Your Customer Is Not a Funnel

18 Jan Your Customer Is Not a Funnel

Marketing loves neat diagrams.

Awareness → Consideration → Conversion.

But real buying behavior is messier:

• pause
• compare
• forget
• re-enter
• ask a friend
• get distracted
• come back weeks later

That “messy middle” is where brands win or lose.

This is why long-term brand building matters: It creates memory structures that make it easier to choose later.

And it’s why word of mouth matters: It reduces perceived risk and speeds decision-making.

And it’s why customer-first behavior matters: Because once they buy, your delivery decides whether the story continues or ends.

As an advisor, this is how I add dimension: I connect the dots across the whole journey:

• demand creation
• trust building
• conversion reality
• retention
• advocacy

In my next email, I will share with you the moment I hit my own wall.

BJ