“A sales funnel is the path a customer takes from becoming aware of your business to buying from it.”
When potential customers go through an inevitable commercial journey on their way to making the purchase of something, it is referred to as a sales funnel. The sales funnel is a strategic marketing model that constitutes several steps which are, generally speaking, the top, middle, and bottom of the sales funnel. This “position” may vary in each sale funnel based on the particular kind of sales model used by the company.
If you are a business owner, you know the pain of simply missing a sale because of no reason. “it could be done,” you tell yourself while all the while knowing that the proper management under a sales funnel model could have easily gotten you the anticipated results.
A sales funnel can have different types of content depending on the aspect of sales and growth it is made with.
Sales Funnel Stages
Essentially, a sales funnel has an average of 4 stages :
Top of the funnel
When a business makes contact with their prospective clients through brief and short communication methods like weekly e-mails, and short newsletter blasts, frequent FAQs, etc., they tend to go through the first stage of the sales funnel as they are still in the stage of developing contacts and establishing an up and coming rapport with their prospects.
Middle of the funnel
This stage, plainly speaking, entails engaging with your clients on a slightly more serious note in the means of explanatory blog posts, even features like three paged weekly newsletters or social media activities and posts. This is an essential stage as it allows your client about your service and product in paramount detail and gives them a better insight into the latest developments taking place with your business.
Bottom of the funnel
This is technically the last transactional stage of the average sales funnel that usually leads to the mutual completion of a purchase from both ends. The customer pays for the product or service acquired to the business, and a mutual understanding of having done business is established. This also establishes client-business loyalty.
Exit of the funnel
This is the last official stage of the sales funnel wherein the client leaves the equation after having conducted business and made a purchase with the establishment.
TYPES OF SALES FUNNELS
Although there is sizeable ongoing debate as to if there can be a universally recognized set of types of sales funnels, some of the most prominently taught and followed go as-
The Lead Generation funnel
This type of funnel is crucial for businesses that are just starting or are still in the making. It helps one identify the correct ways to navigate lead generation, which is an essential aspect for businesses that are still in the inception phases.
The free sample funnel
Providing a free sample of your product or a short intimate tour of services offered in exchange for the personal information of the clients is a very underrated part of lead generation. Here, the free resource which is provided by the business is termed as a lead magnet.
The free consultation funnel
Consultation is one of the most up-and-coming competitive industries, whether it be in real estate, financial or legal services. So any establishment offering consultations can use this type of sales funnel to ameliorate their business experience.
The cross-sell funnel
If someone wants to buy a hard drive, chances are they will also look for a hard drive protective case. A person buying a can of diet coke may also want to indulge in some diet Pepsi for a change, it sounds insane! But why not try? Always be closing! Add some dynamic to your selling skills and cross-sell items that may align with your interests and their main purchase choices.
Essentials of sales funnels
Sales funnel stages are a diverse topic to understand. Its complexities are, most of the time, its simplicities. Here are the 6 steps to sales, sales funnel that includes a few, if not many tips, to help you remember the most important essentials to sales funnels.
Targeted traffic should be generated
Use specific leads generated through your most practical and productive lead generation techniques and target the traffic of your sales techniques accordingly to the areas where it is most desired. By developing targeted traffic, you can save yourself a lot of time and resources in the overall process of lead generation, as it is a massive chunk of what constitutes the sales process.
Traffic should be sent to a particular landing page that is high converting.
A high converting landing page is very effective, so traffic should be directed accordingly.
Make best use of visitors by converting them into leads as well as subscribers.
Offer the visitors frequent rewards like complimentary samples and organize giveaways; this is instead one of the more original methods of lead generation and tends to be effective, especially if you already have a substantial following because who doesn’t like a good old giveaway!
Establish a strong rapport with your leads and subscribers.
Make sure to establish a strong and good rapport with your leads and signups. It’s more critical for you to have their back by providing impeccable service than it was theirs to signup on your website. Remember, they signed up because you created a need for something amongst them. Play to that and keep it professional while also maintaining a friendly rapport that portrays you as more than just a salesman.
Get associates to become customers.
Your associates are your assets! Get them to sign up for your service and support your business right away. Not only is it their moral obligation to support a local business in whatever way possible, but it is also their duty as a friend to you that they subscribe to all those emails blasts and newsletters right away!
Close It
This can never be said enough! Always be closing! Wherever you are, whatever you do, always keep on learning from the environment around you and finding ways to approach it!
Hope this blog on Sales Funnel Stages was useful to you. Also Read: Marketing & Sales Pipeline -Things you need to know