Overview
This guide shows you how to create detailed Buying Stages configurations in Sona that track prospects through their purchasing journey using intent signals and behavioral data. You will learn to define specific intent signals for each stage of the buying process, from initial awareness through final purchase. With this guide, you will be able to automatically identify where prospects are in their buying journey and tailor your engagement strategies accordingly.
When to use Buying Stages
When you need to track prospects through different phases of the buying process.
When you want to trigger stage-specific marketing and sales activities.
When setting up intent-based lead scoring and nurturing campaigns.
When you need to prioritize prospects based on buying readiness.
When implementing account-based marketing with stage-appropriate messaging.
When you want to measure and optimize conversion rates between buying stages.
Prerequisites:
Admin or manager access to your account.
An understanding of your typical buyer journey and decision-making timeline.
Knowledge of intent signals and behavioral indicators for each buying stage.
Familiarity with your content assets and their alignment to buying stages.
Access to website tracking and intent data sources.
Step 1: access the Buying Stages tab
From the Scoring page, navigate to the Buying Stages tab.
You will see the heading "Build your Buying Stages" with an info icon (ⓘ).
Click the info icon for guidance on defining buying stage criteria.
Step 2: understand the four-stage framework
The system provides four standard buying stages that align with typical B2B purchasing processes:
Awareness: early-stage prospects identifying problems and exploring solutions.
Consideration: mid-funnel prospects evaluating different options and vendors.
Decision: late-stage prospects ready to make purchasing decisions.
Purchase: prospects who have made or are finalizing their purchase.
Step 3: configure the Awareness stage
Click the Awareness stage dropdown, showing "x 3".
Under Intent Signals, Visited Website is already configured as the primary signal. Click Select... to add additional intent signals, and use the and dropdown to set logical operators between signals.
Under Engagement Trends, click Select... to add engagement-based signals, then click Add to include more intent signals or engagement trends.
Step 4: configure the Consideration stage
Click the Consideration stage dropdown, showing "x 8".
Under Intent Signals, configure multiple signals with or operators: Read any blog post (content consumption indicating deeper interest), Form (contact form submissions or content downloads), Viewed Pricing (pricing page visits showing budget consideration), Asked Sona (chatbot interactions or support inquiries), Visit Greater than 30s (engaged website sessions showing interest), Read Playbooks (solution-focused content consumption), Requested Demo (direct sales engagement requests), and Visit Greater than 120s (extended evaluation sessions).
Each signal is connected with or operators, meaning any of these behaviors will qualify for the Consideration stage.
Click Add to include additional signals as needed.
Step 5: configure the Decision stage
Click the Decision stage dropdown, showing "x 2".
Under Intent Signals, set up Visited Website (continued engagement with solution pages) and Visit Greater than 120s (deep, engaged website sessions), using the and operator to require both conditions.
Under Engagement Trends, click Add to include engagement-based decision indicators.
Step 6: define the Purchase stage
Click the Purchase stage dropdown, showing "x 2".
Under Intent Signals, configure Viewed Pricing (multiple pricing page visits) and Visit Greater than 120s (extended evaluation sessions), using the and operator to require both conditions for purchase readiness.
Under Engagement Trends, click Add to include purchase-specific engagement signals.
Step 7: save your Buying Stages configuration
Click the Save button to preserve your settings.
Your buying stages are now ready to automatically track prospect progression.
The system will use these criteria to assign stage scores and trigger appropriate actions.
Key concepts and best practices
Understanding buying stage progression:
Non-Linear Journey: buyers may move back and forth between stages.
Multi-Touch Attribution: multiple signals contribute to stage assignment.
Velocity Tracking: monitor how quickly prospects progress through stages.
Stage-Specific Engagement: tailor messaging and offers to each stage.
Effective intent signal selection:
Quality Over Quantity: choose signals that truly indicate stage-specific intent.
Behavioral Diversity: include various types of engagement, such as content, website, and direct interaction.
Progressive Specificity: early stages have broad signals, later stages have specific ones.
Recency Weighting: recent activities should carry more weight than older ones.
FAQs
What are Buying Stages in Sona?
What are Buying Stages in Sona?
Buying Stages track where a prospect sits in their purchasing journey, across four standard stages: Awareness, Consideration, Decision, and Purchase. You configure each stage with a combination of intent signals and engagement trends, so Sona can automatically assign a stage to a prospect based on their behavior.
What is the difference between the "and" and "or" operators when configuring a stage?
What is the difference between the "and" and "or" operators when configuring a stage?
The "or" operator qualifies a prospect for a stage if any one of the connected signals is triggered, which is common for broader stages like Consideration. The "and" operator requires multiple conditions to all be true, which is common for later, higher-confidence stages like Decision and Purchase.
Do prospects always move through buying stages in order?
Do prospects always move through buying stages in order?
No. The buyer journey is non-linear, and prospects can move back and forth between stages as their behavior changes. Because multiple signals contribute to stage assignment, tracking velocity between stages helps you see how quickly a prospect is progressing rather than assuming a strictly linear path.