In this episode of the Rooted Business Podcast, hosts Jess and Rachel discuss the significance of having a well-defined customer journey for business growth. They highlight how operating without a customer journey can lead to chaos and ineffective marketing strategies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- A customer journey provides predictability and consistency within your business and marketing efforts.

- It boosts confidence by showing that your strategies are working compared to throwing random tactics at the wall.

- Creating a linear stepping stool offer suite helps customers progress through their journey in an organized manner.

- Maximizing customer lifetime value involves offering different price points and stages based on customers' readiness to invest.

- Building trust, delivering excellent experiences, and focusing on retention are crucial for long-term success.

- Lead magnets should be viewed as part of the overall customer journey, attracting leads towards conversion.

If you're feeling overwhelmed with multiple offers or lacking clarity in your customer journey, it's time to simplify. Choose one impactful offer that aligns with your goals and create a streamlined path for potential clients. Focus on building trust, providing exceptional experiences, and nurturing relationships throughout their entire journey.

Remember, simplicity is key! By implementing an effective customer journey strategy, you'll experience increased conversions, improved client satisfaction, and sustainable business growth.

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Rooted Business Podcast! Don't forget to subscribe to catch all the valuable insights and advice from Rachel and Jess.

Note: The show notes are a condensed summary of Episode 11 of The Rooted Business Podcast. The actual podcast episode would contain more in-depth discussions, anecdotes, and examples from Rachel and Jess.

Welcome to the Rooted Business Podcast.

2

I'm Rachel, your intentional

marketing architect.

3

Jess: And I'm Jess, your

systems and ops guru.

4

Rachel: In this podcast, we'll

talk through our experiences as

5

seasoned business owners open up

about our triumphs and challenges.

6

We'll share candid conversations and

invaluable insights to help you establish

7

a business that stands the test of time.

8

Jess: Together, we've navigated

the ups and downs of running a

9

successful online business, and

we know firsthand the importance

10

of finding harmony in your hustle.

11

Rachel: In each episode, we'll dive deep

into the inner workings of your business

12

operations and marketing strategies

while we peel back the layers to reveal

13

actionable advice and practical tips

that you can implement right away.

14

Jess: But we won't stop there.

15

We believe that true success goes

beyond profits and the growth charts.

16

That's why we'll explore the

critical role of wellness and

17

mindset in your entrepreneurial

18

Rachel: journey, because burnout

is a real threat and we're

19

here to help you avoid that.

20

Together we'll uncover the strategies

and practices that prioritize your

21

wellbeing, ensuring you have the energy

and resilience to thrive in the long run.

22

Jess: Join us as we delve into intentional

business growth, sharing personal

23

stories, lessons learned, and expert

advice that will empower you to make

24

informed decisions to grow your business.

25

Rachel: So if you're ready to harmonize

your hustle and create a business that

26

thrives while honoring your inner balance,

don't miss out on the Rooted business.

27

Subscribe now and embark on this

transformative journey with us.

28

Jessica: All right.

29

Hello and welcome to another episode

of the Rooted Business Podcast.

30

My name is Jess.

31

I am your operations.

32

I don't know why I'm introduced myself.

33

I think we just did that, but

anyway, we're back Rerecord.

34

Track 1: You've never done a full intro,

35

Jessica: We're back, and this is actually

a rerecord because we had some technical

36

issues for this, but I know it's one of

Rachel's favorite topics to talk about.

37

Today we're gonna be

talking about the journey.

38

Track 1: Yeah, and I actually just made a

post about this yesterday about how some

39

people who operate without a customer

journey in place have to result in these.

40

It t tactics of oversharing,

certain things, non-transparency.

41

You can look back at the

ethical marketing episode.

42

But essentially once you have a

customer journey in place, you really

43

become into that like predictable,

consistent way of existing within your

44

business and within your marketing.

45

And it gives you a level of confidence

that really . Shows you that okay, it's

46

working compared to a lot of business

owners who just are throwing spaghetti at

47

the wall and have to wing it and figure

things out and do crazy launch tactics

48

in order to meet their revenue goals.

49

So it's what we're gonna be talking

about today is the customer journey.

50

We'll talk about like one, some of

my favorite metrics inside, like

51

the customer lifetime value customer

retention, and then the various

52

stages inside of the customer journey.

53

'cause you have a customer journey

before purchase, and then you

54

have a customer journey after

purchase and all of those things.

55

So let's

56

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah.

57

Yeah.

58

Yeah.

59

I'm very excited to talk about this topic.

60

I've been thinking a lot about how we

unintentionally make our businesses

61

more complicated or more complex

or cause chaos, and I think that

62

not having a customer journey can.

63

Be one of those like places that you

just cause extra chaos because when you

64

have a clearly defined customer journey,

like you're not having to create like

65

tons of different content and all kinds

of things, it's like one focused thing.

66

I think a lot of times when I first

go into some people's business,

67

they'll have 18 lead magnets and

like all of these different offers.

68

And I think that's where we're start

making things a little more complicated.

69

And I think by really focusing on

this like intentional journey as a

70

way to not only simplify the work

you're gonna have to do because you're

71

gonna have to create less content,

but it's also, like you said, like

72

a way to get things on autopilot.

73

Track 1: Yeah, so I think let's start with

kind of something you had just said where

74

a big mistake that I see people doing that

are operating without a customer journey

75

is creating 10 plus offers to sell more.

76

Do Yeah, I guess sell more and

just feel like their offer suite

77

is inclusive of everybody's needs.

78

But in reality, your offer suite

should really be some type of a

79

linear stepping stool for someone to

get their feet wet, get a little bit

80

more intention with you, get more

hands on support, and move through.

81

The customer journey in a linear path.

82

Right now, a lot of people have

competing offers against each other.

83

And that's a lot of time where

that's something that you'll

84

confuse your own customer.

85

Buyer.

86

Wow.

87

Customer buyer.

88

Not enough coffee Today, you you'll

confuse your ideal clients and they

89

will essentially just not buy 'cause

they're stuck in like analysis paralysis.

90

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah, I think

this is one of my big lessons that I

91

took away like this year, is that we

had talked, we've talked before about

92

me being like an online generalist

and like how to frame my offers to

93

be more like specific where they're

not competing against each other.

94

Because I did look at my sales

page and I'm like, Oh my gosh.

95

I have do they get this

or do they get this?

96

And like, how do they decide?

97

And I think really just trying to

determine like what that Chef's Kiss offer

98

is for your clients and really focusing

on, maybe even for me, I'm gonna try to

99

focus on just selling like that one offer.

100

And then of course if I get people on

the phone and like budget's an issue,

101

like I can have backdoor offers that

would be like, or something to offer

102

them if they're gonna need more support.

103

But I think really honing in on like

that Chef's Kiss offer so you can

104

really talk about that and lead all

of your, your customers to that offer.

105

I see it in my head.

106

I still have to actually make it happen.

107

And me and Rachel are

gonna work one-on-one.

108

We might even do like some recorded

podcast of me going through this process.

109

But I can see that, and I can see how

much more simplicity and predictability

110

and just calmness that ta that I

guess, way of approaching it is.

111

Track 1: Yeah, definitely.

112

And I think in the, let's

talk about your offer suite.

113

In particular, so in your massive

mega offer, the best way to break that

114

down, and I know that we've talked

about this offline, is making it

115

digestible steps for them because you,

when they come to you, you're like,

116

oh my gosh, we could do all of this.

117

But they, in reality, they're like

I just need support with this.

118

And so really Maybe it's the

organizational side of thing

119

and like visibility of all of

the things that they have to do.

120

And then you start to get into

the optimization side of things.

121

You can almost set up your

customer journey in like phases

122

of death, like of support.

123

Like in my customer journey in particular,

I have an intensive where we cover

124

like the foundational components.

125

I would never go in and start talking

about, oh, we need abandoned carts here.

126

Oh, we need a I do talk

about AB testing, but.

127

We don't get into the weeds here.

128

We make sure that this foundation

is as solid as possible, and then

129

they operate into that space, and I

have about a three to six month like

130

incubation period, and then they come

back to me ready for like phase two.

131

And so that's what a customer

journey should be like.

132

Even if you're using something

of templates or passive offers.

133

The passive offer offers should establish

like a very . Accessible win and get

134

them like their feet wet with what you're

delivering for them and all of that.

135

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Got it.

136

Alright.

137

What else Rachel?

138

Track 1: Let's talk about one of

my favorite metrics, which is the

139

maximizing customer lifetime value.

140

So I always break this

down for all of my clients.

141

When I tell them like it's very easy

to forecast goals when you have a

142

customer journey and you have, let's

say like an email list or an email

143

marketing automation strategy in place

to deliver those upsells and downsells.

144

Essentially very simple.

145

Customer lifetime value is like the amount

that they're spending with you over their

146

lifetime and taking into consideration

the number of times that they purchase.

147

So I always add in that second component

because you have a lot of people in

148

the online space who are like, oh.

149

Just make someone buy a $5,000

offer, and that's your maximum

150

customer lifetime value.

151

Not everybody is ready to drop five

K on something in the online space

152

for their business, so if you could

say, all right, the first thing

153

they're gonna do is a $200 offer.

154

The next thing they're gonna do

is maybe like a thousand dollars.

155

And then finally, when they're ready,

156

That's building customer lifetime

value and having three times

157

that they essentially swipe

their credit card with you.

158

It's really important because sometimes

people aren't ready to spend that five

159

K and sometimes people in your funnel

will never spend that five K with you.

160

But if you provide opportunities for

them to access and gain knowledge at

161

certain lower and middle touch points,

you can actually create more conversions

162

in your business over the span of

everything, instead of hoping and wishing

163

someone's ready to spend five K with you.

164

Does that kind of make sense?

165

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah.

166

Yeah.

167

So we had back in the retail, if

I'm like relating this right, we

168

had like average transaction, right?

169

And that would be a number

that we could really heavily.

170

Control in our business because

we had already taken the

171

time to convert the customer.

172

They were buying

something with us already.

173

Since they trusted us, it was

easier for us to, add on something

174

that would be complimentary to

that item that they were getting.

175

Or sometimes, like sometimes, the

mall, your business, everything

176

goes through like slower seasons.

177

With you or already purchasing

something with you versus trying to

178

go out and get somebody over that

like marketing bridge through from

179

like internet mainland onto your.

180

Track 1: Yeah, and I will add the loyalty

and client experience is very important in

181

having a maximum customer lifetime value.

182

I think there's a lot of people, when

I was just talking to someone in my d.

183

S about this yesterday, about how

someone can, a lot of people in the

184

online space like push these big

$5,000 offers and then you get in

185

'cause their marketing is so good.

186

And then you realize that

oh, the delivery isn't here.

187

And so really making sure that you're

building trust and Delivering a

188

really good experience throughout

the entirety of it is the only

189

way a customer journey works.

190

If someone comes into your space

at, let's say, $500 and they have a

191

really bad experience, or they don't

necessarily get the wins that you

192

had promised them in your marketing,

there's no way that they're gonna spend.

193

The next ma yeah, the next step or go into

the next point of the journey with you.

194

So really making sure that as an

ethical business owner you're not

195

just marketing to make money, you're

marketing to deliver an experience

196

and to give that client a win.

197

I think that's so the most important thing

because without that good experience,

198

you're just like taking money from people.

199

And I think there's so many people

in the space that do that, and it's.

200

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah, and I

wanna give a, like a real life example

201

that I've seen with like my dietician

clients because sometimes when I hear

202

maximize like the amount of money

you get someone, I'm like, oh, that

203

kind of feels a little icky to me.

204

But lemme give you an example

that's really like helpful and

205

beneficial for your customers.

206

So a lot of my dieticians clients,

they will work with their, clients

207

for six months to Shore up their

nutritional needs, get them to, help

208

them overcome whatever like symptom that

they are facing at the, like at like

209

really causing them pain at that time.

210

So they'll work with 'em for six

months, get 'em all fixed up,

211

and then it's you fixed them.

212

So like, where is next?

213

But there's always gonna be

probably like an opportunity,

214

like one of my clients offers a.

215

Continuity community where it's just

like that accountability and like a place

216

for her to share like any new things

that she's learning about, the specific

217

symptoms that she addresses or one of my

clients also offers like lab testing later

218

on, like where they'll read your labs

and like you can do a check-in so that

219

you don't like backslide back into it.

220

So it's not just like adding on to

just add on for adding on's sake.

221

It's adding on because

you're really adding on.

222

Track 1: Yeah.

223

There's like an intentionality behind

it, and I've seen so many times where

224

your customer base, let's say , You

are a really great business owner.

225

You're delivering an experience

that is like amazing, but you still

226

don't have a customer journey.

227

A lot of times your ideal clients or your

cli, your actual clients themselves will

228

tell you what the next step is for your

229

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah, that's.

230

Track 1: I think that you, yeah, exactly.

231

It's like where you can force it, right?

232

I've seen some clients of my own Who

have tried to create that kind of like

233

alumni program after, and because the

experience was so hands off initially,

234

they didn't have that no, like trust.

235

To engage and to fully drink

the Kool-Aid per so to speak.

236

But yeah, so I think like when you

have delivered it, your client's

237

asking you for more, you can easily

do what your clients are also saying.

238

Oh, I need a maintenance membership,

or I wanna stick around in this.

239

How can we do this?

240

Those are the things and the cues that

you should be listening to in order

241

to build a customer journey that your

actual clients are gonna participate in.

242

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah, because

I think when I was first hearing

243

about this like concept or whatever,

I thought like it always had to be

244

more money, but like actually the

backend of one of my bigger offers.

245

It's just kind of momentum support

or maintenance package like you're

246

saying, where, I'm showing up less

for them, but I'm still around like

247

they've got just in their back pocket

to ask questions or troubleshoot any

248

tech issues that would come up based

on things that I've already set up.

249

Track 1: Yeah I just mapped out a customer

journey for an intensive . Yesterday,

250

I believe, and it was like having a

$2,000, like the main, like midpoint and

251

then dropping them down into $170 offer

from a monthly perspective afterwards.

252

It doesn't always have to be more,

it's just focusing on retention to

253

build out that customer lifetime value.

254

I think that's the most

important thing as well.

255

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: It.

256

Track 1: So that's gonna bring us to

our next metric, which is customer

257

retention, which I think Jess and

I have done a really I think that's

258

what held my business up for the

first two years was the fact that

259

I retained my clients so long

260

It made it really easy to Build

and learn in that first like

261

year to two years of business.

262

Retention is absolutely crucial

for like business sustainability.

263

And really understanding that as you're

bringing people in, and I actually,

264

somebody told me this the other day,

it was like a month or so back and I

265

was doing a discovery call and they

were like, yeah, I get your goal is.

266

To keep me in the retainer

as long as possible.

267

I go, that's not my goal, but My goal is

to set you up with a platform or an email

268

marketing strategy that is sustainable.

269

It works, it's, built for the long term.

270

What my clients tell me is that

I can just manage it myself.

271

After it's all set up.

272

They're like yeah, go ahead.

273

Like we.

274

We don't wanna take this back from you.

275

And that's like where the mindset is

with some agencies where they're like,

276

yeah, we're just gonna keep adding

things on and creating problems.

277

And it's that's not always the case.

278

Sometimes retention is just

because you do it better.

279

I.

280

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah.

281

Yeah.

282

I feel that too.

283

I actually was just thinking when

you said that, I'm like, I have

284

only brought on this whole year

from the beginning of the year.

285

I've only had two new clients.

286

The rest were already with me in

December, and that's sustained

287

Track 1: love that.

288

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347:

business this year.

289

Hopefully I'll bring on a couple more

because wanna expand, but like I said,

290

like retention is everything and it's not.

291

Something that like is happening in

a shady way, but I've intentionally

292

built this where my clients want

me around for more of the strategic

293

planning kind of piece of it.

294

They want me around for the accountability

for their team and like most of 'em

295

just don't wanna mess with the tech.

296

So they like having me there as well.

297

Track 1: sorry.

298

Yeah, so then I think we talked a lot

about the offer suite itself, but I

299

really want people to understand like

your customer journey doesn't just begin.

300

When they start like an off,

like when they spend money

301

with you, it really does begin.

302

As soon as they become aware of you.

303

So think of two layers

of your customer journey.

304

You have the payment offer suite.

305

And then you have the awareness.

306

So how aware are they of the problems

that they have and how ready are

307

they to fix the problems as well?

308

And if you overlay those on top of

each other, you should really be able

309

to build out like marketing and fun

automations for upsell and the reason why.

310

Email marketing work so powerfully with

the customer journey is because you can

311

deliver that super curated experience that

says, oh, you downloaded my lead magnet.

312

This is at the very beginning

of my customer journey.

313

In a very low awareness side of things,

how can I get you to then become

314

more aware to take this first step?

315

And I think that's one of those things

that I always try to tell people that

316

when you are building out a customer

journey, it can feel so, so overwhelming.

317

I.

318

But in reality, you just need to pinpoint

what's the next obvious step, and then

319

work your way to the next obvious step.

320

Instead of saying, here's this big

expansive, multiple offer, multiple

321

client awareness stage, how do

we make this thing digestible?

322

Really simplify it and just say,

all right, this person's ready

323

for this, and then they're gonna

be ready for this, and then this,

324

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: yeah.

325

Yeah.

326

I think it makes it so much more simple

when you're doing everything, like how

327

many lead magnets do you have, Rachel?

328

Track 1: Oh gosh, I'm making one

right now, but I always retire.

329

I never have more than two,

so I always retire one as soon

330

as I come out with a new one.

331

But I've seen some businesses with

like 20 plus and I'm like, oh,

332

this is overwhelming, stressful.

333

And at some point you have . You're

probably sending way too many

334

emails to one person who opts in

because you're, there's no way

335

to manage that many automations.

336

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah.

337

Yeah.

338

Same.

339

I've been working with my clients to

bring them down and make sure your

340

lead magnet always leads to something.

341

I think sometimes we get it's

called a lead magnet for a reason.

342

And I have very creative

clients, very clients that are

343

passionate about helping people.

344

All of these good ideas about

guides and trainings that they

345

wanna do, and it's that's amazing.

346

But let's not just

create for creating sake.

347

That's part of what's adding to

sometimes the chaos of your biz.

348

Let's make sure that you know everything

that there is like somewhere else where

349

we're directing them to go to next.

350

So there really is that, like people

say funnel, I think bridges are funner.

351

Track 1: I like.

352

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Versus.

353

Track 1: Yeah, but I do think

that's a big misunderstanding in the

354

customer journey side of things is

that your lead magnet is part of it.

355

Your lead magnet is giving

them that first win.

356

Whether they spend money or not,

and it's going to eventually then

357

convert them to the next step.

358

So really making sure that your

top of funnel is curated and

359

is calling in the right people.

360

I've seen some people who

get it a little backwards.

361

What I would say is that they

think their lead magnets is to

362

grow their list, but your lead

magnet, it's literally in the name.

363

It's to attract lead.

364

To eventually convert.

365

And so sometimes when you have

that little like gap in knowledge

366

of being like, oh no, this is

just here to grow my email list.

367

It's and then what are you gonna do

with them ? Once you're on your list?

368

And then what?

369

So really understanding that like lead

magnets are opponent are a component

370

of your customer journey as well.

371

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Sure, sure all.

372

Are we ready to wrap it up or

you still have some more things

373

to say about our top of funnel?

374

Track 1: No, I think

we're, I think we're good.

375

We went through this.

376

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: Yeah.

377

So when you're thinking about

like your customer journey, right?

378

Like I'm picturing this cascade

of things like that you would

379

wanna have set up first, and it's

really you offer first, right?

380

Make sure.

381

And then that's gonna inform

like what your lead magnet is and

382

really like the marketing in that

like bridge or in that funnel.

383

And then it's going down to the

content or the attraction content or

384

whatever you're doing marketing wise

to attract the people into that funnel.

385

And by simplifying all of that, calm

the chaos in your business because it's

386

gonna be a really streamlined approach.

387

And then that's just gonna funnel down

to the operations part of your business

388

where you're gonna have less processes,

you're gonna have less of a tech stack.

389

You may not even need three different

VAs to manage things because once

390

you've got that like streamline

journey it's really going to.

391

And this is something that I didn't

understand, but it's finally Rachel

392

made a light go off in my head.

393

I'm like, I can't wait

to get this together.

394

I also do like for like

multi-passionate people like myself,

395

like that, like to offer different

things and sometimes get bored.

396

It's it's not permanent.

397

If I decide to change my offer,

like next year, it's fine.

398

I would just have to go back and create a.

399

Customer journey for that.

400

But I think for me, I've resisted

this for so long because I'm like

401

I don't know what I wanna offer.

402

I wanna do this, I wanna do this.

403

And it's just pick one.

404

Pick one that's gonna make

you the most money right now.

405

Get that guy set up and flowing and

then that's gonna give the freedom

406

if you have the chime space and

desire to create another one as well.

407

Track 1: Yeah, that's exactly what I was

gonna say is don't whoever's listening to

408

this, please do not go out and create For

new offers, like create two that feed into

409

each other and then what your clients ask

for or what you learn about your customer

410

journey, then you can create a third.

411

It does not always have to be

like, I have a, my client Journey.

412

Customer journey is literally

just two touch points.

413

It's an intensive that upsells itself into

a retainer and it does really well and

414

really understanding that like it doesn't

need to be . A big multiple touchpoint,

415

multiple offer type customer journey.

416

It can easily be two that do a great job

of upselling to each other or downselling

417

to each other, and really making sure

that like you're not overcomplicating it

418

like exactly what Jess said, like simple

is the most important thing right now.

419

And then like just leaning in

to what's being called to you.

420

What you want to do for

that next step as well.

421

Yeah, and I hope that if this kind

of bubbles up anything, if this

422

has put any light bulbs for the

listeners that they let us know.

423

'cause this is what, why we create

these podcasts, why we create these

424

episodes that like we want it to be

beneficial to the people listening.

425

jess_1_10-20-2023_100347: All well until.