Lead nurturing should be a journey that you take with the client, and like any successful journey, you’ll need a plan. In a post for the B2B Lead Blog, Brian Carroll highlights specific steps that you should take on each journey.

To really know how to “nurture” your prospect, you must understand the prospect. The first step in the journey is to walk in his or her shoes and create a journey map. According to Carroll's piece, a customer journey map “tells the story of the customer’s experience: from initial contact, through the process of engagement and into a long-​term relationship.” This map will feature key interactions that the prospect will have throughout the relationship with your company, specifying everything from marketing touch points to potential issues that will require your assistance and guidance.

As you create the map, be guided by questions that you think the customer may have, such as:

• How will this product or service help my company?
• We’re doing OK, so why do we need this?
• Is there another company out there that is better?
• Will their solution really work? Can they prove it?
• Is the company credible?
• Can we afford it?

These questions, along with any others that pop up, can help you plan ahead for opportunities to nurture the lead throughout the journey. Help prospects “find the answers to these questions, and you’ll remind them of the benefits of working with you,” Carroll explains. “You’re creating value by giving them useful information in digestible, bite-​sized chunks.”

Creating a map is just the first step of the journey; check out Carroll’s article for the remaining three. By following his plan, you have the opportunity to create an effective lead-​nurturing program that leads to lucrative, long-​lasting relationships in the future.