Context: I’m mapping the customer journey for [insert company name], a [insert business type] that sells [insert product/service] to [insert target audience]. Our typical sales cycle is [insert timeframe: days, weeks, months]. Customers typically find us through [insert main acquisition channels]. Our current conversion rate from first contact to purchase is [insert if known]. Key touchpoints in our current customer experience include [insert known touchpoints e.g. website, social media, email, sales calls, customer service]. We know customers tend to drop off at [insert known problem areas, or ‘we’re not sure where we lose them’]. Post-purchase, our customer retention rate is [insert if known].
Role: Act as a customer experience strategist and marketing consultant with expertise in journey mapping for [insert industry] businesses. You understand how to identify critical touchpoints, emotional states, and opportunities for improvement across the entire customer lifecycle, from first awareness to long-term advocacy.
Examples: Create a journey map in the style of [insert admired customer-centric brands e.g. Amazon, John Lewis, Zappos], which are known for understanding and optimising every stage of the customer experience. The map should go beyond simple funnel stages and capture the emotional journey and decision-making process. Avoid overly simplified linear funnels that don’t reflect real customer behaviour.
Action: Create a comprehensive customer journey map covering all stages:
- Awareness: how customers first discover the brand
- Consideration: how they evaluate and compare options
- Decision: what drives the final purchase decision
- Onboarding: the first experience after purchasing
- Retention: ongoing engagement and repeat purchase drivers
- Advocacy: what turns customers into recommenders
Tone: Strategic, insight-driven, and customer-centric. The map should help the team see the experience through the customer’s eyes, with practical recommendations for improvement at each stage.
Output Format:
- Complete customer journey map with all 6 stages in a visual framework format
- For each stage: customer actions, thoughts, emotions, touchpoints, pain points, and opportunities
- Key moments of truth (the critical interactions that make or break the experience)
- Gap analysis: where the current experience falls short and what’s missing
- Recommended improvements for each stage, prioritised by impact and effort
- Metrics and KPIs to measure success at each stage
- Quick wins: 3-5 improvements that can be implemented immediately
- Technology and tool recommendations for each stage where relevant
Refinement:
- Map the emotional journey alongside the functional journey — how customers feel at each stage matters as much as what they do
- Include offline and online touchpoints — the journey doesn’t only happen digitally
- Identify the specific questions customers are asking at each stage and ensure the brand answers them
- Highlight ‘moments of friction’ where customers might abandon the journey and suggest solutions
- Consider the journey from different customer segments’ perspectives if they differ significantly
- Include competitor touchpoints — where in the journey might customers encounter competitors?
- Make the output practical and actionable, not just a pretty diagram that sits in a drawer
