The worst thing that can happen when making a sale is when the lead decides they don't want to buy the company's product or service. Companies can use sales funnels to find out why this happens and see how more clients can be retained in the future. A sales funnel is a digital marketing solution that visually represents prospects' quantity and conversion rates through a business's pipeline stages with a top, middle, and bottom. The sales funnel system is important because it improves productivity, improves conversion rates, and simplifies the sales and marketing process.
Stages of a Sales Funnel
Typically, a sales funnel has three distinct stages. The top of the sales funnel is when the lead discovers the business. The lead will usually discover the business while searching the web for a specific product or service. The middle of the sales funnel is aspects of the sales process, such as the lead reading about the benefits of the company's products or services. The bottom of the sales funnel refers to when the customer decides to purchase the product or service.
The top of a sales funnel is when a consumer goes through a problem and tries to find solutions to fix it. For example, the owner of a company could be researching the best software for the company budget. Then, the owner would discover a company after reading an online review, article, or Reddit post. From here, a sales representative may contact the owner to see if they are interested in learning more about the company. The middle of a sales funnel is when the lead performs further research. The research can include reading more reviews or blog posts. The lead may look at several different software services. The bottom of the sales funnel occurs when the lead decides to make a purchase and become a customer.
How to Build a Sales Funnel
While different businesses and industries have their own methods of building sales funnels, a six-step process can be used to move leads from the initial interaction to the final sale.
First, a landing page should be created. A landing page on a company website is designed for marketing purposes that customers arrive at via clicking an ad or social media link, signing up for a webinar, or downloading a virtual handbook. A good landing page clearly describes the company and the benefits of its products and services. The landing page should describe what the company does as soon as the customer clicks on the link. Second, the business must provide something in return for the lead. For example, a free e-book can be offered once a lead enters their contact information into the website. Another example would be offering a free trial or discount on the product. Third, the sales representative should email or call the lead and ask about their key needs. The fourth step occurs when the deal is closed. Sales representatives should offer incentives to the lead to close the deal, such as providing a free trial or discount. Then, the company should continue building the relationship with the customer by regularly sending them email updates. Finally, the company should continue optimizing and improving the sales funnel by frequently evaluating it.
Why Should Businesses Use Sales Funnels?
One reason businesses should use sales funnels is that they can increase productivity. A robust sales funnel can help sales representatives know which strategies are most effective for securing leads. Therefore, sales representatives won't waste time on digital marketing solutions that don't work as well.
Another reason why companies should be using sales funnels is that they can help improve conversion rates. A well-crafted sales funnel can bring in more leads because the sales team used marketing research to improve the system. The information can also be used to improve the funnel after each sale is completed or if a lead does not become a client.
Companies should also be using sales funnels because they can make the sales and marketing process more simplified. An efficient sales funnel can help the company determine which digital marketing solutions would secure the most leads and sales. For example, a business could focus more on webinars if data from the sales funnel shows that leads are more likely to become customers after watching one of the company's webinars.
Conclusion
Sales funnels help streamline the sales process and help sales representatives turn leads into customers. Benefits of using sales funnels include increased productivity, improved conversion rates, and a more simplified sales and marketing process.
Zorbis is a digital marketing agency that has provided services to organizations of all sizes and industries since 2003. Zorbis provides many internet marketing services such as website and app design. For more information on the services that we provides, visit Zorbis to schedule a meeting with a team of experts.
