Five Stages of The Marketing Process

Patrick McFadden

Most small business owners view the customer journey from a very traditional and outdated point-of-view with stages such as Awareness, Consideration and Purchase, but for years I’ve promoted and consulted on executing a more holistic and effective approach in this “customer centered era” we live in today: Awareness, Education, Sample, Purchase and Refer.

These stages also represent the easiest way to explain and answer, “what is a marketing process?” in simple and practical terms. At the end of the day, you need to understand (and develop in some cases) the logical path a lead must follow as their relationship evolves with your organization.

What are the five stages of the marketing process?

What activities make up the marketing process?

1. Awareness – Your advertising, blogs, organic search, public relations, social media participation, speaking, business events, content and referred leads
2. Education – Your website, phone conversations, speaking, reviews, client testimonials, email newsletter, marketing kit, white papers, success stories, and sales presentations
3. Sample – Your audits, webinars, courses, evaluations, proposals, trial offers and speaking
4. Purchase – Hand-off introductions, new customer kit, quarterly events, quick start guides, review check-ins, in-depth user manuals, delivery, customer support communities, and financial arrangements
5. Refer – Post customer survey, gift certificates, customer appreciation events, feature success stories in marketing materials, and partner introductions

Constructing the marketing process

With an understanding of your customer’s touchpoints and journey, you can start to fill in the logical stages of your marketing process with the discoveries you found, which will lead to a more profitable business.

By taking this marketing process approach and giving equal attention to generating awareness and building trust, you set your business up to create the kind of momentum that comes from a beginning to end marketing process.

In order to start your thinking about the marketing process concept and gaps, you may have to ponder these questions:

  • How will people become aware of our business and brand?
  • How will people trust our business and brand?
  • How do people sample our business and brands brilliance?
  • How do people get more out of our service or product?
  • How do we intentionally generate referrals?

 

Every time you enter a new market or develop new a product or service you can use this marketing process framework as a way to make sure your organization is on the path to success.

 

 

Contact Your Marketing Consultant at Indispensable Marketing

If you’re a service based business that needs help with creating a marketing process or your company’s online presence on Google and other search engines, at Indispensable Marketing we can help. We offer marketing strategy consulting, marketing audits, monthly marketing packages, consultations, exploratory calls or monthly local SEO servicesContact us for more information.


 

By Patrick McFadden March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
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