A sales funnel is a visual representation of how your company will target audience, generate lead and convert it into customers.
- How do you get leads?
- How do you transfer these leads to customers?
- What do you do to increase the value of a customer?
Several roads lead to Rome. This also applies to your sales funnel. Every sales funnel looks different. How you get leads can be the difference between black and white compared to your competitor. There are multi-millions of ways to get leads. And there are also millions of ways to convert these leads into customers. And so on.
Know What Is A Sales Funnel and How You Can Use It?
In the marketing world, the term sales funnel often used. Everyone calls everything a sales funnel. You have a sales funnel for this, you have a funnel for that, and every logical process is seen as a different funnel.
And you know, they are right.
A good sales funnel ensures that you collect leads, turn the leads into customers, and increase the value of each customer in the right way.
Still, in my opinion, there is a big difference.
A sales funnel is not just something you pick up once. A sales funnel your company. Although you may not see it that way yet, your company is a significant sales funnel.
It is not something you do once; real entrepreneurship is a continuous process between collecting leads, converting them into customers, and serving and retaining existing customers.
Grab your helicopter, or if you don’t have one in your yard, pretend for a second. Now fly over your company and try to see the big picture. I want you to hold on to that big picture when creating your sales funnel.
Think big.
Think of everything you can offer. Think about everything you sell. See the connections.
What is a good up-sell? Down-sell or cross-sell?
How will and how do you deliver even more value to your customers in the future?
And you were talking about your customers. Think about them too.
Who are your customers? Are they all the same?
I do not think so.
Everyone has different needs, choice patterns, interests and is stimulated in a different way to get moving.
So…
How are you going to connect all of this?
How do you connect everything in such a way that you serve as many customers as possible?
The sales funnel.
How Does The Sales Funnel Work?
The overall goal of the sales funnel is to engage your target audience, from different angles, with different offers, to segment them intelligently.
How does that work?
When segmenting your target group, you determine what your target group needs. And in which micro sales funnel she should end up.
Such a micro sales funnel probably the funnel that you thought of when using the term sales funnel.
It is a small funnel aimed at a specific target group with a specific outcome.
I will come back to that later in this article. First, let’s see why you need a sales to funnel at all.
Why You Need A Sales Funnel
Imagine having 10,000 people in front of you. You don’t know these people yet. You’ve never spoken to them, and they don’t know who you are. How do you ensure that these people get to know you, learn to trust you, and ultimately become your customer?
And now suppose that these 10,000 people automatically filter themselves and shrink into a very interested group in what you offer?
Wouldn’t that be handy?
You do not have to determine for each individual whether they are a potential customer, but they do this for you. You do not segment yourself, but the group segments itself based on the actions they do.
See it this way.
Your sales funnel finds out entirely on an automatic pilot who finds it attractive, where the interests lie, and which products or services you can best sell to them. Know exactly who needs what and which lead is ready to become a customer. Isn’t that the dream of every entrepreneur and marketer? There is another significant advantage of a sales funnel.
Your Sales Funnel Never Stops
If you have created the proper sales funnel, this is a basis that you will enjoy for a long time to come.
Because the funnel works as a kind of filter, you will soon know exactly where the greatest needs lie. You know how many potential customers are already eager to buy your new product. And all you have to do in the future is to connect the right micro sales funnel. To create a sales funnel, you can leverage tools like ClickFunnels, which is the number 1 funnel builder in the market. If you don’t know how to use ClickFunnels, follow this guide post.
How Do You Start With A Sales Funnel?
There must be a start for your target group. Think carefully about which start suits you best. With current techniques, you can offer your target group a free product, whitepaper, ebook, or online course. In exchange, you ask for a name and email address.
At that point, you have the necessary data to segment your target group. Now you still need the right sales to funnel. You can try to sell the collected leads directly with a micro sales funnel. A funnel that is purely aimed at a product/service.
You can also continue segmenting. How do you do that?
Think carefully about the phase when people get to know you. Suppose I want to create a sales funnel to sell products that teach people to achieve more sales through sales funnels.
How do I start? I will first have to find out which phase my leads are in. Before you start with your funnel, you must have a clear picture of your potential customer’s phase.
I deal with each phase to soon have all the necessary information to set up your funnel. We create a micro sales funnel for each phase that ultimately functions together as your complete sales funnel.
More on that later. First, let’s determine which buying phase your leads are in.
How Do You Determine The Buying Phase Of Your Leads?
Consumer psychology knows the 4 phases that a customer goes through before making a purchase. You need a different approach for each phase.
The 4 phases are as follows:
- Confirmation
- Looking for information
- Evaluation of alternatives
- To buy or not to buy
Confirmation – The First Buying Phase Of Your Leads
When your leads are in the confirmation phase, they only realize that they have a problem or need. In my case, my leads would have only just heard about a sales funnel. They don’t yet know what it means or whether they need it at all.
If I know that the leads are only in the confirmation phase, then I know that I must first give them the correct information and tips before I even start talking about a product or service.
How Do You Find Out If People Are In The Confirmation Phase?
People in the confirmation phase behave differently from those who are already further along in the buying process. In the confirmation phase, your leads are still blank. The subject is unknown, they hardly know the product, and they are far from ready to buy.
How do you know if your customer leads are in this phase?
Your leads are blank, and behave accordingly. Therefore, use your common sense. Suppose your leads are still relatively unfamiliar with your product or service. What information will they look for?
For example, in my case:
- What are a sales funnel?
- What does a sales funnel mean?
- Why do I need a sales to funnel?
- How do I use a sales funnel?
- Etc.
Go back to basics. Try to remember that one cozy party where you explain to Uncle Piet what you do precisely. What questions were asked? What information was Uncle Pietje looking for?
Or think about how you would explain to your 4-year-old girl next door what your product, service, or work entails.
If you sell products, think about what information you can provide to people who are still unfamiliar with your product. Even if you sell products that seem familiar, they aren’t always.
When I want to buy a new television, I always start again with confirmation. Yes, fortunately, I know what a television is, but I am only at the first stage.
I noticed that my television remained black, even after pressing the on and off button repeatedly and annoyed. Even the soft, but with a hint of polite aggression, tapping the screen didn’t help.
I may know that I need a new television, but which one?
Think carefully about the questions someone would ask and work them out well. This is valuable and necessary information to send the right messages.
How Do You Make A Micro Sales Funnel In The Confirmation Phase?
If you have taken the time to gather the correct information in the previous step, this step has been made quite simple.
Suppose I know someone has questions like:
- What does a sales funnel mean?
- How do a sales funnel work?
- What do a sales funnel cost?
What information would I give?
If you clarified what information is needed in the previous step, it is essential that you still think about the form.
How can you best provide the necessary information?
What is the most convenient way for your leads to get the information?
If I want to fix my tire, do I want an ebook, checklist, or an explanatory video or step-by-step plan with images?
If I want to calculate the difference between gross and net, am I looking for a large document with thousands of words or a simple calculator?
A good sales funnel is not about sales but the funnel. Think of it as allowing a stranger to become a customer in small steps.
You didn’t propose to your beautiful another half on the first date, right?
Therefore, think carefully about which small steps your unknown customer should take and how you best help someone with these steps. You are responsible, not your customer! If you help people in the confirmation phase, you automatically move on to the information phase.
How Do You Find Out If People Are In The Information Search Phase?
In the previous phase, people were still blank. The confirmation phase generally lasts relatively short. Your customer soon switches from confirmation, from hey shit, my plasma television no longer works, to the search for information phase.
Your customer may have already tried to give friendly taps to their television (remember how great that worked with those big fridge televisions in the past?) But to no avail. So it has been confirmed in the brain that a solution must be found. I have passed that phase. What shall I do then?
I’m going to look for information.
So someone who is in the information search phase is looking for information. For instance:
- How do I repair a plasma television
- What is the difference between LED and plasma
- How do I determine the perfect size for my television
- Etc.
If someone is looking for that information, such as the examples above, I can give you a note that they are in the information search phase. Now it is up to you to help them move on to the next phase. How do you do that?
Help them with the right messages.
How Do You Create A Micro Sales Funnel For The Information Search Phase?
Pay attention. Guiding the confirmation phase to the information search phase is relatively gradual. If you want to guide someone via the information search phase to the evaluation phase, you should start slowly with stimulating and steering towards the sale.
How do you do this?
Think about what information you give them and what alternatives (the next phase) will automatically result.
Suppose I respond to the question of how to repair a plasma television. Then I can make several bridges.
I can give people information with x number of steps to repair something themselves and immediately tell them that there are alternatives such as an online course, mechanic, etc.
I can inform people how to fix it themselves. If it does not work and they need a new television, I tell them they should consider buying an LED one, because…
It lasts longer, is easier to repair, etc.
Always put your customer first. It’s not about sales but the funnel. Do you remember?
Nevertheless, I recommend that you keep in mind that your leads are only in the 2nd phase of the buying process and that you still need to stimulate them to continue.
Try again in this phase to make innovative bridges to the next phase.
They are almost ready to buy in the next phase, but we still have to help them a bit.
How Do You Find Out If People Are In The Evaluation Phase?
When people have found enough information, they proceed to evaluate the alternatives. Which television do I need? What software do I need for my sales funnel? What is the fastest way to learn to fix my tire?
Finding out whether people are in the evaluation phase is not high mathematics (wonderful, hey, that it can sometimes be so simple). Use your common sense. What are alternatives there for your product or service?
Do I need a plasma television or an LED?
Can I create my sales funnel myself, or do I have to outsource sales?
Just like before, do I ask my father to fix my tire, or do I have to solve it myself when I am 30?
People who are in the evaluation phase search for should I buy/do THIS or THAT?
How Do You Create A Micro Sales Funnel For The Evaluation Phase?
We have almost finished guiding and can talk about our products and services for the first time. But… You’re still not the host of Sunday morning’s TellSell show. Selling is fine, but don’t put it too thick (yet). Be honest and transparent about what alternatives there are and be clear about the pros and cons.
Even if you do not sell specific alternatives, I recommend that you name them. You’re not crazy, right? Your leads aren’t either. We do evaluate anyway. Therefore, be honest and transparent and avoid becoming the slick salesperson trying to make a living with excellent talk.
Believe me, if your sales funnel is well put together, you don’t have to sell; just advise. Delicious right?
To get people from the evaluation phase to the buying phase, you offer them the alternatives, and you also make it clear, no, very clear, what the consequences are.
If I choose your product or service, what does it all offer me?
Is it cheaper, does it save time, is it the best quality?
In different words, why do I have to choose your alternative at all if there is also plenty of other choices?
Once you have identified all the alternatives, we come to the most critical phase. Now leads become customers.
How Do You Find Out If People Are In The Buying Phase?
If you have a good sales funnel, you have already helped your leads through every phase. Not everyone has a strong sales funnel, and it is widespread that someone does not enter the phase.
1, but perhaps in the third phase.
Think about your last online purchase for a moment.
How did it go?
Did you first look for information, then compare the alternatives, and then buy the product?
And all on the same website?
You regularly see that someone is looking for information and finds the information on website A. Then they have found all the necessary information and are looking for alternatives. He/she will then find the alternatives on website B. Choose one of the alternatives. For example, the plasma XB12 Samsung television. Enter this term on Google, go to website C, and buy the product there.
Now, this is expected online buying behavior. There is not much that we can do about this.
Because you will soon have a strong sales funnel, you will help all potential customers. Regardless of the phase, they are in.
If people are already in the buying phase, you don’t need a big sales to funnel. All you have to do is use vital persuasion techniques to make sure they become a customer of you and not your competitor.
If you have already got someone into your sales funnel in an earlier phase, you must give them the final push in the last phase via a small funnel.
How Do You Create A Micro Sales Funnel For The Buying Phase?
This is probably the most difficult but also the most important sales funnel. If you did everything right, but you messed up the sales funnel for the buying phase, you helped many leads but not turned them into customers.
If you want to turn leads into sales or customers in this critical sales funnel, you need to find out where the buy button is.
Once you have mapped the buy button, make sure you use the correct persuasion techniques in different messages.
Use social proof, authority, and reviews. Give people temporary discounts, guarantees, or whatever technique you can think of to give people that last push. Did you get people excited about selling through your messages? Then send them to a strong landing page.
Remember that you never make the sale in your email messages but on the landing page. How to create profitable and robust landing pages, use the right images, and discover the most powerful persuasion techniques. You will all learn in this training on selling and convincing.
If you have created a micro sales funnel for all phases, look at the big picture again. Make sure you handle all buying phases correctly.
How Do You Deal With The Buying Phases In Your Sales Funnel?
That helicopter in the garden, or well, that imaginary helicopter, from earlier in the article, you want to start it up again.
Now fly over your micro sales funnels again.
What do you see?
Yes, you can see the neighbor’s laundry hanging outside and your sweet and slightly elderly neighbor’s dog escaping, but what do you see now about your micro sales funnels?
If you look closely, you can see a connection. Although they are all loose and small funnels, it all belongs together. It forms a strong whole. And that is your sales funnel.
We have currently only talked about the right messages with the formation of the 4 micro sales funnels for each buying phase. It is best to have these messages sent via an autoresponder.
There are several autoresponders on the market, but few also offer marketing automation. An autoresponder sends various messages on automatic pilot to people who have registered. An autoresponder with marketing automation does not send random messages but messages based on the behavior that someone shows.
How does this work?
Give Your Sales Funnel Extra Power With Marketing Automation
Your sales funnel will only work effectively if it sends the right message at the right time, in the right way, and to the right person.
You can work with labels through marketing automation. Labels ensure that someone gets a kind of sticker if they show particular behavior.
Suppose someone subscribes to your newsletter by downloading a free ebook.
They will then automatically end up in your sales funnel. So far, standard autoresponders can still do their job. But what if someone registers and also visits a page where you sell your product or service?
Or what if someone has already become a customer through your sales funnel? Will you send them an offer again?
Wouldn’t it be better to label this person instead of going through the entire sales funnel?
I will explain how that works in the video.
How Mail leads Makes Your Funnel Run On Autopilot
Video embed code not specified.
MailLeads is a variant of Activecampaign.
In addition to sending email messages, there are many more marketing activities that you can integrate into your sales funnel.
First, make sure you have the foundation in place.
Then make sure you strengthen your sales funnel.
Strengthen Your Sales Funnel
Your sales funnel the backbone of your business.
Whether you do this online with a sales funnel, as we do in this article, or as you are already used to, after all, you are already using strategies to turn potential customers into actual customers.
If you incorporate an online marketing strategy into your sales funnel, make sure that your website is flexible enough to keep growing. At every stage of your business, your website will have to grow with you. You can easily keep your website flexible and user-friendly.
You can see all the strategies you have already learned or have now learned as micro sales funnels. Now we have to make sure that it becomes a big picture.
Write down all the steps and marketing actions you take now to turn unknown people into customers. Map everything out, get back into your helicopter and see the connections.
If you have trouble seeing the connections, leave your reaction. We are happy to help you further. You may not see it yet, but any micro funnel can be integrated into a large sales funnel.
Okay, for a moment, I assume that you have left a comment and that we will help you further or that you have mapped the connections.
Now we are going to give your sales funnel extra muscle.
Extra Muscles For Your Funnel
In addition to the promotions you are already doing, I want you to give yourself some time to think up other promotions that give your sales funnel extra muscle.
Which channels can you use to fill one of your micro sales funnels with potential customers?
Can you start with Google Adwords, advertise via Facebook, work with a strong content marketing strategy, or do you start copywriting?
Remember that all the marketing actions you can think of will make your sales funnel stronger. Also, think of the less beaten path. Can you hand out flyers offline, visit trade fairs, start discussions in LinkedIn groups?
Be creative and keep improving and nurturing your sales funnel.
My Final Tips For The Perfect Sales Funnel
Your sales funnel never finished. Don’t be too critical in the beginning. One learns by doing. Don’t let yourself be held back by techniques or the success that others already have. Yes, a sales funnel is a powerful tool, and YES, there are already enough people who apply this successfully.
Does this mean that you have no more chances?
In my opinion, anyone can (with a bit of help) more than double their turnover by effectively deploying a strong sales funnel paired with a psychological sales page.
Remember that a sales funnel gets your visitors excited about the sale, and the sales page makes the sale. If you want extra help with putting together your sales funnel, leave your comment or send us a message. Do you think you could use some more tools and tips? Follow the Sales and Persuasion training on the WEB.
If in case, I wish you the best of luck. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Do you think your network can benefit from these tips? Then share the article. You are doing us great favor with it.
