What is a trigger in a customer journey?

A trigger is the event that sets something in motion. It could be that the customer filled out a form, made a purchase, opened an email, or that a date is approaching.

Action beats the calendar

Triggers based on what the customer actually did almost always perform better than time-based triggers. An email sent because someone downloaded a guide yesterday feels like a service. The same email sent to everyone on the first of the month feels like noise.

Consider what should not trigger

Should a customer who has already spoken with a salesperson still receive the automated follow-up sequence? Usually not. This is the most common source of awkward situations, where the customer receives a generic email immediately after a specific meeting.

Test it on yourselves first

Add yourselves to the journey before it goes live. This reveals sequencing errors and duplicate sends faster than any on-screen review.