The 6 stages in this template
Every stage comes pre-filled with a customer goal, touchpoints, pain points and opportunities. Use them as a starting point, then adapt the wording to your own customers and evidence.
1. Problem framing
Customer goal: Define the business problem and internal urgency
Touchpoints: Thought leadership, benchmark reports, webinars
Pain points
- Content too high-level
- No industry benchmarks
- Hard to calculate business impact
Opportunities
- ROI calculator
- Industry-specific benchmark assets
- Executive problem brief
2. Vendor evaluation
Moment of truthCustomer goal: Shortlist credible options
Touchpoints: Website, demo, analyst/review sites, case studies
Pain points
- Demos not tailored
- Pricing opaque
- Security docs hard to access
Opportunities
- Role-based demo paths
- Transparent packaging guide
- Self-serve trust center
3. Business case and procurement
Customer goal: Secure approval and manage risk
Touchpoints: Proposal, legal, procurement portal, security questionnaire
Pain points
- Slow back-and-forth
- Missing procurement artifacts
- Unclear pricing assumptions
Opportunities
- Mutual action plan
- Pre-approved procurement pack
- Business-case template
4. Implementation
Moment of truthCustomer goal: Go live on time with minimal disruption
Touchpoints: Kickoff, onboarding workspace, training, integrations
Pain points
- Responsibilities unclear
- Timeline slips
- Data migration surprises
Opportunities
- Named implementation owner
- Shared milestone plan
- Data-readiness checklist
5. Adoption and value
Customer goal: Prove value and drive team usage
Touchpoints: Customer success, usage dashboards, support, QBR
Pain points
- Low team adoption
- No value dashboard
- Support context lost
Opportunities
- Adoption nudges by role
- Value dashboard
- CS-led success plan
6. Renewal and expansion
Customer goal: Decide whether to renew, expand or switch
Touchpoints: QBR, renewal proposal, executive sponsor call
Pain points
- Value proof arrives too late
- Renewal feels transactional
- No expansion roadmap
Opportunities
- 90-day renewal health review
- Outcome-based QBR
- Expansion use-case workshop