Why Your Marketing Funnels is Missing the Mark (And How You Can Fix It)

A marketing funnel plays a big role in B2B sales. It is one of the steps in converting Internet users from potential customers to real clients. The idea of ​​a marketing funnel stems from the classic Marketing concept: AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action).

 The funnel is divided into four parts as mentioned above. In each of them, the potential client takes action which converts him to a real client. For each business, it’s different depending on the goals.

How it works

Potential customers are infused by the wide section of the funnel. That is the so-called ‘unaware’ stage. Those who don’t have money, don’t need the product, don’t rush to buy gradually sift away.

The second part is the ‘Interest’. You have to get people's attention here. Convince them why they need that product, how it can help them, what are the benefits. Visual content, promotions, games, and prizes, are ways to grab the attention of the audience.

The third section is tricky. You still have to keep the target market focused but also push them into action. The pro bono strategy will do the work again. Free webinars, live rubrics, and web content are a must.

The final section of the funnel is where the real clients are. Because of them, your business is growing. Approximately 6% of the potential customers will go through the narrow end.

How to create a marketing funnel

1.    Marketing strategy

Do a little research. Combine the various components and add something from you. Read more about marketing strategies.

2.    Build your web presence

Website, social media, and paid ads are your best friends. One of the most important components of a website is the landing page. This is where your business makes its first impression on customers. A good landing page will encourage visitors to take action (sign up for a list or subscribe to the website).

3.    Submit an offer

You can call this 'Pre-sale' of products. Show the benefits from the product, convince the audience that it needs it. Introduce them to the different options they can choose from.

4.    Make a good offer at the end of the funnel

Offer your customers who have just purchased or intend to purchase a product or service an opportunity to improve this service. For instance, create a product that will bring even more benefits to the customer if he wants to improve what he already has. This strategy is called ‘upsell’.

5.    Manage your relationship

The last step in the sales funnel is to maintain your momentum. Follow any new customers you have acquired and make sure they are satisfied with your product or service. A great way to achieve this is to offer a membership-based rewards program. This will allow you to keep in touch with your customers, give you the perfect tool to keep them informed of new deals and services.

One big mistake

One of the major mistakes that salespeople (and their marketing colleagues) often make is that they do not actively fill their sales funnel at its widest end. Thus, gradually, their sales funnel narrows their entrance, fewer and fewer potential customers enter it, and quite logically, fewer and fewer real customers emerge from the narrow end.

When the sales funnel narrows too much and even dries, the company ceases operations. There are no customers, no cash flows to the bank account and the fatal end sooner or later comes.

 Why is this error allowed?

In most cases, the mistake of drying up the sales funnel is made because of all the time salespeople go to serve their current clients. In many business niches, especially in those that do not have recurring orders, relying solely on current customers is not enough to feed the sales funnel and infuse new and fresh cash flows into the company bank account.

Another common reason is that salespeople lack the knowledge, skills, and confidence to seek new customers. Many salespeople do not know exactly how to make cold contacts with potential customers over the phone, improvise blindly, do not know how to collect and archive the necessary information about customer needs.

A third common mistake is that they only use part of the full range of sources to find new leads. Some focus only on telephone work. Others rely solely on email marketing. Third - on social media marketing. Focusing too much on a single source for finding new customers may cause the sales to funnel to dry up when that source has reached its full potential.

 How to avoid a mistake?

1.     Orient your behavior towards active sales, not in the passive placement.

2.     Hone your cold calling knowledge and skills as well as generate as many live introductions as you can with potential customers and improve your performance in these relationships.

3.     Even when sales are going great and at their peak, you give yourself plenty of time to find new and quality customers. 

Creating and managing your marketing funnel may look very hard at first. Try to create one section at a time. Customers will contribute to their work in sync. And remember it all starts with a good idea.