Suspects, Prospects, Loyal Customers
The Buying Cycle is the period of time you want to reach Suspects and turn them into Prospects and then Loyal Customers.
If you drive your own traffic to your Website they are already Prospects. If you send emails to people who have signed up for information, they are already Prospects.
Suspects are Targets you do not know but think they would find your expertise desirable.
This is the largest group in your Funnel. You broadcast your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to people you would like to attract. When they are in need of your services they will find or respond to your message.
If they exchange their contact information for some of your free information, counseling, or advice, they become Prospects.
Now the task is to follow up with more information and offers to make them Loyal Customers. During a Buying Cycle, a Prospect will evaluate what you know and whether they feel in alignment with you. They will most likely measure you against other providers. This is why you want to market your USP so that your best competitive feature is how you are being judged.
When the Prospect has enough information to make a wise decision, they will pull the trigger and contract or purchase.
