What are sales funnels and how to use them

A sales funnel is a term used in marketing to explain the journey a consumer takes when making a purchase. In a sales funnel there are several steps or levels; The top, the middle and the bottom. These steps or stages may vary depending on the business model of each company. 

Missing out on a sale can be devastating, especially after weeks or even months of introductions, negotiations, etc. It is for this reason that improving your conversion funnel improves your chances so that this does not happen to you. If you feel like your business is losing more sales than usual, your customer journey is probably more like a colander than a funnel. 

In this article I will tell you what the sales funnel is and how you can use it to improve your performance and optimize those situations in which your potential customers leave your business. 

The sales funnel

The well-known conversion funnel or sales funnel, as I explained in the introduction, is a term used to describe the journey that a potential customer makes from start to finish, through a purchase process. This funnel allows you to understand what your potential customer may be thinking and doing during each of the stages of their buying process. 

Having this knowledge allows you to invest time and effort in the right stages and in the right marketing channels. This improves the chances of a prospect becoming a customer. 

Sales funnels are used by many businesses, large and small. They can be used to obtain great results and allow you to predict to a greater or lesser extent everything that is happening with your clients, allowing you to act quickly at the right times. 

Stages of the sales funnel

There are several stages within a funnel, but these can be subjective depending on the business that implements them. However, these stages are designed around the consumer. The beginning of the funnel is when the consumer hears about your product or service, or according to marketing theory, when the consumer begins to get to know you. The second part is based on the interest or intrigue that users have regarding your product and finally, the third stage is where users make the purchase. 

The journey through the funnel can change from one person to another, but in the end your prospects will evaluate your product based on their interests, so if your product meets their requirements they could eventually make a purchase. 

Create a sales funnel

When creating your conversion funnel, you must find those customers that you can mobilize through the funnel. Once you've found these people, you can track their behavior and interactions with your brand using customer scoring services to identify where they are at any given time. Here are some steps for you to create your funnel:

Homepage

To create a sales funnel you can start by building a website for your business or brand, as this will be the first place your prospects will go to learn about your company and your offering. Your home page, therefore, should communicate who you are, what you offer and why your services are superior to others similar to you. 

In case your business model does not require a website, there are many other ways to make your prospects know you and enter a sales funnel. The difference will be that you will not be able to measure the actions that your audience takes as they move forward to make a purchase. 

Offer some incentive for your potential customers

Once your prospects have visited your website, you need to offer them something in return for their data. The promise of promotional offers or vouchers is a good way to obtain the email of your users, to add them to your list of potential clients. 

Give your audience something to think about

Once you have a good contact base, you can mobilize them from the first to the second stage of the funnel through email marketing campaigns, in which you communicate some promotions. Actions like this will ease the step towards a conversion. However, keep in mind that this is not the only way to generate an action in your audience, so I recommend that you adjust this step according to your business model. 

Sell

As your prospect gets closer and closer to making a purchase decision, I recommend that in each step the user takes, you give them more reasons to purchase your product. This may mean giving them promotional products, demos, or discounts. These elements are essential when it comes to ensuring that your prospects turn into customers. 

Persists

It is important that you maintain a scheme in which you invite your customers to buy, especially if you did not get them to do the expected action on the first try. Remember that some prospects may take longer than others, however once you have a prospect's email address, you can rest assured that they are interested for some reason. You must constantly apply pressure and continue in your sales campaign to ensure that at some point they buy your offer. 

Loyalty

Once your customer makes a purchase, make sure you treat them well. This will give you a customer for life. Remember that it is much more expensive to attract a new client than to keep one who already knows you. At this point, both your product, customer service and after-sales service will allow you to continue opening new business opportunities with those who already choose you. 

In conclusion, remember that the path of a sales funnel that your customers will take will depend on the action you want them to take and based on your business model. That is why I recommend that you think about how to communicate with your audience at each stage, so that they are each step closer to making a purchase. 

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