Your sales funnel is the process by which you qualify and convert a wide range of leads into paying customers. It lets you concentrate your attention on those most likely to buy. It also adds structure and a degree of predictability to a variable sales process.
Overview of the sales funnel
A sales funnel generally consists of an upper segment, a middle segment, and a lower segment.
Top of the Funnel (TOFU)
At the top is the entry point for potential customers. How a person arrives here is usually the result of an effective marketing strategy (SEO, social media, email marketing, etc.). It is often initiated by a handoff between the marketing and sales departments.
Once a qualified marketing lead passes through the marketing funnel, it enters it and becomes a sales-qualified lead. In a good marketing funnel, prospects are thoroughly screened so that those that enter the sales funnel are in the best position to be converted into paying customers.
This sales funnel section is the most comprehensive and is where most leads reside. Prospects in this stage only know your company or organization through marketing materials. It is highly recommended to get prospects in this stage to explore your website and services and ask questions. Don’t sell anything; build a relationship and convey a positive company image.
Middle of the Funnel (MOFU)
At the end of the middle of the funnel phase, a prospect is in a position to become a customer. In this phase of the sales funnel, a prospect is looking for the best solution to his concern, question, problem, or need. He looks at your company and compares it to your competitors. At this stage, it is essential to connect with the prospect. Can do that through phone calls and emails.
However, follow-ups mustn’t be too rigorous or too frequent, as this can annoy and discourage the prospect. The funnel’s center is also an excellent time to offer discounts and deals.
When someone fills out a form and receives relevant, valuable content, a visitor in the middle part of the funnel is converted into a lead. But just because a lead arrives in the middle of the funnel doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a qualified lead. The lead may show interest but may not be ready for purchase or partnership. It’s essential to measure the potential customer’s engagement, urgency, and interests at this point and develop targeted messaging and promotions for them.
Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU)
The bottom of the funnel is the point at which a lead is converted into a sales opportunity. The prospect has decided to do business with you at this sales funnel stage and is ready to make a buying decision. To get a concept of the extent to which a prospect who is qualified to make a sale is ready to pull the trigger, you should look at and consider the following indicators:
- Frequency of visits to your website
- How many conversations with a sales representative
- LinkedIn profile views
Knowing that once a lead converts and makes a purchase, the sales rep’s job isn’t over is essential. They must continue communicating with the customer and building relationships to turn them into loyal, returning customers.
Qualify your leads
When someone shows enough interest, that person becomes a qualified marketing lead (MQL). That MQL is then passed on to the sales team and becomes a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). You can place this lead in the middle of the funnel depending on the lead type. These leads are ready for your full attention.
Building your sales funnel
A good sales funnel lets you understand your sales team and performance. It allows you to identify your customers’ behaviors and motivations. If you don’t have a sales funnel yet, here are a few guidelines to help you build one.
Know your buyer
The foundation of your sales funnel is understanding your customer. Conduct surveys and market research to determine interests and behaviors. This knowledge will assist you in differentiating yourself and communicating more effectively and empathetically with your customers.
Go for quality, not quantity
Practical sales efforts aren’t about talking to as many people as possible. It’s about focusing energy on the leads with the tremendous potential to convert into sales. Your sales force should take low-quality leads out of the flow as quickly as possible so that higher-quality leads can move unimpeded through the stages of the sales chain.
Acquisition: Where sales funnels begin
Generate activity: through acquisition tactics such as referrals, conferences, and cold calling, you can do this. You don’t have to wait for inbound marketing leads to get your funnel going.
Managing your sales funnel
Identifying and filtering interested leads is challenging. A successful sales funnel flags potential leads that are qualified for sales and convert into paying customers. If your funnel is too complicated, it can hurt your business.
Focus on qualified leads
Passing unqualified leads to the sales organization is wasteful. Most of these leads will never result in a sale. A smaller, more targeted pool of leads provides the sales team with more time, energy, and resources. It also increases the chance of closing a sale.
Leverage your CRM
Your CRM (customer relationship management system) is the sales funnel concept in tangible form. It allows you to guide customers along their journey. It also simplifies sales by automating email marketing segmentation and sending emails. Your CRM also helps you measure each funnel stage through detailed statistics and analytics.
A CRM shouldn’t take attention away from the actual sales process. Use it to implement your sales strategy, measure progress, and automate workflows.
Unclog the funnel
Sometimes the stages of the sales pipeline can get clogged. This clogging occurs when a prospect encounters an obstacle that either prevents them from moving forward in the sales funnel or causes them to get stuck in the stages of the sales funnel they are currently in. Ideally, the sales process would be quick, easy, and smooth.
However, that is often not the case. While you can carefully plan and develop ways to work around potential obstacles for prospects, there is no sure way to avoid them. If you’re wondering what some of these obstacles are, here are some examples:
- Poor contact information
- Poor brand experience
- Poor marketing communications
- A competitor has the more attractive offer
In many cases, leads that get stuck in the sales funnel are considered lost causes, but that’s not always the case. There are ways to rescue these qualified leads and get them out of the dead end. These “dead” leads can turn into valuable, loyal customers.
The first step in sales funnel management is to become familiar with the sales funnel, and the stages of the sales funnel or pipeline. When sales funnel management is done effectively, a qualified lead moves through the lead funnel.
However, sometimes the sales funnel can become clogged, and a qualified lead gets stuck. However, these “dead” leads can be salvaged and converted into profitable customers.
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