As we progress further and further into the modern age, that means that our tactics as salespeople need to evolve with the times. The specifics of this are what tends to trip us up, though. It is far more unlikely that someone will argue against the first point in concept than when we try to implement changes into our strategies in real time.
In some cases, it will not actually involve a total pendulum shift. Sales funnels, which we are discussing today, fall into that category. They are in fact an age-old methodology that has been updated to fit the twenty-first century. While some of the specifics have certainly needed some alteration, thankfully they are not overly difficult to understand and digest.
So, if you work within the realm of sales, do be sure to stick around! Here are five things that you should know before you implement a sales funnel strategy within your business.
One: Businesses Lose More Customers because of Indifference than Mistakes
Perhaps you are thinking, “what does this have to do with a marketing funnel?” Of course, that is an understandable question, but hear me out! As you can see in this blog post, customer retention is something that all businesses need to care more about. Most of our sales come from repeat customers rather than brand new ones.
One of the final steps along a marketing or sales funnel is this step, that being retaining the consumers that you have already attracted. While we may assume that we lose them to mistakes that we make (such as having a product recall, or something along that line), that is not entirely accurate. Showing relative indifference to your loyal consumers is a one-way ticket to losing them.
We can mitigate this, though, by reaching out from time to time. Ask them if they have any concerns with the current goods that they have, for one thing! Touching base every once in a while inspires trust, which is very valuable in this business.
Two: They Can Easily be Applied to Online Businesses
It is hardly a secret that most companies have started to conduct a lot of their business virtually via online storefronts. Admittedly, at first glance this could call a sales funnel into question. However, there are forms and adaptations of the model that can be applied to this sort of operation quite easily.
You can find an example of that here, https://www.clickfunnels.com/blog/sales-funnels/, if you want to see that sort of thing in practice. Essentially though, the idea is to make a landing page that guides visitors down the funnel and eventually towards making a purchase. Cultivating the best first impression that you possibly can is one of the aims here, since you will only get that chance to put your best foot forward once!
Three: Providing Anecdotal Evidence Works
Anecdotes and testimonials from both experts and average consumers are a way that we can hook visitors in and make them interested in the goods or services that we have to offer. Trust building is critical here, so offering up examples that prove the claims that are made about a specific product can be quite helpful. As with any technique, there is still not a definitive guarantee that you will make the sale, but it is something that effectively boosts conversion rates.
Just keep in mind that some testimonials will be more valuable than others. This will wholly depend on what you are selling. If it is some sort of vitamin or medical treatment, then statements from doctors will be more convincing than someone else. However, for other types of products, “normal” people’s words may have more of an impact on the viewer.
Four: Creating a Sense of Urgency is a Valuable Tool
Limited time deals and offers are one way to implement a “sense of urgency” into your sales tactics. How does it work, exactly? By letting a potential customer know that there are a small number of an item left, or that a sale is ending soon, you essentially are putting “pressure” on them to make a purchase.
Of course, you should not be too heavy-handed about it, or you could scare them off or make them irritated. There is a fine line between bullying someone into buying an item and making a strong case that they could benefit from it. As I mentioned above, sales that last for a limited period of time are one of the most effective manners of successfully creating a sense of urgency.
My advice, though? Explore what will work best for your own business. There is a lot of flexibility here, so take advantage of that!
Five: Target Audience Really Matters
Before you can truly dive into mastering the art of the sales funnel, it is incredibly critical that you determine who your target audience is. Without that knowledge, you are basically flying blind for the top level of the model! So, be certain that you have this figured out. Otherwise, there is a good chance that a lot of your marketing or sales budget is not being used as efficiently as it could be.
It can be difficult to do this, though, and I understand that. You may want to consider speaking with an analytics team if you are really uncertain about it. Something that may come as a surprise to you is that a lot of prospects for sales reflect a different audience than what we necessarily intended.
Therefore, flexibility on this matter should be exercised. Figure out who is actually buying your products – at the end of the day, that is probably who your target audience should be. There are a few easy examples that I can think of, such as a maternity clothing shop appealing to soon-to-be parents.
As you can see, there is a lot to learn about this methodology. While this article is far from all-encompassing, the information here is a great place to start!