Get Repeat Clients Using a Sales Funnel
/GUEST POST BY KATE BOYD
Can I be honest?
When I first started my business, I had no idea what a “sales funnel” was. I saw the term everywhere and felt lost and a little silly that I didn’t know. I hated that feeling, but now that I know what it is and how powerful it can be to my business (and yours) I’m on a mission to make sure no one feels like I did in the beginning.
Here’s the cold, hard truth: even if you don’t know it, you have a sales funnel. And because you don’t know it, it’s probably broken and not helping you. But I have good news! If you learn how to use it correctly, it can unlock new potential for your business and give you a stream of clients and customers and takes the stress and overwhelm out of selling.
So let’s dive in to learn more.
What is a sales funnel anyway?
A sales funnel is just a fancy way of saying that there’s a process people walk through when they make decisions about whether or not to buy. Here’s a little look at what it is.
This just means that it takes time for people to get to know, like, and trust you so they are comfortable purchasing from you. After the purchase, there is still potential for people to come back, buy more, and even become an advocate for you in the marketplace. Creating a sales funnel is simply making that process more intentional and strategic so you’re able to focus on serving instead of selling all the time.
How to move people through your sales funnel
In order to have a strategic sales funnel, you need to know where your audience has started and where they want to end up relative to your business. That way you can create the right steps for them. Here’s how it often breaks down for businesses.
Your marketing creates awareness of you and your products or services. A free offer gives them a chance to build the relationship to get to know you. Your free offer should create a simple result for their lives so they see the value of your help. Then you can have a small offer that requires a small commitment but will provide big results. After that a larger offer becomes more of a no-brainer because they see all the value you provide to them and want to share you with others.
The key to a good sales funnel
Creating a great and strategic sales funnel requires two specific things. First, that each part leads into the next stage. You want your offers to be very aligned so the next obvious step for your customer is your next sales funnel step. This makes it easy to sell because after their results, you know what to share that will get them their next desired result and they will be ready for it.
Second, you need a great customer experience. You need to make sure they are getting results and have a smooth process for everything that’s involved. When this happens, you remove the friction and questions as people work with you. It makes it easy and even fun for them to take the next step because they are ready for it and enjoyed the process. Without that, you will lose more people than you need to or even cut off potential referrals because the process wasn’t smooth.
In the end, a sales funnel is just a fancy way of saying that you’re being intentional about the way you serve your audience so they get results and you see your business grow. Business is all about trust, and trust comes from serving and creating real change or results in people’s lives. When that happens, the sales and the sharing come easy. So focus on the big picture and create an experience that your dream client loves and you will too.
Kate Boyd is a business coach and strategist who helps faith-focused entrepreneurs who are called to pursue a God-sized dream to squash their fear, gain strength from their faith, and align their passions with powerful strategy through personalized coaching that allows them to create the income that empowers them to impact lives every day and create the life of freedom they crave. You can find out more about Kate at http://kateboyd.me or join her community of dreamers + doers on Facebook at http://kateboyd.me/dreamers.
