Customer Journey Mapping in B2B Businesses

Customer journey mapping helps you visualise the path your customers take when interacting with your brand, products, or services. In a B2B setting, this process can be more complex due to longer decision cycles, multiple stakeholders, and the nature of business relationships.

Improving customer journeys can boost satisfaction by 20%, increase revenue by 15%, and reduce the cost of serving customers by up to 20%. While 30% of organisations have established journey maps, many struggle to use them effectively.

What if you could truly see your business through the eyes of your customers - how much more effective could your strategies become?

Customer Journey Mapping to Better Serve Your Customers (Henri Nakamura, Lead Customer Experience @ Liferay)

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create an effective customer journey map for your B2B business.

1. Define Your Business Goals

Before you start mapping the customer journey, clarify your goals. Think of business goals as the objectives you want to achieve within a specific timeframe. These goals can be categorised as short term or long term. They can be broad and overarching or focused on specific, measurable actions. Essentially, business goals outline where you want your business to go and define the expected outcomes of your business strategy.

Sample Business Goals

• Increase Customer Retention by 10% Over the Next 12 Months: Focus on long-term customer relationships, ensuring customers stay loyal and continue to choose your business.

• Boost Lead Generation by 20% in Q4: Short-term goal aimed at improving your sales pipeline by increasing the number of qualified leads generated through marketing efforts.

• Improve Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score by 15% Within 6 Months: Centered on enhancing the customer experience by addressing pain points and improving service delivery.

• Launch a New Product in the Next 9 Months and Achieve $1 Million in Revenue: Long-term goal that ties product development and financial targets together, focusing on a successful launch and early revenue generation.

Align the journey map with key business objectives so that your team knows the purpose of the exercise.

• Which business goal will have the most immediate impact on your overall customer experience, and how can you prioritise it in your journey mapping process?

• How can you break down long-term goals into actionable steps within the customer journey to ensure steady progress over time?

• What specific metrics will help you measure success for each goal, and how can you track them throughout different stages of the customer journey?

2. Identify Customer Personas

In a B2B environment, buying decisions often involve multiple roles, such as decision makers, influencers and end users. You should identify the key personas in the buying process. A B2B persona takes into account both the personalities of the decision-makers and the characteristics of the company. This will help you understand the buying stages, including what questions lead to a purchase, when they are asked, and how customers respond to persuade others.

Customer Personas

• Decision-makers: These are typically C-suite executives, department heads, or senior managers who have the final say in purchasing decisions.

• Influencers: This group includes IT managers, procurement teams, and other professionals who influence the decision by researching options, providing recommendations, or setting technical requirements.

• End-users: These are the individuals who will use the product or service day-to-day. Their input can be crucial, especially if the solution impacts their workflows or efficiency.

• Gatekeepers: Administrative assistants, office managers, or team leads who manage access to decision-makers. They often control the flow of information and interactions within the company.

For each persona, detail their goals, challenges, and how they interact with your business. This gives a well-rounded view of the customer’s experience.

• How do the priorities of each persona differ when it comes to the buying decision, and how can you tailor your communication to address those specific needs?

• What challenges does each persona face during the buying process and how can you help overcome them?

• How does each persona's influence impact the overall decision, and what strategies can you use to ensure that all key stakeholders feel confident in choosing your solution?

3. Map the Stages of the Customer Journey

Mapping the customer journey is key to building a customer-centric business. It outlines the steps your target audience takes to become a loyal customer. Creating a journey map gives you a clearer understanding of your customers and allows you to identify and address potential problems before they arise. In the B2B context, this journey is usually broken down into different stages of the sales funnel.

Customer Journey Stages

• Awareness: The customer identifies a need or problem and begins to explore solutions.

• Consideration: The customer evaluates different providers and products that can meet their needs.

• Decision: The customer narrows down their choices and decides to purchase.

• Onboarding: Once the purchase is made, the customer begins using the product or service.

• Retention: The business continues to support the customer, ensuring satisfaction and loyalty.

• Advocacy: The customer becomes an advocate, sharing their positive experience and recommending your business to others.

For each stage, consider the customer’s goals, potential challenges, and the specific actions your business can take to guide them through the process smoothly.

• What key concerns or obstacles might customers face at each stage, and how can you proactively address them to improve their journey?

• How can you tailor your communication and support at each stage to meet the specific needs and expectations of your customers?

• Which stages of the journey experience the most drop-offs or friction, and what improvements can you implement to smooth the process?

"Make every interaction count, even the small ones. They are all relevant." - Shep Hyken

4. Gather Data from Multiple Sources

To create a complete and accurate customer journey, you need to collect data from a variety of sources. This involves systematically gathering and recording information for analysis, interpretation, and decision-making. High-quality data is crucial because the insights you gain from it can directly impact the success of your business decisions.

Common Sources

• Customer interviews: Directly ask customers about their experiences, pain points, and satisfaction levels.

• Sales teams: Sales reps often have valuable insights into what customers experience and what objections they face.

• Customer support: Analyse support tickets and feedback to understand where customers struggle during the post-purchase phase.

• Analytics: Use website analytics, CRM data, and other metrics to track customer behavior, such as time spent on the site, content viewed, or sales funnel drop-offs.

For each data source, assess its insights, identify knowledge gaps, and figure out how to use this information to enhance the customer journey and resolve issues efficiently.

• Which data sources provide the most actionable insights, and how can you prioritise them to better understand your customers’ needs and pain points?

• Are there any data sources you're overlooking that could give you a more complete picture of your customer journey?

• How can you combine qualitative data (e.g., interviews and feedback) with quantitative data (e.g., analytics and CRM metrics) to create a more holistic view of your customer experience?

5. Identify Key Touchpoints

Touchpoints are the moments when your customers interact with your business, whether online or offline. These interactions shape how they perceive your brand. Understanding your touchpoints allows you to identify and address any problem areas, helping you refine your strategy. Each touchpoint plays a role in the overall customer experience and directly impacts satisfaction and loyalty.

Common Touchpoints

• Website visits: Engaging with product pages, blogs, and case studies to gather information.

• Interactions with sales representatives: Direct conversations that can influence the buying decision.

• Webinars or product demos: Opportunities for customers to see your product in action and ask questions.

• Contract negotiations: Critical discussions that set expectations and build trust.

• Onboarding calls or training sessions: Initial experiences that guide customers in effectively using your product or service.

• Support requests and follow-ups: Ongoing interactions that ensure customer satisfaction and resolve any issues.

Map these touchpoints across each stage of the customer journey and note how different personas interact with them.

• Which touchpoints have the most significant impact on customer perception, and how can you optimise them to enhance the overall experience?

• Are there any touchpoints that are consistently causing frustration or confusion for customers, and what specific changes can you implement to address these issues?

• How do different customer personas interact with each touchpoint, and what adjustments can you make to cater to their unique needs and expectations?

6. Highlight Pain Points and Friction

At every stage and touchpoint, your customers may experience frustration, confusion or delay. These pain points are the specific challenges they face when interacting with your product, service or brand. It's important to uncover the root cause of these issues because 92% of customers will leave after two to three bad experiences. Analyse your data to spot trends and prioritise pain points based on their impact and the resources you have available.

Common Pain Points

• Long approval processes: Customers often face extended approval times within their organisations, which can delay decision-making.

• Lack of clarity: Unclear pricing structures or contract terms can lead to confusion and hesitation in the buying process.

• Technical complexity: Customers may struggle to understand the technical aspects of the product, making it challenging to see its value.

• Slow response times: Delayed responses from your support team or sales department can frustrate customers and impact their overall experience.

Understanding where friction occurs allows you to take actionable steps to improve the customer experience.

• What are the most significant pain points that your customers face, and how do these challenges affect their overall satisfaction and loyalty?

• Which pain points can you address quickly with minimal resources, and how can you prioritise these improvements to create immediate impact?

• How can you gather ongoing feedback from customers to continuously identify and address new pain points as they arise?

"Improve the experience and everybody wins." - Dharmesh Shah

7. Look for Opportunities to Enhance the Journey

Once you have identified pain points, focus on improving the customer experience. A great journey can change the way customers view your brand, just like changes to products or services. Put yourself in your customer's shoes and walk through the process from start to finish. Remember that every employee contributes to customer service. Ask for feedback regularly to show your customers that their opinions matter.

Potential Opportunities

• Enhanced Information: Provide clearer and more accessible information during the awareness and consideration stages to help customers make informed decisions.

• Streamlined Procurement: Simplify the procurement process to eliminate bottlenecks and accelerate the decision-making timeline.

• Improved Onboarding: Offer additional training or resources during the onboarding phase to ensure customers feel confident using your product or service.

• Self-Service Tools: Develop self-service tools to help customers resolve common post-purchase issues quickly and independently.

Consider how technology (such as chatbots, automated emails, or personalised content) can improve the experience at each stage.

• What specific changes can you implement to address the identified pain points and enhance the overall customer experience?

• How can you leverage customer feedback to prioritise the most impactful opportunities for improvement?

• In what ways can technology be integrated into each stage of the customer journey to create a more seamless and personalised experience?

8. Collaborate Across Teams

Customer journey mapping covers all touchpoints, from when customers first discover your brand to when they buy your products or services. You'll need input from teams across your organisation, including sales, customer success, product teams and even legal, depending on the situation. As each team interacts with customers at different stages of the journey, their insights are essential for a complete and accurate picture.

Key Collaborative Opportunities

• Sales Insights: Gather information from sales teams about common customer objections and questions to refine your messaging and support materials.

• Customer Success Feedback: Leverage insights from customer success teams to identify areas where customers may struggle post-purchase and enhance their experience.

• Product Team Input: Collaborate with product teams to ensure that customer feedback informs product development and updates, aligning offerings with customer needs.

• Legal Considerations: Involve legal teams to ensure that customer interactions and agreements comply with regulations and protect both your business and your customers.

  
  

Reflect on how interdepartmental collaboration can lead to a more holistic understanding of the customer journey.

• Which teams within your organisation have valuable insights to share about the customer journey, and how can you facilitate effective communication between them?

• How can you create a structured process for gathering and integrating feedback from different teams to ensure a comprehensive view of the customer experience?

• What specific strategies can you implement to encourage a culture of collaboration around customer journey mapping across your organisation?

9. Visualise the Journey Map

Create a visual map that’s easy for everyone to understand. A user experience journey map helps your team share a common understanding of the customer’s experience, from their perspective, over time. At a high level, it combines storytelling, visual design, and empathy to show what drives your customers at each stage. This helps you identify which features or interactions move users forward in their journey.

Map Elements

• Different personas: Represent the various customer profiles involved in the journey.

• Key stages of the journey: Outline the main phases customers go through.

• Touchpoints at each stage: Highlight the interactions customers have with your business.

• Pain points and areas for improvement: Identify challenges that customers face and opportunities for enhancement.

A well-designed map makes it easier to spot gaps and opportunities in the customer experience.

• How can you ensure that the journey map is visually engaging and easily comprehensible for all team members?

• What insights can you draw from the journey map to align your team’s efforts towards enhancing the customer experience?

• How often should you revisit and update the journey map to reflect changes in customer behavior and feedback?

Tools like Lucidchart, Miro, or Microsoft Visio are great options for building clear and effective customer journey maps.

10. Regularly Update the Journey Map

The B2B environment is constantly changing, and your customer journey map should evolve with it. Customer journey mapping isn’t a one-time task, but an ongoing process. Make it a priority to regularly revisit and update your journey map based on new data, customer feedback, or any changes in your business processes. This ensures you're always working with the most accurate and relevant understanding of your customers' experiences.

Potential Updates

• Incorporate New Insights: Regularly integrate insights from recent customer interactions or feedback to refine your understanding of their journey.

• Adjust for Market Changes: Adapt your journey map to reflect changes in market conditions, competitive landscape, or industry trends that could impact customer behavior.

• Evaluate Process Changes: Update the map whenever there are significant changes in your business processes that could affect customer interactions.

• Benchmark Against Best Practices: Compare your journey map with industry standards to identify areas for improvement and ensure alignment with best practices.

Identifying where challenges arise enables you to implement concrete measures to enhance the customer experience.

• What new insights or data have emerged that could significantly alter your current understanding of the customer journey?

• How often should you review and update your journey map to ensure it stays relevant in a changing business landscape?

• In what ways can you engage your team and customers in the updating process to gather diverse perspectives and enhance the journey map?

11. Track and Measure Success

Finally, track how effective your customer journey improvements have been. It's important to monitor a variety of metrics to measure success. Success isn't just about sales. For a comprehensive view of your business, take a more holistic approach that includes employee and customer satisfaction, net revenue, customer engagement and retention rates.

Common Metrics

• Customer Satisfaction Scores: Measure metrics such as CSAT and NPS to gauge overall customer happiness and loyalty.

• Conversion Rates: Track conversion rates at various stages of the sales funnel to understand where customers drop off and where improvements can be made.

• Customer Retention and Renewal Rates: Monitor retention and renewal rates to assess how well you are maintaining customer relationships over time.

• Support Ticket Volume: Analyse the volume of support tickets post-purchase to identify common issues and assess the effectiveness of your onboarding and support processes.

These metrics will help you gauge the impact of your efforts and guide further optimisation.

• What specific metrics will provide the most valuable insights into the success of your customer journey improvements, and how can you effectively track them?

• How can you correlate changes in customer satisfaction and engagement with specific adjustments made in the journey?

• In what ways can you use the data collected to identify new opportunities for enhancement or to address emerging challenges?

"We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better." - Jeff Bezos

Remember, customer journey mapping isn't just about identifying pain points; it's about creating a strategy that improves your customer interactions and builds lasting relationships. Leveraging insights from multiple sources and collaborating across teams can help you develop a more nuanced understanding of your customers' needs and preferences.

How will you take what you’ve learned today to elevate your customers’ experiences and turn them into loyal advocates for your brand?

Stay adaptable - regularly review and refine your customer journey map based on fresh feedback and evolving market conditions. This proactive approach ensures that your organisation remains aligned with customer expectations, ultimately leading to greater satisfaction and loyalty.