"Instead of trying to base the sales process on how we want to sell, we need to actually design the sales process on how they want to buy." — Bob Moesta
What It Is
A chronological model of the buying process from the customer's perspective, dividing the journey into distinct psychological phases that require different support—fundamentally different from a company's sales funnel.
When To Use
- Designing sales funnels
- Creating content marketing strategies
- Structuring product demos
- When sales cycle feels too long or conversion is low
The Timeline
CUSTOMER BUYING JOURNEY:
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FIRST THOUGHT └── Struggling moment triggers awareness └── "Something isn't working..."
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PASSIVE LOOKING (Problem Aware) └── Casually collecting information └── NOT ready to buy or demo └── Needs: Education, awareness content
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ACTIVE LOOKING (Solution Aware) └── Comparing alternatives └── Researching specific features └── Needs: Comparison content, case studies
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DECIDING (Trade-offs) └── Weighing options └── Needs help with final choice └── Needs: Decision frameworks, consultative selling
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FIRST USE └── Onboarding, setup └── Needs: Activation support
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ONGOING USE └── Retention, expansion └── Needs: Success content, upsell paths
## How To Apply
STEP 1: Diagnose Customer Phase └── Where is this lead in their journey? └── Are they passive looking or actively comparing?
STEP 2: Match Your Response └── Passive Looking → Send educational content, NOT demo └── Active Looking → Offer comparison materials └── Deciding → Consultative conversation
STEP 3: Design Phase-Specific Demos └── Demo 1: Story/Context (for early-phase) └── Demo 2: Alternatives (for mid-phase) └── Demo 3: Trade-offs (for late-phase)
STEP 4: Don't Skip Phases └── Forcing close on passive looker = lost deal └── Meet them where they are
## Common Mistakes
❌ Treating all leads the **same** regardless of phase
❌ Forcing a **closing demo** on someone who is only "passive looking"
❌ Assuming sales is about **convincing** rather than **enabling**
## Real-World Example
Autobooks split their single demo into three different types based on the buyer's phase (Story/Context, Alternatives, Choices/Trade-offs), which cut the sales cycle in half and increased conversion by 4x.
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*Source: Bob Moesta, Co-creator of Jobs-to-be-Done, Lenny's Podcast*