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Marketing & Sales, Planning & Productivity

What is a Customer Journey and How Does It Help You Get More Sales?

!post-its of customer journey, brainstorming, customer journey
February 9, 2026
2026-02-09T17:24:47+00:00 Marketing & Sales, Planning & Productivity

Learn how to create a simple customer journey map that stops potential customers from disappearing and turns one-time buyers into repeat clients

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#### Veniesha Wannamaker

February 9, 2026

You’ve finally got someone interested in your business services. They asked for your price, you gave it to them, and they said, “Sounds good, let me think about it”… and then nothing.

You wait a few days. Should you follow up? Send them a text?

You don’t want to seem pushy, you’re not sure how to proceed, so you wait.

Two months later, you see them again, and they’ve hired someone else.

You’re working hard to get people interested, and most people who say “I’ll think about it“ aren’t blowing you off – they’re busy, and they forget.

A simple system – it doesn’t have to be perfect – means fewer lost sales. And getting past customers to hire you again is way easier than convincing a stranger to hire you the first time.

What is the Customer Journey?

In simplest terms, a customer journey is the steps and emotions your customer goes through before they buy, during their purchase, and after they use your service.

Outlining your process during this journey allows you to see what the customer is experiencing in real time and may show common pain points that need to be addressed.

How does your customer feel when they can’t get in touch during an issue? What about when you follow up after you said you would?

The ability to feel empathy for your customers and identify how they may feel at particular points in time is what makes the customer journey map powerful.

What are the stages of a customer journey?

1. Awareness Phase – Customer discovers your service for the first time through marketing, social media, or word of mouth. _They’re thinking: “Do I need this?”_
2. Consideration Phase – They explore other options and compare services related to what you offer. _They’re thinking: “Can I trust this person?”_
3. Decision Stage – The customer makes a purchase decision – hopefully from you! _They’re thinking: “I hope this person is as good as they seem?”_
4. Loyalty Stage – You deliver great service, follow up consistently, and turn them into a repeat customer who chooses you over competitors. _What they’re thinking: “They did amazing work and stayed in touch – I’m booking them again.”_
5. Advocacy Stage – Customer actively recommends your business to friends, family, and neighbours. _What they’re thinking: “I need to tell everyone about this person!”_

#### See it in action:

You run a hair braiding business. A potential customer sees your work on Instagram (Awareness), asks about pricing (Consideration), books an appointment (Decision), gets her hair done (Service), gets her hair done and receives a follow-up text two weeks later (Loyalty). When the customer books again, you remember she mentioned her daughter’s graduation and ask about it. The customer tells three friends about you and your services (Advocacy).

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. Imagine what they are feeling, what they are buying, and what their personality is like.

The great news is – you don’t need to get super fancy to create this “map.” You can simply use a pen and paper.

Here’s an example action plan through each step of your customer’s journey. Yours may look different than another business, and that’s okay. The idea is to have a system in place.

At every stage, you have a chance to make things easier for the customer and keep them from falling through the cracks.

#### Awareness Stage – Help people find you

Post on social media 2-3 times per week (even just a photo of your work with “DM me to book”)

Ask happy customers if you can leave a flyer with their neighbours

Put your business name and number in your email signature

Tell people what you do when they ask, “What have you been up to lately?”

#### Consideration Stage – Make it easy to say yes

Respond to messages within 24 hours (set a phone reminder if you need to)

Give clear pricing – no one wants to play guessing games

Answer questions without making people feel silly for asking

Send a quick voice note or text to build trust before they meet you

#### Decision Stage – Follow up without being pushy

If someone says, “Let me think about it,” make a note to follow up in 2-3 days

Keep it simple: “Hey! Just checking in – any questions I can answer?”

If they don’t respond, try one more time a week later

Save their info – they might need you in 6 months

#### Loyalty Stage – Deliver great service AND turn them into repeat customers

Confirm the appointment the day before (“See you tomorrow at 2 pm!”)

Show up on time (or text if you’re running late)

Do what you said you’d do

Offer a small discount for booking multiple services at once

Remember details about them (“How’s your daughter’s soccer season going?”)

Be consistent – same quality every single time

Make rebooking easy: “Want me to put you down for the same time next month?”

Ask for feedback: “How did everything go?”

Follow up 2-3 weeks later: “Ready for another appointment?”

Be consistent – same quality every single time

#### Advocacy Stage – Make it easy for them to recommend you

When they compliment your work, say: “Thank you! If you know anyone who needs \[service\], I’d love the referral.”

Give them a few business cards to hand out

Offer a referral thank-you (like $10 off their next service, or a free add-on)

Post their testimonial (with permission), so others see real people trust you

#### Now it’s your turn!

Write down your customer journey – even if it’s messy, just get it on paper. You can always adjust when needed.

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