I have shared the definition of a sales funnel – and what a sample sales funnel might look like. But how do you actually build one? 

There are varied steps to building a successful sales funnel, and each one could easily require a thorough video (if not module or course) regarding its implementation. So today, we’re going to do a “broad strokes” view of how to transform a potential customer from someone who may not know you at all to someone who is willing to trust and buy from you. 

Before The Sales Funnel 

Your name: Regardless of what you’re selling, you want to be intentional about getting your name out into your market and helping people to know you. One way to do this is by providing valuable free content via your email list, social media, or website. When you’re consistently showing up for your audience, they’ll start to know and trust you more. 

When you’re consistently showing up for your audience, they’ll start to know and trust you more. 

If you purchase a new car, you look for things that let you know you can trust the seller. This is true online as well, but sometimes it takes a bit longer and is completed in a different way. 

Ask yourself: What am I selling? 

It may seem like an obvious question, but many people begin the process of selling online simply because they know they want the lifestyle – yet without a solid idea of the value they will provide to their customers. Before you can start to grow (or build your first sales funnel), you need a product to sell.

So if you’re not sure how to answer this question, start here. Spend some time brainstorming and developing a valuable product that solves your audience’s pain points or gives them something they want. 

Consider a value ladder. A value ladder is where you start with something small, and then work your way up to bigger and bigger products. Think about potential “bigger” products you may want to sell down the road. Perhaps it’s coaching. Perhaps it’s memberships.

Regardless, if you’re just starting off, you probably will need to start small, build trust and rapport, build a reputation, and then continue to sell bigger and bigger products. 

During The Funnel

Bringing In Traffic

Let’s say you have a mini course you’re selling for $297. First, you need to bring people into your sales funnel. You might do this through your social media platform. Personally, I loved attracting an audience through YouTube; it happened to work very well for me.

Typically my potential audience pull up Google, search for the specific type of information I offer, and as a result, my YouTube channel can rank high on the first page. These people watch my videos and can choose to watch additional tutorials, click through to my website, or return later to address other questions they have. 

Other people might use Facebook, Instagram, or another platform. My advice is to pick the platform that performs best for you and then stick with it. Get to be an expert on that platform and really know what you are doing. Have a lead generation strategy in place, because you need as many people as possible to come into your funnel.

Remember, it’s broadest at the top. And by continuing to accumulate leads, you can build your email list and develop a much deeper relationship with your customers. While not perfect, your email list automatically contains people who are more interested in what you offer – and this is incredibly important. 

By continuing to accumulate leads, you can build your email list and develop a much deeper relationship with your customers.

What Will Your Lead Magnet Be?

Many people offer e-books, but I’ve found that this doesn’t always garner the best response since there are so many e-books out there. In fact, it’s entirely possible to just search for a post or article on a given topic instead of signing up to an email list in exchange for an e-book.

So you may want to be a bit more creative in what you offer. Is it an email course? A series of videos? A checklist? A webinar? Make it valuable, but not overwhelming. You may be selling something at the end, but people still need to opt-in with their email addresses. 

Funneling Your Traffic

The heart of this is that you need to be building relationships with your potential audience all along – but when it comes to making a sale, it is partly a numbers game. Let’s say you have 2000 people come across your opt-in or lead magnet. Perhaps 500 are willing to give you their email address. Out of that 500, perhaps 60 will purchase your product.

Your percentages depend on your product, of course, as well as your business reputation, location, etc. But in general, this is the process of your sales funnel: build your foundation, bring in traffic, and pull people through your valuable content to the product you want to offer. 

After The funnel

What if people aren’t buying from me? Listen to your audience. Maybe you need to pivot and offer something different. Perhaps you need to survey your crowd, or try a few different lead magnets and see what people are most interested in. Be willing to pivot. Flexibility is incredibly important when it comes to online selling. 

Personally, I like to use “evergreen” funnels – ones that stay constantly open. This allows me to spend time and energy on other products even while my funnels are working. And even if you choose to use an evergreen funnel, you can still respond to feedback and adjust or edit your final product, or components of your funnel. 

In conclusion, this covers the general process of preparing for and building your sales funnel. If you’re ready to take the next step, feel free to check out my this site and start building your first funnel! Take one step at a time and soon you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come!