Last week I talked about the first two stages of the buyer’s journey.
To recap quickly, in the first stage, your buyer is completely unaware they even have a problem. They are blissfully living their life and nothing can seem farther from their mind.
In the second stage, they become what is referred to as “problem aware” by the late, great copywriter, Eugene Schwartz. They know they have a problem but have no idea where to find a solution, or even if one exists.
The next stage of the buyer’s journey is incredibly important because it’s going to introduce your ideal customer to you and your product or service as their solution.
Going From Problem Aware to Solution Aware
This is the stage in which your ideal customer realizes they have a problem and they start looking for a solution.
However, they may not yet realize you offer a solution to their problem.
Your job in the first two stages was to slowly start to educate your ideal customer about the fact that they have a problem, to begin with.
Now, your job is to show them that there is a solution to their problem and you are the one who possesses that solution.
Channeling Your Inner Obi-Wan
In the Hero’s Journey, this is the point at which the mentor comes on the scene.
If you read my original Hero’s Journey blog post from earlier in the year, you’ll remember that Star Wars is based on the hero’s journey, as described by anthropologist and author, Joseph Campbell.
The mentor, in this case, is you.
I will take a moment to point out that many companies make the mistake of positioning themselves or their product as the hero in the buyer’s journey.
Don’t do this.
It’s selfish, it’s rude and it’s not accurate.
If you walk into a store looking for a solution to a problem, do you want someone to guide you to the right solution or do you want someone to act as though they’re the hero in your story?
Yeah, that second one just seems weird.
That’s why you position yourself, or your company, as the mentor, not the hero.
You’re the one with the knowledge that your ideal customer needs. You’re the one who can help them achieve their goal and reach their triumph.
Therefore, you get to take on the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Put on those dark brown robes and prepare to guide your ideal customer on their continuing buyer’s journey.
You want your ideal customer to trust that you’ve got the answers they’re looking for.
Building Trust with Your Ideal Customer
It’s entirely possible that your ideal customer already knows who you are. Perhaps they’ve already read some of your content or they’ve heard about you from a friend.
It’s more likely that your ideal customer is encountering you for the first time.
Your job now is to build trust with this person to show them that you know what you’re talking about and you have their best interests at heart.
This is an interesting stage in the buyer’s journey because it’s likely that your ideal customer is getting information from several sources. Once they start looking for answers, they’ll find good and bad information out there in the world.
Your goal is to make sure they get good information right off the bat.
Please note: your information will ultimately guide them to your product or service. However, it should stand on its own, with or without your product or service as a solution. That way your idea customer can get some benefit from it, whether they decide to buy from you or not.
You always want to offer genuine value to your ideal customer.
Don’t be the creepy company that promises one thing and delivers something entirely different. That destroys trust and usually results in bad reviews on your website or out there somewhere on the interwebs.
The Mentor’s Gift
A standard pattern of the Hero’s Journey occurs when the mentor gives the hero a gift that will help them on their journey.
In Star Wars, Obi-Wan gives Luke his father’s lightsaber. Obi-Wan then teaches Luke to use the lightsaber and opens him to the Force so he has greater control.
We’re not going to get so deeply spiritual or serious here.
In your case, your gift, as the mentor, to your ideal customer, will be your lead magnet. That’s the downloadable piece of information you offer in exchange for your ideal customer’s email address.
Your lead magnet should always be something that will help your ideal customer on their buyer’s journey. More about creating the perfect lead magnet here.
The point of your gift is to show your ideal customer that what you have to offer:
- Is of value to them.
- Will actually help solve their problem.
- Positions you as an expert in your field/niche who will help them.
Once your ideal customer has achieved a small success using your gift, they’ll want more. They’ll want you to continue being their mentor and guiding them on to success as they move along the buyer’s journey.
As an example, my current lead magnet is a set of 30 writing prompts and subject lines you can use as fodder for your regular emails to your list.
This is useful to anyone who is growing and nurturing their email list, and it offers a “small, quick win” in that their current email list will be responsive and engaged when they write regularly.
Click on this button to download your copy now.
(See, here I am, modeling the good behavior of the mentor. I’m giving you a gift you can use in your buyer’s journey.)
Helping Your Ideal Customer Continue Along On the Buyer’s Journey
Now that you have given your ideal customer a gift, and in return received their trust in the form of their email address, you need to continue to act as their mentor.