Value Path

1.1The 8-Stage Framework

The Value Path is an 8-stage framework describing how humans naturally progress through value discovery and creation with an organization. It replaces artificial funnel thinking with recognition of natural human progression — honoring how people actually move through relationships rather than forcing them through manufactured stages like MQL, SQL, and SAL.

Core Philosophy: people move through stages based on their own readiness, not because marketing automation pushed them there. We recognize signals of progression rather than manufacture advancement. Humans aren't data points to be scored — they're people in relationships with your organization.

• Audience — "I am learning"
• Researcher — "I am researching"
• Hand Raiser — "I need help"
• Buyer — "I am buying"
• Value Creator — "I must create value"
• Adopter — "I realize your value"
• Advocate — "I tell others about you"
• Champion — "I am a raving fan"

1.2Path TO vs Path OF Value

The Value Path isn't one continuous journey — it's two distinct phases with different goals, behaviors, and success metrics. Understanding this distinction is essential for supporting people appropriately at each phase.

Path TO Value (Audience, Researcher, Hand Raiser, Buyer): the pre-purchase journey of discovery and decision-making. Path OF Value (Value Creator, Adopter, Advocate, Champion): the post-purchase journey of implementation, realization, and advocacy — the most valuable relationships start AFTER purchase.

1.3Current State Assessment

Assess your starting point before implementing the Value Path framework: understand what you're already doing and ensure your team is ready for this shift in thinking.

• We track customer lifecycle stages in HubSpotUsing Lifecycle Stage property or similar
• We have visibility into who our "leads" actually areKnow the difference between tire-kickers and real prospects
• We can identify customers who have realized valueDistinguish new customers from successful adopters
• We know who our advocates and champions areCan identify referral sources and success stories

• Sales understands progression vs. pushingTeam aligned on recognizing signals rather than forcing stages
• Customer Success owns post-sale progressionClear ownership of Value Creator → Champion journey
• Marketing focuses on Audience → Hand RaiserContent strategy aligned to early stage progression
• We can dedicate time to implementation3-4 hours for initial setup, ongoing refinement