Before a person realizes she wants new furniture, she's in the passive Consumer phase of the purchasing journey. Imagine she walks into a friend's house and is struck with envy over their new living room furniture. Or she's watching HGTV and is inspired by a dining room remodel. Perhaps rambunctious grand-kids just broke the recliner. Maybe she woke-up with a sore back. This is the time in her journey when, just a minute ago, she didn't want new furniture, but now she does. Here's what's next...

Now she's motivated and ready to shop. First she might go to a website like Pinterest or Houzz looking for inspiration. Perhaps she now pays attention to the furniture store ads on TV or in the mailbox. She searches Google for "best mattress for back pain." She's aware and actively looking for what she wants, and then for where she wants to buy. Seventy-four percent of the time this leads her to searching Google. Maybe for "farmhouse bedroom set," "Super Sofa Store," or "XYZ brand MegaStuft mattress near me." She'll look at your selection and your competitors', read the online reviews, check your social media, and narrow her list of stores to just a few. Now she knows what she wants, she knows what you have, and she knows who you are. Next - it's time to buy!

Once a person steps over your threshold, she is no longer a shopper, she's there to buy. She's too busy to drive from store to store browsing; she has browsed online already. These Buyers are more pre-qualified than they've ever been. She already knows what you have, how much it costs, and, possibly, more about the features and benefits than even your salespeople. At this point, the sale is yours, what will you add-on?

She likes you and your products, she gave you her money, you treated her right, and she's happy, but that's not enough. Store and Brand loyalty is at an all time low. Now it's up to you to keep in touch, to keep reminding her of what a great experience she had. She won't automatically come back to your store strictly because she bought there this time, but she will keep you on her short-list next time. You've overcome a huge hurdle and gained her trust, keep going. Explore Tango's solutions for each phase of her purchasing journey below.