Six Phases of Buying

Customers move through six distinct phases—meet them where they are, not where you want them to be

Bob Moesta
How to find work you love | Bob Moesta (Jobs-to-be-Done co-creator, author of "Job Moves")

Six Phases of Buying

"Where is the customer in their timeline of buying? [...] What if they're actually in passive looking and want a demo to learn more? It's very different than if I'm trying to close." - Bob Moesta

What It Is

The Six Phases of Buying is a framework that maps the customer's buying journey, distinct from the seller's sales process. Developed by Bob Moesta as part of the Jobs to Be Done methodology, it recognizes that customers transform themselves through a struggling moment over time, and each phase requires different information and support.

The key insight is that most sales processes are designed around how companies want to sell, not how customers want to buy. When you align your process to the customer's phase, you shorten the sales cycle and dramatically increase conversion.

How It Works

The Six Phases

1. First Thought → 2. Passive Looking → 3. Active Looking → 4. Deciding → 5. First Use → 6. Ongoing Use

Phase 1: First Thought

The moment something triggers awareness that change might be needed. This is often subconscious or fleeting.

  • Customer state: Vaguely aware of a problem
  • What they need: Nothing yet—they're not looking

Phase 2: Passive Looking

Problem-aware but solution-unaware. They're learning about the space, gathering information, but not ready to evaluate options.

  • Customer state: Researching, educating themselves
  • What they need: Stories, background, context about the problem
  • Common mistake: Trying to close them ("Let me show you a demo!")

Phase 3: Active Looking

Both problem-aware and solution-aware. They're actively evaluating alternatives and trying to frame a solution.

  • Customer state: Comparing options, understanding trade-offs
  • What they need: Clear differentiation, all alternatives laid out
  • Common mistake: Assuming they're ready to decide

Phase 4: Deciding

Making trade-offs and choosing. They understand the options and are working through final concerns.

  • Customer state: Weighing specific options
  • What they need: Help making trade-offs, choices between ways to move forward
  • Common mistake: Providing more information instead of helping decide

Phase 5: First Use

The initial experience with your product. This is where expectations meet reality.

  • Customer state: Evaluating if they made the right choice
  • What they need: Quick wins, confirmation they chose well, support

Phase 6: Ongoing Use

Building the new habit. This determines long-term retention.

  • Customer state: Developing new routines around your product
  • What they need: Continued value delivery, habit reinforcement

How to Apply It

1. Ask Where They Are

Before defaulting to your standard sales process, ask customers where they are in their buying journey. You can be direct:

  • "Are you still exploring what's out there, or are you comparing specific options?"
  • "Have you narrowed it down to a few choices, or are you still learning?"

2. Match Your Approach to Their Phase

Autobooks Example: They had one demo followed by an attempt to close. But customers in different phases needed different things:

Phase Demo Type Purpose
Passive Looking Story-focused Tell stories about the problem, provide background
Active Looking Alternatives-focused Show all alternatives, explain trade-offs
Deciding Choice-focused Present specific choices for moving forward

Result: Sales cycle cut in half, 4x conversion increase.

3. Don't Skip Phases

If someone is in passive looking and you try to close them, you create distrust and slow the process. Meet them where they are, provide what they need, and let them progress naturally.

4. Design Content for Each Phase

Create different assets for different phases:

Phase Content Types
Passive Looking Blog posts, podcasts, educational content, problem-framing
Active Looking Comparison guides, feature breakdowns, case studies
Deciding Pricing pages, ROI calculators, objection handling
First Use Onboarding flows, quick-start guides, early wins
Ongoing Use Best practices, advanced features, community

5. Don't Trust What They Say They Want

People's stated preferences often don't match behavior:

"93% said they wanted an Energy Star compliant house. It cost 30 grand. Nobody bought it—they all bought the finished basement."

The difference between what people say they want and what they actually choose reveals the real hiring criteria.

When to Use It

  • Sales process design: Structure conversations around buyer phases
  • Marketing strategy: Create content that serves each phase
  • Product onboarding: Ensure phases 5-6 complete the job
  • Churn analysis: Understand if customers got stuck in a phase
  • Forecasting: Assess pipeline quality by phase, not just stage

Common Mistakes

  1. One demo fits all - Different phases need different presentations
  2. Pushing to close too early - Creates resistance, lengthens cycles
  3. Ignoring phases 5-6 - First use and ongoing use determine retention
  4. Building sales process on probability - "X leads = Y conversions" ignores where people actually are
  5. Asking what people want - Ask what they did instead

Source

  • Guest: Bob Moesta
  • Episode: "How to find work you love | Bob Moesta (Jobs-to-be-Done co-creator, author of "Job Moves")"
  • Key Discussion: (00:15:22) - Autobooks example and the six phases
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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