# Journey Stages Reference

Cover all seven stages in order. For each stage, analyze the listed dimensions and customize them heavily to the specific product/service and persona.

## 1. Awareness
The prospect realizes they have a problem or discovers the brand for the first time.

- How they find the brand (organic search, ads, referrals, events, social media, content)
- First impressions and initial brand perception
- Information-seeking behavior and research patterns
- Competitor awareness at this stage

## 2. Consideration
The prospect actively evaluates the solution against alternatives.

- Content consumption patterns (case studies, comparisons, reviews)
- Engagement with sales or marketing (demo requests, webinars, free trials)
- Decision criteria formation
- Stakeholder involvement and internal selling
- Objections and concerns that surface

## 3. Decision
The prospect commits to purchasing or signing up.

- Purchase/signup flow and friction points
- Pricing evaluation and negotiation
- Contract or commitment structure
- Final objection handling
- The "moment of commitment" experience

## 4. Onboarding
The new customer begins using the product or service for the first time.

- Welcome experience and first-run flow
- Setup and configuration steps
- Time-to-first-value milestones
- Training and education resources
- Early support interactions
- Common drop-off points

## 5. Retention
The customer becomes a regular, ongoing user.

- Habitual usage patterns and triggers
- Value realization moments
- Support and issue resolution experience
- Communication cadence (email, in-app, check-ins)
- Churn risk signals and early warning indicators
- Customer satisfaction measurement

## 6. Expansion
The customer grows their usage, upgrades, or purchases additional products.

- Upsell and cross-sell triggers
- Usage-based expansion signals
- Multi-seat or multi-department growth
- Feature adoption deepening
- Pricing tier progression
- Account management relationship

## 7. Advocacy
The customer becomes a promoter who refers others and champions the brand.

- Referral program participation
- Review and testimonial creation
- Case study willingness
- Community participation and mentoring
- Social proof generation
- Brand ambassador activities