---
title: Customer Journey Mapping
summary: Map the five stages of the customer journey, find friction points, and optimize each stage for conversion.
est_minutes: 20
sort: 5
---

#### LESSON 1: The Five Stages of the Customer Journey

The customer journey is not a single moment. It's a series of stages from first awareness to loyal advocacy.

Most businesses only optimize one stage: the decision (purchase). They ignore the other four. This is why they struggle with acquisition, retention, and growth.

Here's how the complete journey works.

**The Customer Journey Framework**

Five sequential stages:

1. Awareness
2. Consideration
3. Decision
4. Retention
5. Advocacy

Each stage has:

- Different customer mindset
- Different customer needs
- Different business goals
- Different metrics
- Different tactics

**Optimizing one stage while ignoring others creates bottlenecks.**

**Stage 1: Awareness**

**Customer State:**

- Unaware of your brand
- May or may not be aware of their problem
- Not actively seeking solutions

**Customer Mindset:**

- "I have a problem" (problem-aware)
- OR "I don't even know I have a problem" (problem-unaware)

**Business Goal:** Make target customers aware of your brand and relevance.

**Key Questions:**

- Do they know their problem exists?
- Do they know solutions like yours exist?
- Do they know your brand exists?

**Success Metrics:**

- Reach (how many ICP customers see you)
- Recall (do they remember you)
- Relevance (do they understand you're for them)

**Tactics:**

- Content marketing (blog posts, videos, podcasts)
- SEO (ranking for problem searches)
- Social media (where ICP congregates)
- Paid advertising (targeting ICP)
- PR and thought leadership
- Word of mouth / referrals
- Events and conferences

**Example Journey:**

*Problem-Unaware:* VP of Operations doesn't realize her manual reporting process wastes 15 hours per week. She sees a LinkedIn ad: "Still building reports manually?" Now she is problem-aware and brand-aware.

*Problem-Aware:* Founder knows she needs project management software. Searches "project management for startups", finds your blog post, becomes brand-aware.

**Awareness Stage Outcome:**

Customer now knows:

1. They have a problem
2. Solutions exist
3. Your brand is a potential solution

They move to Consideration.

**Stage 2: Consideration**

**Customer State:**

- Aware of problem
- Aware your brand exists
- Actively researching solutions
- Not ready to buy yet

**Customer Mindset:**

- "What are my options?"
- "How do these solutions work?"
- "Which approach is right for me?"

**Business Goal:** Educate the customer and position your solution as the best fit.

**Key Questions:**

- What alternatives are they considering?
- What criteria are they using to evaluate?
- What information do they need to narrow options?

**Success Metrics:**

- Engagement (time on site, content consumed)
- Interest level (email opens, demo requests)
- Competition displacement (choosing you over alternatives)

**Tactics:**

- Educational content (how-to guides, comparison content)
- Case studies and social proof
- Product demos and webinars
- Free trials or freemium
- Email nurture sequences
- Retargeting ads
- Comparison pages (you vs competitors)

**Example Journey:**

VP of Operations now knows she needs automation. She:

- Reads comparison: "Build vs Buy vs [Your Product]"
- Watches product demo video
- Downloads case study: "How [Similar Company] Saved 20 Hours/Week"
- Subscribes to email newsletter
- Attends webinar on automation best practices

**Consideration Stage Outcome:**

Customer now:

1. Understands solution approaches
2. Has narrowed options (you're in top 3)
3. Trusts your expertise
4. Sees your solution as viable

They move to Decision.

**Stage 3: Decision**

**Customer State:**

- Narrowed to 1-3 options
- Ready to make purchase decision
- Evaluating final criteria
- May have concerns/objections

**Customer Mindset:**

- "Is this the right choice?"
- "Will this work for us?"
- "Can I trust this vendor?"
- "What if it fails?"

**Business Goal:** Convert the customer by providing proof, removing friction, and making buying easy.

**Key Questions:**

- What's stopping them from buying now?
- What proof do they need?
- How easy is it to purchase?
- What objections haven't been addressed?

**Success Metrics:**

- Conversion rate (leads to customers)
- Sales cycle length (days to close)
- Deal size (revenue per customer)
- Close rate by source/segment

**Tactics:**

- Sales conversations (answer questions, address objections)
- Proof points (testimonials, references, ROI calculators)
- Risk reduction (free trial, money-back guarantee, pilot program)
- Simplified buying (clear pricing, easy checkout, fast onboarding)
- Urgency/scarcity (limited-time offers, founder's pricing)
- Personalized proposals (custom to their use case)

**Example Journey:**

VP of Operations is deciding between you and two competitors:

- Has sales call with your team (addresses specific concerns)
- Talks to reference customer (hears success story)
- Reviews proposal with pricing (clear ROI shown)
- Gets 30-day money-back guarantee (risk reduced)
- Sees "15 companies signed up this month" (social proof + scarcity)

**Decision Stage Outcome:**

Customer:

1. Believes solution will work for them
2. Trusts vendor relationship
3. Sees acceptable risk level
4. Purchases

They move to Retention.

**Stage 4: Retention**

**Customer State:**

- Active customer
- Using product/service
- Forming opinion about value
- Deciding whether to stay or leave

**Customer Mindset:**

- "Is this delivering value?"
- "Am I getting my money's worth?"
- "Should I keep using this?"

**Business Goal:** Deliver value, prevent churn, expand usage and revenue.

**Key Questions:**

- Are they achieving desired outcomes?
- Are they using the product effectively?
- Are they satisfied?
- What might cause them to leave?

**Success Metrics:**

- Retention rate (% staying)
- Churn rate (% leaving)
- Product usage (engagement, adoption)
- NPS (Net Promoter Score)
- Expansion revenue (upsells, cross-sells)
- Time to value (how fast they see results)

**Tactics:**

- Onboarding (fast time to value)
- Customer success (proactive support)
- Product education (training, webinars, docs)
- Regular check-ins (QBRs, health checks)
- Feature adoption campaigns (drive usage)
- Upsell/cross-sell (when ready)
- Community building (peer connections)

**Example Journey:**

New customer (VP of Operations):

- Week 1: Onboarding call, setup assistance, first automation live
- Week 2: Sees 5 hours saved (quick win)
- Month 1: Customer success check-in (proactive)
- Month 3: Invited to webinar on advanced features
- Month 6: Upsell conversation (add another team)
- Month 12: Renewal conversation (easy yes, expanded usage)

**Retention Stage Outcome:**

Customer:

1. Achieved desired outcomes
2. Formed habit around product
3. Dependent on solution
4. Renews/continues

They move to Advocacy.

**Stage 5: Advocacy**

**Customer State:**

- Loyal, satisfied customer
- Sees significant value
- Willing to recommend
- May become brand champion

**Customer Mindset:**

- "This is working great"
- "Others should know about this"
- "I want to help this company succeed"

**Business Goal:** Turn customers into advocates who refer others and provide social proof.

**Key Questions:**

- What would make them recommend you?
- How can you make referrals easy?
- What incentives would motivate advocacy?
- How can you showcase their success?

**Success Metrics:**

- Referral rate (% who refer)
- Referrals generated (number)
- Review/testimonial rate
- Case study participation
- NPS (especially 9-10 scores)
- Viral coefficient (referrals per customer)

**Tactics:**

- Referral programs (incentivized recommendations)
- Review requests (G2, Capterra, etc.)
- Testimonial collection (quotes, videos)
- Case study development (showcase success)
- Community advocacy (user groups, ambassadors)
- Social media mentions (encourage sharing)
- Award/recognition programs (celebrate customers)

**Example Journey:**

Loyal customer (VP of Operations, 18 months):

- Refers colleague at another company (gets $500 credit)
- Leaves 5-star review on G2 (prompted after renewal)
- Agrees to case study (featured on website)
- Speaks at your user conference (shares journey)
- Posts on LinkedIn about how the tool saved her team 60 hours/month
- Becomes unofficial advocate in her network

**Advocacy Stage Outcome:**

Customer:

1. Actively recommends to others
2. Provides social proof
3. Generates referrals
4. Reduces your CAC

They complete the journey and bring others into Awareness.

**The Complete Journey: Example**

**Sarah's Journey (SaaS Customer):**

**Month 0 - Awareness:**

- Sees LinkedIn ad: "Still using spreadsheets for project management?"
- Clicks, reads blog post: "5 Signs You've Outgrown Spreadsheets"
- Downloads guide: "Project Management for Growing Teams"
- Now aware of problem and brand

**Month 0-1 - Consideration:**

- Receives email series (educational, not salesy)
- Watches product demo video
- Reads comparison: "Asana vs Monday vs [Your Tool]"
- Attends live webinar on project management best practices
- Narrowed to you and one competitor

**Month 1 - Decision:**

- Books demo with sales
- Asks questions about specific use case
- Talks to reference customer
- Sees clear ROI ($50K/year saved)
- Gets 30-day free trial
- Purchases after 2-week trial

**Month 1-12 - Retention:**

- Week 1: Onboarding call, team setup
- Week 2: First project completed (quick win)
- Month 1: Usage tracking shows 80% team adoption
- Month 3: Customer success check-in
- Month 6: Invited to advanced training
- Month 9: Upsells additional seats
- Month 12: Renews easily

**Month 12+ - Advocacy:**

- Refers two colleagues (gets credits)
- Leaves 5-star review
- Participates in case study
- Shares success on LinkedIn
- Speaks at user conference

**Total Journey: 12+ months from awareness to advocacy.**

**Journey Stage Transitions**

Not everyone moves linearly through stages.

**Common Patterns:**

**Pattern 1: Fast-Track Journey.** Awareness to Decision (skips Consideration).

Example: Founder hears about the tool from a trusted colleague, books a demo same day, purchases within a week.

Why: High trust from referral source, urgent need, simple product.

**Pattern 2: Long Consideration.** Awareness to Consideration (6 months) to Decision.

Example: Enterprise buyer researches for months, multiple stakeholders, RFP process.

Why: High complexity, high cost, risk-averse organization.

**Pattern 3: Churn and Return.** Decision to Retention to Churn to Awareness (again) to Decision.

Example: Customer churns due to budget cuts, then 6 months later rehires and comes back.

Why: Realized they still need the solution, willing to re-engage.

**Pattern 4: Trial Loop.** Consideration to Decision (trial) to back to Consideration (trial ends) to Decision (purchase).

Example: Signs up for free trial, doesn't activate, trial ends, nurture emails bring them back, they purchase.

Why: Needed education before ready to adopt.

**Stage-Specific Metrics Summary**

| Stage | Primary Metric | Secondary Metrics |
| :-: | :-: | :-: |
| Awareness | Reach (ICP impressions) | Recall, website traffic, social followers |
| Consideration | Engagement (content consumed) | Email opens, demo requests, trial signups |
| Decision | Conversion rate | Sales cycle length, close rate, deal size |
| Retention | Churn rate | NPS, product usage, expansion revenue |
| Advocacy | Referral rate | Reviews, testimonials, viral coefficient |

**Each stage requires different optimization.**

#### LESSON 2: Mapping Touchpoints and Identifying Friction Points

Understanding journey stages is not enough. You need to map every touchpoint where customers interact with your brand.

Touchpoints either move customers forward or create friction that slows or stops progress.

**What Is a Touchpoint?**

A touchpoint is any interaction between a customer and your brand.

**Examples:**

- Website visit
- Social media post view
- Ad click
- Email open
- Sales call
- Product demo
- Trial signup
- Onboarding session
- Support ticket
- Invoice payment
- Product usage
- Review left
- Referral made

**Every touchpoint has impact:**

- Positive: Moves customer forward in journey
- Neutral: Doesn't help or hurt
- Negative: Creates friction, slows progress, or causes drop-off

**Goal: Maximize positive touchpoints, eliminate negative ones.**

**How to Map Touchpoints**

**Step 1: List All Touchpoints by Stage**

Map every interaction in each journey stage.

**Awareness Stage Touchpoints:**

Marketing:

- First see ad (Google, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- First visit website (from search, referral, direct)
- Read blog post
- Watch YouTube video
- See social media post
- Attend webinar
- Download lead magnet
- Subscribe to email list

**Consideration Stage Touchpoints:**

Education:

- Receive nurture emails
- Read case studies
- Watch product demos
- Compare alternatives (comparison pages)
- Read reviews (G2, Capterra, TrustPilot)
- Talk to peers about you
- Retargeting ads (remind them you exist)

**Decision Stage Touchpoints:**

Sales:

- Fill out contact form / request demo
- First sales call
- Product demonstration
- Proposal/quote delivery
- Reference call with existing customer
- Negotiation/objection handling
- Contract review
- Purchase/checkout

**Retention Stage Touchpoints:**

Customer Success:

- Welcome email
- Onboarding call
- Product setup/configuration
- Training sessions
- Daily product usage
- Support tickets (email, chat, phone)
- Feature release emails
- Quarterly business reviews
- Renewal reminders
- Upsell/cross-sell conversations
- Billing/invoicing

**Advocacy Stage Touchpoints:**

Relationship:

- Referral program enrollment
- Review request emails
- Case study interviews
- User conference attendance
- Community forum participation
- Social media mentions
- Ambassador/champion programs

**Step 2: Map Touchpoint Sequence**

Show the order customers typically experience touchpoints.

**Example Touchpoint Map (SaaS):**

Awareness:

1. LinkedIn ad
2. Website visit
3. Blog post read
4. Lead magnet download

Consideration:

5. Email nurture (Day 1)
6. Email (Day 3)
7. Webinar attendance
8. Case study read
9. Demo request

Decision:

10. Sales call
11. Demo
12. Proposal sent
13. Reference call
14. Trial signup
15. Purchase

Retention:

16. Welcome email
17. Onboarding call
18. Product setup
19. Daily usage
20. Support ticket (Month 2)
21. QBR (Month 6)
22. Renewal (Month 12)

Advocacy:

23. Referral made (Month 15)
24. Review request
25. Case study participation

**Not all customers experience all touchpoints.**

Common paths:

- Fast path: 1, 2, 9, 10, 15 (awareness to demo request to purchase)
- Full path: 1-25 (all touchpoints)
- Churn path: 1-21 (stops before renewal)

**Step 3: Evaluate Each Touchpoint**

For each touchpoint, assess:

**Quality:**

- Excellent: Significantly moves customer forward
- Good: Helpful, builds trust
- Neutral: Doesn't help or hurt
- Poor: Creates confusion or friction
- Terrible: Causes drop-off

**Consistency:**

- Does this touchpoint reinforce previous ones?
- Does messaging align with brand?
- Does experience match expectations?

**Friction Level:**

- How easy is this interaction?
- What obstacles exist?
- Where do customers get stuck?

**Example Touchpoint Evaluation:**

| Touchpoint | Quality | Friction Level | Notes |
| :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: |
| Website visit | Good | Low | Clear value prop, but CTA buried |
| Email nurture | Excellent | None | High open rates, educational |
| Demo request form | Poor | High | Too many fields, 50% abandon |
| Sales call | Excellent | Low | Addresses concerns well |
| Trial signup | Terrible | Very High | Requires credit card, 80% drop |
| Onboarding call | Good | Medium | Helpful but scheduling difficult |

**Identifying Friction Points**

Friction is anything that makes the journey harder than necessary.

**Common Friction Points by Stage:**

**Awareness Stage Friction:**

**Friction 1: Unclear Value Proposition**

Problem: Customer lands on website, doesn't understand what you do or why it matters.

Symptoms:

- High bounce rate
- Low time on site
- No scrolling beyond hero

**Friction 2: Irrelevant Targeting**

Problem: Reaching wrong audience (non-ICP).

Symptoms:

- High impressions, low engagement
- Wrong industry/size clicking ads
- Unqualified form fills

**Friction 3: Poor Content Discoverability**

Problem: Great content exists but customers can't find it.

Symptoms:

- Low organic traffic
- Good content, no views
- Competitors ranking instead

**Consideration Stage Friction:**

**Friction 4: Information Gap**

Problem: Customer wants specific information, can't find it.

Symptoms:

- High support inquiry: "Does it do X?"
- Comparison searches (looking for missing info)
- Long consideration period

**Friction 5: Weak Social Proof**

Problem: No testimonials, reviews, or case studies to build trust.

Symptoms:

- "Who else uses this?" questions
- Prospect requests references
- Goes with competitor with better proof

**Friction 6: Overwhelming Options**

Problem: Too many choices, customer paralyzed.

Symptoms:

- Long decision times
- "Which plan should I choose?" questions
- Analysis paralysis

**Decision Stage Friction:**

**Friction 7: Complicated Buying Process**

Problem: Too many steps, forms, or approvals required.

Symptoms:

- High cart abandonment
- "Too complicated" feedback
- Long checkout times

**Friction 8: Unclear Pricing**

Problem: No pricing page, or pricing is confusing.

Symptoms:

- "How much does it cost?" is the top question
- Sales calls focused on pricing
- Prospect comparison shopping

**Friction 9: High Risk Perception**

Problem: No trial, no guarantee, requires big commitment.

Symptoms:

- Objections: "What if it doesn't work?"
- Requests for pilots or trials
- Long negotiation cycles

**Friction 10: Slow Sales Response**

Problem: Prospect ready to buy, sales team slow to respond.

Symptoms:

- Leads going cold
- "I didn't hear back" feedback
- Competitors winning due to speed

**Retention Stage Friction:**

**Friction 11: Poor Onboarding**

Problem: Customer doesn't know how to use product, gets frustrated.

Symptoms:

- High early churn (first 30-90 days)
- Support tickets: "How do I...?"
- Low product adoption

**Friction 12: Slow Time to Value**

Problem: Takes too long to see results.

Symptoms:

- Churn before renewal
- "Not seeing value" feedback
- Low engagement early on

**Friction 13: Difficult Support Access**

Problem: Can't get help when needed.

Symptoms:

- High churn citing "poor support"
- Long wait times
- Unresolved tickets

**Friction 14: Unclear Renewal Process**

Problem: Customer doesn't know when/how to renew.

Symptoms:

- Accidental churn
- "I didn't know it was renewing" complaints
- Billing surprises

**Advocacy Stage Friction:**

**Friction 15: No Referral Mechanism**

Problem: Customers want to refer but don't know how.

Symptoms:

- Organic mentions but no formal referrals
- "How do I refer someone?" questions
- Low referral volume despite satisfaction

**Friction 16: Complicated Review Process**

Problem: Asking for reviews but making it hard.

Symptoms:

- Low review completion rate
- "I'll do it later" (never does)
- Review requests ignored

**How to Identify Friction in Your Journey**

**Method 1: Drop-off Analysis**

Where do customers leave the journey?

Example:

- 1,000 website visitors
- 100 demo requests (90% drop-off) - FRICTION
- 50 demos completed (50% drop-off) - FRICTION
- 40 trial signups (20% drop-off)
- 10 purchases (75% drop-off) - MAJOR FRICTION

**High drop-off = friction point.**

Investigate why customers leave at each stage.

**Method 2: Customer Interviews**

Ask customers about their journey: "Walk me through your experience from first hearing about us to becoming a customer. Where did you get stuck? What was confusing? What almost made you give up?"

Listen for:

- "I couldn't find..."
- "I didn't understand..."
- "It took forever to..."
- "I almost gave up when..."

**These phrases = friction points.**

**Method 3: Session Recording Analysis**

Watch actual user sessions (Hotjar, FullStory, etc.).

Watch for:

- Rage clicking (clicking repeatedly, frustrated)
- Dead ends (reaches page with no next step)
- Form abandonment (starts form, doesn't finish)
- Confusion (navigating back and forth)

**These behaviors = friction.**

**Method 4: Support Ticket Analysis**

What do customers ask about most? Common questions indicate friction:

- "How do I...?" indicates product friction (unclear)
- "Why can't I...?" indicates feature friction (limitation)
- "When will...?" indicates process friction (slow)
- "Where is...?" indicates navigation friction (can't find)

**Method 5: Conversion Rate Benchmarking**

Compare your conversion rates to industry standards.

Example (SaaS):

| Touchpoint | Your Rate | Industry Avg | Assessment |
| :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: |
| Visitor to Lead | 2% | 2-5% | Okay |
| Lead to Demo | 5% | 10-15% | FRICTION |
| Demo to Trial | 80% | 50-70% | Good |
| Trial to Paid | 10% | 25-40% | MAJOR FRICTION |

**Below-average conversion = friction point.**

**Prioritizing Friction to Fix**

You can't fix everything at once. Prioritize based on Impact x Volume.

Impact: How much does fixing this improve conversion? Volume: How many customers experience this friction?

**High Impact + High Volume = Fix First.**

Example:

- Trial signup friction: 80% abandon, 1,000 people/month hit it
- Impact: Fixing could 4X trial signups
- Volume: 1,000/month
- Priority: #1

versus

- Renewal email unclear: 5% confusion, 10 people/month
- Impact: Small improvement
- Volume: Low
- Priority: Low

#### LESSON 3: Optimizing Each Stage for Conversion

Different journey stages need different optimization strategies.

Here's how to optimize each stage.

**Optimizing Awareness Stage**

**Goal: Reach more ICP customers with a relevant message.**

**Tactic 1: Clarify Value Proposition**

Problem: Visitors don't understand what you do.

Fix:

- 5-second test: Can a visitor explain what you do in 5 seconds?
- Clear headline: "We help [WHO] do [WHAT] so they can [OUTCOME]"
- Subheadline: Expand on the benefit
- Visual: Show product in action

Example:

Before: "The future of project management". After: "We help growing SaaS teams manage projects 3X faster so they can ship products without chaos".

**Tactic 2: Improve ICP Targeting**

Problem: Reaching wrong audience.

Fix:

- Audit ad targeting (ICP attributes only)
- Create ICP-specific landing pages
- Use account-based marketing (B2B)
- Partner with ICP-focused channels

Example:

Before: Facebook ads to "small business owners 30-50". After: LinkedIn ads to "VP Operations at SaaS companies, 50-200 employees".

**Tactic 3: Increase Content Velocity**

Problem: Not enough touchpoints to build awareness.

Fix:

- Publish more frequently (2-3X current rate)
- Repurpose content across channels
- Guest post on ICP-frequented sites
- Podcast appearances / interviews

**Goal: Be everywhere your ICP already is.**

**Optimizing Consideration Stage**

**Goal: Educate and build trust faster.**

**Tactic 4: Create Comparison Content**

Problem: Prospects evaluating alternatives, you're not helping them.

Fix:

- Build comparison pages (you vs competitors)
- Create category guides (approaches comparison)
- Write "Alternative to X" content
- Highlight differentiation clearly

Example: "Asana vs Monday vs [Your Tool]: Complete Comparison"

- When to use each
- Pricing comparison
- Feature matrix
- Use case fit

**Tactic 5: Deploy Social Proof**

Problem: No trust, no credibility.

Fix:

- Customer testimonials (video > text)
- Case studies (3-5 minimum, ICP-specific)
- Review site presence (G2, Capterra)
- Logos (recognizable customers)
- Numbers ("Join 5,000 teams")

**Placement: Every page, especially consideration pages.**

**Tactic 6: Shorten Consideration with Education**

Problem: Long consideration period, unclear what they need to know.

Fix:

- Create buying guide: "How to Choose [Category]"
- Offer personalized assessment
- Provide ROI calculator
- Host educational webinars (not sales pitches)

**Goal: Help them decide faster by giving them a decision framework.**

**Optimizing Decision Stage**

**Goal: Remove friction, provide proof, make buying easy.**

**Tactic 7: Simplify Buying Process**

Problem: Too many steps to purchase.

Fix:

- Reduce form fields (only essential)
- Enable one-click purchase
- Offer multiple payment options
- Remove unnecessary approvals

Example:

Before: 15-field form, 3-page checkout, manual approval. After: 5-field form, 1-page checkout, instant approval.

**Tactic 8: Make Pricing Transparent**

Problem: Hidden pricing creates friction.

Fix (if possible):

- Publish pricing page
- Clear tier differentiation
- Calculator for variable pricing
- "Talk to sales" only for custom/enterprise

**Transparency builds trust and pre-qualifies leads.**

**Tactic 9: Reduce Risk Perception**

Problem: Buyers fear commitment.

Fix:

- Free trial (14-30 days)
- Freemium tier
- Money-back guarantee (30-90 days)
- No credit card required for trial
- Cancel anytime

**Remove every barrier to trying.**

**Tactic 10: Accelerate Sales Response**

Problem: Leads going cold due to slow follow-up.

Fix:

- Auto-response within 5 minutes
- Sales SLA (respond within 1 hour)
- Automated scheduling (no back-and-forth)
- Chat for instant questions

**Speed wins. Respond faster than competitors.**

**Optimizing Retention Stage**

**Goal: Deliver value fast, prevent churn, expand usage.**

**Tactic 11: Perfect Onboarding**

Problem: Customers don't know how to get value.

Fix:

- Guided setup (step-by-step)
- Quick win checklist (value in first session)
- Personalized onboarding (based on use case)
- Video tutorials (don't make them read)
- Live onboarding call (high-touch)

**Goal: Value within first 7 days.**

**Tactic 12: Proactive Customer Success**

Problem: Customers struggle, don't ask for help, churn.

Fix:

- Monitor usage (identify at-risk)
- Proactive outreach (before they're frustrated)
- Regular check-ins (monthly/quarterly)
- Success milestones (celebrate wins)

**Don't wait for customers to complain. Prevent problems.**

**Tactic 13: Drive Feature Adoption**

Problem: Customers only use 20% of product.

Fix:

- In-app tips (contextual)
- Feature announcement emails
- Advanced training webinars
- Use case templates
- Gamification (badges, progress)

**More features used = more value = lower churn.**

**Tactic 14: Optimize Renewal Experience**

Problem: Renewal surprises, friction, or unclear process.

Fix:

- 90-day renewal warning
- Clear renewal terms
- Easy renewal process (one-click)
- Renewal incentives (annual discount)
- Proactive renewal conversation

**Make renewal effortless.**

**Optimizing Advocacy Stage**

**Goal: Turn customers into advocates who refer others.**

**Tactic 15: Build Referral Program**

Problem: Customers willing to refer but no mechanism.

Fix:

- Simple referral link (unique per customer)
- Incentive structure (mutual benefit)
- Easy sharing (email, social, direct link)
- Track and reward referrals
- Gamify (leaderboards)

**Make referrals easy and rewarding.**

**Tactic 16: Systematize Review Collection**

Problem: Not enough reviews.

Fix:

- Automated review request (90 days post-purchase)
- Make it easy (direct link to review site)
- Incentivize (entry to win gift card)
- Thank reviewers (recognition)
- Feature reviews (show appreciation)

**Timing matters: Ask when they're happiest (after a win).**

**Tactic 17: Create Case Study Pipeline**

Problem: Need social proof, no case studies.

Fix:

- Identify success stories (high ROI customers)
- Proactive case study requests
- Make participation easy (you do the work)
- Incentivize (exposure, credits, features)
- Promote case studies (your site, their site, PR)

**1-2 new case studies per quarter.**

**Tactic 18: Build Community**

Problem: Customers feel isolated.

Fix:

- User forum or Slack community
- User conference (annual)
- Local meetups
- Customer advisory board
- Ambassador program

**Community creates loyalty and peer advocacy.**
