ustomer is purchasing). Once they have made a decision, they often like to have that decision ratified. That is, they like to be convinced that the decision they made is a good one. If once, they actually purchased your product or service, they experience initial problems with it, they are highly likely to form an initial impression, which can subsequently be hard to change, no matter how good your subsequent customer service is. Get it right from the start and there will be no buyer remorse to deal with.

Stages 4 & 5: Use & Learn and Support
This is where you should never tak

The key to meeting and exceeding the needs of your customers & clients is realising that each one is on their own journey with your business. From the moment a person becomes aware of your business and becomes a prospect to the time they finish doing business with you - this is their journey. Some people call it a customer lifecycle - the key stages each of your prospects & customers go through.

This applies whether you sell a product or a service. Creating a customer-centric business is about ensuring that at each stage of the customer lifecycle, the interaction your customer has with you is of benefit to them but also totally & completely fulfils their needs. Each person goes through the following stages in their journey:

Awareness & Consideration > Select & Buy > Initial Experience > Use, & Learn > Support > Repurchase & Recommend

So, let's look at each stage more closely:

Stage 1: Awareness & Consideration
At this stage, you need to consider what it is your potential customer wants & what it is they'll be looking for. This means you need to consider how it is they find out about you & how you get their attention. It is likely they want to know how you can help them, what benefits you can bring to them and whether what you offer will fulfil their needs. In all your communications with them (all your marketing materials), you need to make sure you provide them with what they are looking for in a format that is easy for them to access and understand.

Stage 2: Select & Buy
Creating a customer-centric business at this stage means you need to consider how easy it is to buy from you. Generally making a customer jump through hoops before they can purchase anything from you is not recommended (unless you are trying to pre-qualify them for a specific purpose, but that is another strategy). Making the selecting & buying process as easy as possible for a potential customer is key here...have you ever decided to purchase something from a website, only to find the shopping cart & payment process lengthy & tedious, which then makes you click off and go elsewhere?

Stage 3: Initial Experience
Post-purchase- or buyer-remorse is the last thing you want your customers to have. The process of deciding to buy something can be long & drawn out (depending obviously upon the amount of investment required and what it is a customer is purchasing). Once they have made a decision, they often like to have that decision ratified. That is, they like to be convinced that the decision they made is a good one. If once, they actually purchased your product or service, they experience initial problems with it, they are highly likely to form an initial impression, which can subsequently be hard to change, no matter how good your subsequent customer service is. Get it right from the start and there will be no buyer remorse to deal with.

Stages 4 & 5: Use & Learn and Support
This is where you should never take

nefit to them but also totally & completely fulfils their needs. Each person goes through the following stages in their journey:

Awareness & Consideration > Select & Buy > Initial Experience > Use, & Learn > Support > Repurchase & Recommend

So, let's look at each stage more closely:

Stage 1: Awareness & Consideration
At this stage, you need to consider what it is your potential customer wants & what it is they'll be looking for. This means you need to consider how it is they find out about you & how you get their attention. It is likely they want to know how you can help them, what benefits you can bring to them and whether what you offer will fulfil their needs. In all your communications with them (all your marketing materials), you need to make sure you provide them with what they are looking for in a format that is easy for them to access and understand.

Stage 2: Select & Buy
Creating a customer-centric business at this stage means you need to consider how easy it is to buy from you. Generally making a customer jump through hoops before they can purchase anything from you is not recommended (unless you are trying to pre-qualify them for a specific purpose, but that is another strategy). Making the selecting & buying process as easy as possible for a potential customer is key here...have you ever decided to purchase something from a website, only to find the shopping cart & payment process lengthy & tedious, which then makes you click off and go elsewhere?

Stage 3: Initial Experience
Post-purchase- or buyer-remorse is the last thing you want your customers to have. The process of deciding to buy something can be long & drawn out (depending obviously upon the amount of investment required and what it is a customer is purchasing). Once they have made a decision, they often like to have that decision ratified. That is, they like to be convinced that the decision they made is a good one. If once, they actually purchased your product or service, they experience initial problems with it, they are highly likely to form an initial impression, which can subsequently be hard to change, no matter how good your subsequent customer service is. Get it right from the start and there will be no buyer remorse to deal with.

Stages 4 & 5: Use & Learn and Support
This is where you should never tak

n help them, what benefits you can bring to them and whether what you offer will fulfil their needs. In all your communications with them (all your marketing materials), you need to make sure you provide them with what they are looking for in a format that is easy for them to access and understand.

Stage 2: Select & Buy
Creating a customer-centric business at this stage means you need to consider how easy it is to buy from you. Generally making a customer jump through hoops before they can purchase anything from you is not recommended (unless you are trying to pre-qualify them for a specific purpose, but that is another strategy). Making the selecting & buying process as easy as possible for a potential customer is key here...have you ever decided to purchase something from a website, only to find the shopping cart & payment process lengthy & tedious, which then makes you click off and go elsewhere?

Stage 3: Initial Experience
Post-purchase- or buyer-remorse is the last thing you want your customers to have. The process of deciding to buy something can be long & drawn out (depending obviously upon the amount of investment required and what it is a customer is purchasing). Once they have made a decision, they often like to have that decision ratified. That is, they like to be convinced that the decision they made is a good one. If once, they actually purchased your product or service, they experience initial problems with it, they are highly likely to form an initial impression, which can subsequently be hard to change, no matter how good your subsequent customer service is. Get it right from the start and there will be no buyer remorse to deal with.

Stages 4 & 5: Use & Learn and Support
This is where you should never tak

for a specific purpose, but that is another strategy). Making the selecting & buying process as easy as possible for a potential customer is key here...have you ever decided to purchase something from a website, only to find the shopping cart & payment process lengthy & tedious, which then makes you click off and go elsewhere?

Stage 3: Initial Experience
Post-purchase- or buyer-remorse is the last thing you want your customers to have. The process of deciding to buy something can be long & drawn out (depending obviously upon the amount of investment required and what it is a customer is purchasing). Once they have made a decision, they often like to have that decision ratified. That is, they like to be convinced that the decision they made is a good one. If once, they actually purchased your product or service, they experience initial problems with it, they are highly likely to form an initial impression, which can subsequently be hard to change, no matter how good your subsequent customer service is. Get it right from the start and there will be no buyer remorse to deal with.

Stages 4 & 5: Use & Learn and Support
This is where you should never tak

ustomer is purchasing). Once they have made a decision, they often like to have that decision ratified. That is, they like to be convinced that the decision they made is a good one. If once, they actually purchased your product or service, they experience initial problems with it, they are highly likely to form an initial impression, which can subsequently be hard to change, no matter how good your subsequent customer service is. Get it right from the start and there will be no buyer remorse to deal with.

Stages 4 & 5: Use & Learn and Support
This is where you should never take your eye off the ball, Just because you have converted a customer, does not mean you can slack off when it comes to taking care of them. Remember the concept of customer lifetime value (how much your customer will spend with you the total time they are your customer) and the fact that they may refer & recommend others to you. All your customer interactions at this stage are critical to keeping your existing customers happy, wanting to purchase more from you, stay with you longer and recommend you to their friends & family. Providing exceptional customer care during these stages is where you have an opportunity to really stand out from the crowd.

Stage 6: Repurchase & Recommend
If you done all the previous stages right, you are going to get to this stage – if you haven’t, you won’t! And of course, it stands to reason that if your customer has been delighted enough with your service to repurchase from you, they will be more likely to recommend you to friends & family.