Whether you run a business, are an entrepreneur, or a freelancer, you have probably had a number of great ideas that you feel could take things to the next level. However, as those who have succeeded will know, it takes a lot more than just a good idea and a bit of motivation. Without understanding the best methods to create leads and to close sales, your idea will get nowhere.
The last thing you want to do is let your idea and any marketing efforts to go to waste. One such trick is to use what is called a sales funnel. This does exactly that, helps you to create leads, and funnel them through set steps and processes until they eventually make a purchase. Think of an upside-down triangle with the tip at the bottom being the closure of a sale. Potential customers filter through from the top until they finally decide to commit to your product or service and make their purchase.
Sales Funnel Stages
Generally, there are four steps or sections to a sales funnel. The first is the awareness section which will contain your target audience which is aware of your product or service. Second, you have the interest section which harbours those who have shown further interest. The third section contains all of those who are at the point of deciding whether to go for you or a competitor. Finally, the action section is all of those that have made the plunge by purchasing.
The aim is to filter as many awareness personas and leads into the final section as possible. So why are sales funnels so effective? Let’s find out more about this smart selling strategy.
1. You Learn Which Marketing Strategies Are The Most Effective
The strategies you use at various points of your sales funnel will yield differing results. You can quickly measure effectiveness whether you are trying to push customers from the decision section to the action section or if you are just trying to get people into the tunnel to start with. By using done for you sales funnels, you get an even greater advantage at this stage of the funnel.
2. You Get A Better Understanding Of Your Customers
How you talk or communicate with a potential customer has a major impact on their decision making. Through trying various techniques, you could identify what sort of tone, language, or type of content helps to push them further down the funnel. Once you do, you can focus on creating all future content tailored to what you have learnt.
3. A Funnel Generates More Sales
While results will not always come as quickly as you would have hoped, sales funnels will always prove to increase sales. Through learning and adapting the techniques you use, eventually, you will start to see your sales funnel bear fruit.
4. You Have An Edge Over Your Competition
As mentioned at the start, it takes more than just a good idea to succeed. By using a sales funnel, you already have a major advantage over those that do not. Whether their idea is better or as good as yours is irrelevant, you have a sales funnel designed to generate more sales and they just have their good idea.
5. A Sales Funnel Tells You The Areas You Need To Improve On
Let’s say you always struggle converting people from the decision section to the action section. This tells you that for some reason customers are showing strong interest but going elsewhere. Perhaps your pricing needs adjusting? Maybe your competitors are offering an overall package that is better than yours. Take the steps to learn and improve with your sales funnel analysis and your conversion rates will increase.
The Takeaway On Sales Funnels
For business growth, you will not find anything close to being as effective as a well-designed sales funnel. The great thing about using this selling technique is that you are always learning about your business, its competitors, and most importantly, your customers.