it should incentivize your team to move forward quickly and at the same time it should be realistic to achieve.
A customer has stuck in the “Onboarding and Implementation” stage for a few months longer than they should be? It’s a red flag and potential churn . Double down on completing this stage and unleash the value of the product for the customer ASAP.
A customer has completed the “Onboarding and Implementation” stage, but barely used the product in the last few months or in other words hasn’t fully completed the “Adoption”? It’s another red flag. Find out what’s going on and help to increase ROI for that customer.
Who owns each stage of the journey?
Early on, it could be a single function or single team that owns each stage of the post-sale journey. And when things will start progressing and your customer base starts to grow, you might find yourself and your team wondering who’s responsible for the success of each stage.
Take “Advocacy” as an example here. Is it Customer Success or Marketing that drives it?
With CJM in place, it will be easier for you to break down the ownership which would make sense for everybody.
With a Customer Journey Map in place, clarity reigns. In my experience, CSMs taking charge of "Advocacy" makes sense. When a customer evolves into an advocate, CSMs pull in Marketing to work together on case studies, testimonials, or joint webinars.
And remember, advocates should also see the value in being your brand advocate, so think about the right messaging and right execution. I will share some examples too, but that’s for another day.
If you don’t have CJM in place, things start getting very messy and you’ll find your team stepping into each other shoes.
Here is the link to CJM template that you can reuse for your own purposes.
Press on File →Make a copy to edit this spreadsheet.
Adjust stages, enhance the goal of each stage if necessary and make sure success criteria is related to your product. Onboard your team in CJM to make sure everyone is on the same page about how the post-sale journey looks like.
Thanks for reading and I hope it was helpful for you!
