Sales funnel is a quite popular approach in modern marketing that describes a customer’s path from considering a certain product to purchasing it. Organizations use this to navigate possible clients through a series of stages to achieve the last stage, conversion. So, for becoming an expert of the science of lead conversion and know more about sales funnel, this blog is worth reading.
Sales Funnel Meaning
A sales funnel is a representation of a plan on how a potentially ready and willing buyer interacts with a brand until he or she makes a purchase. This is noted that only a few actual prospects that pass through the phases of sales cycle with the majority not ever responding to the call to action.
For example, a business can have many people interested in their company on the Internet. Yet, a few ultimately end up being loyal customers after going through a call to action such as emails, ads, or content marketing. This filtering or winnowing down of the prospects is the lead funnel.
What is a Marketing Sales Funnel?
The marketing sales funnel is a model that is applied by marketing departments in managing qualified prospects through the acknowledged phases. It is most appropriate for creating awareness, considering, and deciding stages. The aim is to get leads into a business through various marketing approaches. Such as content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing before making them customers.
The first stage of the sales funnel marketing is about making people aware of a brand, product, or service that the business offers. By the means of writing blogs, creating videos, or running a social media campaign. It is argued that the traditional funnel is progressed by prospective buyers and marketing communications change from offering right through to addressing needs and detailing value to guide a decision.
Sales Funnel Stages
The awareness of the conceptual development of a sales funnel is significant in strategy development. Below are the four main stages of sales funnel :
- Awareness: This is the largest section of the funnel. It captures people who have no previous knowledge of your product or the services you offer. The purpose in this case is to capture as many leads as possible.
- Interest: In this, the prospects have expressed interest in purchasing the product. This Internet marketing requires the following four fundamental principles to be realized. You have to fuel this interest with the type of content they want, and their questions and put your product as the ‘solution’.
- Decision: Proposals are being discussed and compared. It becomes your responsibility to persuade them to use your product. By the use of factors such as customer references, real-life examples, or even comparisons.
- Action: This is the smallest part of the funnel where the prospect transforms into a consumer. This can also seal the purchase process because buyers want to avoid bumpy traveling before getting the product they want.
This way, businesses are more likely to handle leads appropriately. And that helps to transform the leads into customers effectively.
How to create a sales funnel
Building a sales funnel entails persuading prospective consumers to pass through several stages that encompass consumption. It starts with the awareness stage when companies capture the attention of potential buyers. By search engine marketing and social media advertising and content marketing to make the prospect aware of the brand. When the prospects are conscious, they move to the interest stage where the business associates them with interesting content such as blogs, webinars, newsletters among others.
During the decision phase, customers can have some choices, so providing a product demonstration, free samples, or references will be useful at this phase. Besides, special offers that are tailored to a customer’s profile or a flash sale can help them cross the Rubicon. Last of all, one arrives at the action stage, which is the time the customer makes the purchase.
Ideally, it is crucial that a business makes the checkout process as easy as possible to close the deal, and go the extra mile to meet the customer’s needs. When each stage is defined properly, it is possible to build a sales process funnel that will ensure leads are well converted.
B2B Sales Funnel
A business-to-business sales funnel is marginally different from a more traditional consumer lead funnel. Since in this the purchase cycle and its decision-making process is longer. Sales funnel b2b places much focus on the very long-term partnership and showing the worth of the business in the future.
In this model, the B2B sales funnel stages entail persuading not only an individual but a collective set of people. Building and communicating value for the prospect is the common theme of lead nurturing and personalized marketing throughout the process. To make these leads even further down that funnel, utilizing case studies, white papers, and developing customized presentations can be a great solution.
Example of Sales Funnel
Examples of sales funnel can be found across various industries, each tailored to guide potential customers through the buying journey.
In e-commerce, a clothing brand may begin the relationship by creating an advert on Facebook with a discount to lure prospects kind-by-kind to their website. It seems that after the visitors browse through the website, they are encouraged to become subscribers to the newsletter for certain special offers. And then they receive Email shots which make the customers purchase products that are recommend to them.
Likewise in SaaS, instead of using the incentive of a free trial, a company offering software may attract leads by offering a free eBook on productivity. Once the lead downloads it, the lead moves to the interest level. Here gets subsequent emails and materials that show the usefulness of the software. The last stage might be the demo or freeware, in which the product shows how it addresses certain challenges. Last but not least, limited time offer makes the lead customer switch to paying one.
Conclusion
Businesses that are interested in a systematic approach to convert leads into customers need to invest in a sales funnel. It is therefore important for firms to know about the stages and the appropriate marketing techniques that facilitate the appropriate flow of prospects through this funnel. That’s the case whether you are using B2B sales funnels or marketing lead funnels the essence at each stage is to build goodwill with your leads and provide them with something that will compel them to act.
Mark Cuban once said that sales solve all issues which could not be closer to the truth than it is now. Understanding your sales funnel well is the first step towards running a successful business.
FAQs
What are the major stages in a sales funnel?
Awareness, interest, decision, and action are the main stages that are involved in a sales funnel.
How to create a sales funnel?
To create a sales funnel and attract the leads, you have to build their interest, guide them to decide to purchase the product, and finally make their purchase.
What is a marketing sales funnel?
Business is being developed through sales, where a marketing sales funnel (chart) employs marketing strategies to cultivate and advance its leads in the funnel phases.
What is a B2B sales funnel?
A B2B Sales Funnel is the model whereby the organizations lead prospective clients through the buying process. This includes awareness, interest, decision and purchase phase, with emphasis being put on relation selling and complex purchase decisions.
What is an example of a sales funnel?
An example of a sales funnel includes: running ads to attract the leads. Feeding them content to ensure they get to know you, and creating a promotion that convinces them to buy.