Let’s start at the beginning.

You’ve probably heard the term sales funnel before, but either wrote it off as too complicated or something you would get to “later on” in your business. Flashforward and you still haven’t gotten around to building one. What is a sales funnel anyway, and why are they so important? 

Your funnel is the process prospective clients go through before they decide to become paying customers. It’s the journey they go on from Point A (never heard of you) to Point B (OMG can’t wait to work with you!). 

Sales funnel strategy can get complicated, but this post is going to guide you through it step-by-step. Ready to dive in? 

Sales Funnel Stages: Understanding The Basics

I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of mockup sales funnels before, with the wide top and narrow bottom, showing you how depressingly few people actually make it to the point of sale. Before they get there, they have to make it through anywhere between 3-10 different sales funnel stages.

But what are you supposed to do with that information? Understanding the different sales funnel stages is important because then you can start to identify where you’re losing people, and where you need to bring more in. 

Do you not have enough people at the top of your funnel? Making you need to work on growing your visibility to generate more leads. Or maybe you have lots of leads, but they’re reaching the end of your funnel and not converting–in which case maybe it’s time to re-evaluate that sales page.

The rest of this post will walk you through how to create a basic sales funnel strategy, and make sure you’re not missing out on any potential clients because of a “leaky” funnel.

Sales Funnel Stage #1: Awareness

The top of your sales funnel is where you’ll cast the widest net. In terms of the customer’s journey, this is where you’re making people aware your business exists. Things like social media, blogging, and other types of content marketing go up here at the top. You might also include referrals and word of mouth.

The important thing to remember about this stage is that first impressions matter. If you want people to move through your sales funnel to the next step, you need to hook their attention right away. Personal branding goes a long way here, but so do email subject lines, blog post headlines, and ad copy.

Think about all the places someone might come into contact with your brand for the first time (Instagram, Facebook, your website, etc.). Make a list, and make sure each one is optimized to keep their attention and pique curiosity. 

Sales Funnel Stage #2: Interest

After you’ve grabbed their attention and let them know you exist, the next step is to make them want to know more. Quality content is key here. If you have a podcast, Youtube channel or email list, think about how you can create content that keeps them coming back for more. 

By the time someone reaches the interest stage of your funnel, they’re curious about what you do. They might be shopping around and researching your competitors. Or maybe they haven’t worked with someone like you before, and they want to know more about your process.

Think about how you can satisfy people’s curiosity in this stage. The goal isn’t to jump right into a sales conversation, but to show your expertise and authority. You grabbed their attention in the last stage and now you need to keep it.

Listen to the podcast: Facebook Ads, Funnels, & Generating Leads On Autopilot with Melissa Litchfield

Sales Funnel Stage #3: Decision

Alright, so your lead is ready to purchase–now we’re getting to the good part! At this point in your sales funnel, they’re probably deciding between you and a few other options (one of which may be to DIY or not buy from anyone at all). So how do you convince them?

First, most people will want to know all the details before making a decision. Make it as easy as possible for them by including all the necessary information on your packages and pricing directly on your website. 

If you’re selling coaching or a course, your sales page will play a huge role here. If you’re a DFY service provider, you may have to do the heavy lifting yourself on a sales call. 

Be ready to counter objections, and arm yourself with whatever information the client needs to move forward. Nothing kills a sale faster than saying, “Um, I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

Related Post: How to Create an Instagram Sales Funnel Using the Customer’s Journey 

Sales Funnel Stage #3: Action

You’ve made it to the last of your sales funnel stages–hooray! Your client has made their decision and is ready to work with you. All that’s left to do is take action (ie. click the button, make the deposit, or sign the contract). 

Some people need a little extra nudge at this stage. Don’t be afraid to follow up with them after the decision-making stage and ask if there’s anything you can do. Don’t be pushy about it, just let them know you want to help them make the best decision possible. 

Investing can be scary and chances are they’re feeling nervous about it–especially if you’re charging higher ticket prices. Now is the time to offer some gentle encouragement and remind them of all the amazing things you’ll achieve working together.

If your lead makes it to the action phase, it’s time to celebrate and congratulate yourself for a job well done…and then get ready to do it all over again!

Final thoughts on sales funnel strategy

I hope you found this breakdown of the sales funnel stages helpful! If you need help remembering all of them, just think AIDA: awareness, interest, decision and action.

These stages can be used to guide everything from your content strategy to course launches and email campaigns. Wherever you decide to use them, try to keep the customer in mind at all times and think about where they are in their journey. And remember that journey begins long before they decide to buy from you! 

Want more strategy tips? Head over to Youtube for step-by-step tutorials on launch planning, creating your first online course, and more!

Keep Reading

How to Grow on Instagram: 3 Simple Steps

8 Best Online Business Tools Under $50 

How to Build an Email List From Scratch