May 5, 2025 • 8 mins
It’s easy to feel like you’re doing all the marketing things: reels, blogs, freebies, but still not seeing meaningful results. In this episode, I dig into why that happens and how building tactics without strategy keeps you stuck in place. It’s not about working harder, but about building momentum.
I introduce my Trail to the Sale™ framework, which outlines eight key stages of the customer journey: Awareness, Consider, Compare, Evaluate, Sell, Supersize, Serve, and Send. Unlike traditional sales funnels, this approach reflects how people actually buy, and keeps the relationship going after the sale, where loyalty and long-term growth really begin.
If your marketing feels scattered or disconnected, this episode will help you zoom out, refocus, and create a more strategic path that guides your audience every step of the way.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Janice Hostager (00:00):
Hey, hey and welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
I'm Janice Hostager, yourmarketing strategist and
coffee-loving co-pilot, andtoday I'm putting together just
a shorter episode, so we'regonna get right to the point.
If you've been doing all thethings posting, emailing,
showing up and still wonderingwhy is this not working.
Well, this one's for you.
(00:21):
Here's the truth.
Most small business owners arebuilding tactics, not momentum.
They're spinning their wheels,making a reel here, writing a
blog post there, maybe tossingout a freebie, and none of it
connects.
It's like throwing spaghetti atthe wall, then cooking another
batch of spaghetti and throwingit at the wall too, and without
(00:43):
understanding why it's notsticking.
I know weird analogy, but bearwith me here.
It's really when everythingfeels scattered and you don't
really understand what's goingon, it's because your audience
is confused, and confused peopledon't convert.
Yep, a confused mind doesn'tbuy.
So let's flip the script.
(01:05):
What if, instead of a bunch ofdisconnected tasks, your
marketing became a clear path?
Every post, email and offerbecomes a stepping stone on what
I call the Trail to the Sale.
But before I jump into thistopic, I want to tell you that I
have a free guide that willwalk you through all the steps.
So listen to the very end ofthe episode and I'll tell you
(01:28):
how you can download that.
Okay, so there are eight stagesto the Trail to the Sale:
Awareness, Consider, Compare,Evaluate, Sell, Supersize, Serve
and Send.
I know it sounds like a lot,but this is actually based on
your customer journey, so it'simportant to kind of hit all of
them.
So let me review really quicklywhat's in each stage.
(01:52):
The awareness stage is where itall begins.
Customers discover yourbusiness or realize they have a
problem that you can help themwith.
For example, somebody mightstumble across your blog post or
a social media ad, or yourbusiness will appear in a Google
search thanks to good SEO.
Next is the consideration stage.
This customer starts exploringwhether your product or service
(02:15):
fits their needs.
They might find your podcast,your blog posts and maybe
download your freebie.
That helps them solve a problem, which is good because you want
to get them on their email listhere too.
But just because they have yourfreebie doesn't mean they're
ready to buy.
They might stay at that pointfor a while and when they're
ready to buy, they'll probablylook around a bit.
And that brings us to our nextstage, the compare stage.
(02:39):
The compare stage is where yourcustomer weighs their options
and they look at yourcompetitors.
This is where your good reviewsand testimonials and your
website come in handy.
It's also where it really paysoff if you have a unique aspect
to your product or service thatnobody else is replicating.
But if they're still not sureyou're a good fit, they'll
(02:59):
probably move to the next stage,the evaluation stage.
This is the point where yourcustomer might want to give you
a try with a low-cost offer.
So if you have a trial version,a low-priced product or a
discounted version of yourproduct or service, this is the
perfect thing for that customer.
And then it's on to the sellstage.
And then it's on to the sellstage.
(03:20):
At this stage, we also look atthings like pricing and
countering objections, which ishuge but an often missed aspect
to the sale.
But if all goes well, this iswhere your customer buys your
premier offer from you.
But your work isn't done.
You don't want to leave moneyon the table.
So then it's on to thesupersize stage.
Having an upsell gives you achance to offer more value to
(03:43):
somebody who's already buying,increasing the price of your
sale with no additionalmarketing or cost to you, since
they've already got their cardout ready to buy, for example,
you might offer a complimentaryproduct or service or a slightly
different version of yourcurrent offer, maybe offering
free coaching or additionalservices for a small price bump,
(04:04):
just like McDonald's used to dowhen they supersize your meals.
But just because thetransaction is complete doesn't
mean that you are A big part ofthe sale is the after-sale
experience with that customer.
I call this the serve stage.
At this stage, you want toimpress your customers with your
outstanding post-sale service.
On average, 60 to 70% of salescome from repeat customers,
(04:29):
depending on the industry, soyou want that customer to be
happy.
That might be as simple as afollow-up note, an email or
providing them with additionalsupport.
I was in a hotel last week andI got a text asking if
everything in my room wasacceptable.
It was short and simple andprobably even automated, but it
(04:50):
didn't matter because it waseffective.
I felt like they cared, likethey didn't just take my money
and run.
One of the things that a lot ofpeople miss about marketing is
that it costs five to seventimes more to acquire a new
customer than to keep anexisting one.
So this is such an importantbut overlooked part of the sales
journey.
And finally, if a customer ishappy, we want to send them to
(05:13):
the send stage to tell others.
In the send stage.
You want to empower yoursatisfied customers to become
your best fans, your advocates.
You can encourage them to writea review or share their
experience on social media.
You could even incentivize themto refer your product or
service with a referral gift oran affiliate program.
(05:34):
Now a lot of people call this asales funnel, but I really feel
like the marketing funnel issomewhat obsolete, and here's
why.
First, it sounds like customersjust fall down into a funnel,
but I really feel like themarketing funnel is somewhat
obsolete, and here's why.
First, it sounds like customersjust fall down into a funnel,
but in reality, they need to beled down in a very strategic way
.
Real people zigzag, they pause,they ghost you and then they
(05:56):
come back months later.
The Trail to the Sale honors therelationship, not just the
transaction.
It maps a customer journey thatmirrors how humans actually buy
, which is a messy, emotionaland non-linear way.
Second, it focuses on momentum,not manipulation.
Funnels are often optimized forpressure, such as act now or
(06:18):
lose out.
The trail focuses on buildingmomentum through understanding,
value and trust.
It's about guiding people, nothurting them.
Third, it covers the wholejourney, not just the first sale
.
Most funnels end at the pointof sale, but there's more to the
process.
The Trail to the Sale includespost-purchase stages, when you
(06:39):
serve your customer after thesale and then send them to refer
.
That's where long-term revenueand loyalty live.
You're not just building aone-time buyer, you're creating
raving fans.
Best of all, it gives strategyto the whole ecosystem.
Instead of just plugging offersinto a funnel, you're
connecting the dots between yourcontent, email, social media,
(07:01):
website and your offers.
The Trail to the Sale turns yourmarketing into a full-on
experience, not just a sequence.
The genius part of this is thatit's built around the customer
journey map and it's based onhuman behavior.
This isn't a fad or analgorithm.
Human behavior is fairlypredictable.
So once you figure out whatworks for your product and your
(07:21):
ideal customer, it takes a lotof the stress and overwhelm away
from your marketing.
So you're not having toreinvent the wheel all the time.
You don't need to do more.
You need to do it in order,with intention.
That's how you stop marketingin circles and start creating
momentum.
So here's your action step.
Look at what you're currentlydoing in your marketing and ask
(07:44):
where does this fit in the Trailto the Sale?
What's the next logical stepfor someone If you can't answer
that time?
To rework the flow.
If this made you do a head tiltand think, oh, that's why it
hasn't been working, then you'renot alone.
Let's turn your marketing fromrandom to revenue generating.
And the good news this isfixable and I've made it really
(08:05):
easy with my free marketingplaybook download.
Just go to janicehostagercomforward slash trail and you can
get it there.
I'll put the link in the shownotes for today as well.
You can find the show notes atmyweeklymarketingcom forward
slash 106.
That's 106.
Thanks so much for joining metoday.
I'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
Hey, hey and welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
I'm Janice Hostager, yourmarketing strategist and
coffee-loving co-pilot, andtoday I'm putting together just
a shorter episode, so we'regonna get right to the point.
If you've been doing all thethings posting, emailing,
showing up and still wonderingwhy is this not working.
Well, this one's for you.
(00:21):
Here's the truth.
Most small business owners arebuilding tactics, not momentum.
They're spinning their wheels,making a reel here, writing a
blog post there, maybe tossingout a freebie, and none of it
connects.
It's like throwing spaghetti atthe wall, then cooking another
batch of spaghetti and throwingit at the wall too, and without
(00:43):
understanding why it's notsticking.
I know weird analogy, but bearwith me here.
It's really when everythingfeels scattered and you don't
really understand what's goingon, it's because your audience
is confused, and confused peopledon't convert.
Yep, a confused mind doesn'tbuy.
So let's flip the script.
(01:05):
What if, instead of a bunch ofdisconnected tasks, your
marketing became a clear path?
Every post, email and offerbecomes a stepping stone on what
I call the Trail to the Sale.
But before I jump into thistopic, I want to tell you that I
have a free guide that willwalk you through all the steps.
So listen to the very end ofthe episode and I'll tell you
(01:28):
how you can download that.
Okay, so there are eight stagesto the Trail to the Sale:
Awareness, Consider, Compare,Evaluate, Sell, Supersize, Serve
and Send.
I know it sounds like a lot,but this is actually based on
your customer journey, so it'simportant to kind of hit all of
them.
So let me review really quicklywhat's in each stage.
(01:52):
The awareness stage is where itall begins.
Customers discover yourbusiness or realize they have a
problem that you can help themwith.
For example, somebody mightstumble across your blog post or
a social media ad, or yourbusiness will appear in a Google
search thanks to good SEO.
Next is the consideration stage.
This customer starts exploringwhether your product or service
(02:15):
fits their needs.
They might find your podcast,your blog posts and maybe
download your freebie.
That helps them solve a problem, which is good because you want
to get them on their email listhere too.
But just because they have yourfreebie doesn't mean they're
ready to buy.
They might stay at that pointfor a while and when they're
ready to buy, they'll probablylook around a bit.
And that brings us to our nextstage, the compare stage.
(02:39):
The compare stage is where yourcustomer weighs their options
and they look at yourcompetitors.
This is where your good reviewsand testimonials and your
website come in handy.
It's also where it really paysoff if you have a unique aspect
to your product or service thatnobody else is replicating.
But if they're still not sureyou're a good fit, they'll
(02:59):
probably move to the next stage,the evaluation stage.
This is the point where yourcustomer might want to give you
a try with a low-cost offer.
So if you have a trial version,a low-priced product or a
discounted version of yourproduct or service, this is the
perfect thing for that customer.
And then it's on to the sellstage.
And then it's on to the sellstage.
(03:20):
At this stage, we also look atthings like pricing and
countering objections, which ishuge but an often missed aspect
to the sale.
But if all goes well, this iswhere your customer buys your
premier offer from you.
But your work isn't done.
You don't want to leave moneyon the table.
So then it's on to thesupersize stage.
Having an upsell gives you achance to offer more value to
(03:43):
somebody who's already buying,increasing the price of your
sale with no additionalmarketing or cost to you, since
they've already got their cardout ready to buy, for example,
you might offer a complimentaryproduct or service or a slightly
different version of yourcurrent offer, maybe offering
free coaching or additionalservices for a small price bump,
(04:04):
just like McDonald's used to dowhen they supersize your meals.
But just because thetransaction is complete doesn't
mean that you are A big part ofthe sale is the after-sale
experience with that customer.
I call this the serve stage.
At this stage, you want toimpress your customers with your
outstanding post-sale service.
On average, 60 to 70% of salescome from repeat customers,
(04:29):
depending on the industry, soyou want that customer to be
happy.
That might be as simple as afollow-up note, an email or
providing them with additionalsupport.
I was in a hotel last week andI got a text asking if
everything in my room wasacceptable.
It was short and simple andprobably even automated, but it
(04:50):
didn't matter because it waseffective.
I felt like they cared, likethey didn't just take my money
and run.
One of the things that a lot ofpeople miss about marketing is
that it costs five to seventimes more to acquire a new
customer than to keep anexisting one.
So this is such an importantbut overlooked part of the sales
journey.
And finally, if a customer ishappy, we want to send them to
(05:13):
the send stage to tell others.
In the send stage.
You want to empower yoursatisfied customers to become
your best fans, your advocates.
You can encourage them to writea review or share their
experience on social media.
You could even incentivize themto refer your product or
service with a referral gift oran affiliate program.
(05:34):
Now a lot of people call this asales funnel, but I really feel
like the marketing funnel issomewhat obsolete, and here's
why.
First, it sounds like customersjust fall down into a funnel,
but I really feel like themarketing funnel is somewhat
obsolete, and here's why.
First, it sounds like customersjust fall down into a funnel,
but in reality, they need to beled down in a very strategic way
.
Real people zigzag, they pause,they ghost you and then they
(05:56):
come back months later.
The Trail to the Sale honors therelationship, not just the
transaction.
It maps a customer journey thatmirrors how humans actually buy
, which is a messy, emotionaland non-linear way.
Second, it focuses on momentum,not manipulation.
Funnels are often optimized forpressure, such as act now or
(06:18):
lose out.
The trail focuses on buildingmomentum through understanding,
value and trust.
It's about guiding people, nothurting them.
Third, it covers the wholejourney, not just the first sale
.
Most funnels end at the pointof sale, but there's more to the
process.
The Trail to the Sale includespost-purchase stages, when you
(06:39):
serve your customer after thesale and then send them to refer
.
That's where long-term revenueand loyalty live.
You're not just building aone-time buyer, you're creating
raving fans.
Best of all, it gives strategyto the whole ecosystem.
Instead of just plugging offersinto a funnel, you're
connecting the dots between yourcontent, email, social media,
(07:01):
website and your offers.
The Trail to the Sale turns yourmarketing into a full-on
experience, not just a sequence.
The genius part of this is thatit's built around the customer
journey map and it's based onhuman behavior.
This isn't a fad or analgorithm.
Human behavior is fairlypredictable.
So once you figure out whatworks for your product and your
(07:21):
ideal customer, it takes a lotof the stress and overwhelm away
from your marketing.
So you're not having toreinvent the wheel all the time.
You don't need to do more.
You need to do it in order,with intention.
That's how you stop marketingin circles and start creating
momentum.
So here's your action step.
Look at what you're currentlydoing in your marketing and ask
(07:44):
where does this fit in the Trailto the Sale?
What's the next logical stepfor someone If you can't answer
that time?
To rework the flow.
If this made you do a head tiltand think, oh, that's why it
hasn't been working, then you'renot alone.
Let's turn your marketing fromrandom to revenue generating.
And the good news this isfixable and I've made it really
(08:05):
easy with my free marketingplaybook download.
Just go to janicehostagercomforward slash trail and you can
get it there.
I'll put the link in the shownotes for today as well.
You can find the show notes atmyweeklymarketingcom forward
slash 106.
That's 106.
Thanks so much for joining metoday.
I'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
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