By Steve Moran

I am reading the book What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You, by Melina Palmer. She recommends breaking down the purchasing decision into the small steps a buyer has to take to get to the point of making a purchase. Each step represents an opportunity to make getting the sale easier or harder.

Just for fun, I started listing the steps for a senior living customer. Here is what I came up with.

1. They realize there is a need to think about a new living situation.

2. They actually decide status quo is not good enough.

3. They begin to notice, maybe, ads for senior living … your ads.

4. They start thinking about options.

5. They make a list of options — in their head or on paper.

6. They start talking to friends and maybe look for experts.

7. They start doing web searches, which might be the first time they encounter you.

8. They get more specific about the available options:

a. Family — who can do it

b. Senior living

c. Home care

d. Adult care

e. NOTHING

9. They actually start reaching out to specific solution providers:

a. Aggregator

b. Your website

10. They get to your website or they don’t.

a. How do they get there? Be in the top three.

b. Will they find what they want?

c. What can you do to get them to reach out to you?

d. What makes your website experience better than the others?

e. Does your chatbot really help, or does it frustrate?

11. They reach out to you:

a. Web form

b. Phone call

c. Aggregator

d. Landing page

e. Email

f. Chatbot

12. They have a first conversation.

13. They tour the community.

14. They think about the lifestyle fit.

15. They consider the economic fit.

16. The decision to move in is made.

17. They do the paperwork.

18. They move in.

19. They experience the first 90 days of occupancy.

For Each Step

Take a look at each one of these steps, and ask:

a. How do we make the experience better for the prospect?

b. What would make taking the next step easier?

c. How do we make it better than everyone else does it?

d. How do we reduce the friction this step causes?

e. How can we tell our story better?