What Is A Sales Funnel? Simplifying A Complex Subject

With your inside sales roles established, the hiring process delivering the right candidates, and your coaching methodology accelerating them to profitability, it's time to build your sales funnel and measure success. On average, inbound marketing delivers 54% more leads into an online sales funnel than traditional outbound marketing. Your job isn't done when a sales lead makes a purchase. Make sure to include offers like free eBooks or whitepapers to capture names and email addresses for those who aren't quite ready to talk to your sales team.

As sales reps interact with leads, they're subsequently moved to the next stages. Brainstorm the sales process with your sales and marketing people to make sure that it is correct and comprehensive. This in part driven by the available technology, which encompasses both sales and marketing tasks and roles and funnels which provide the means to make bespoke stages.

Convert - Converting those visitors to leads by getting their information (at least email address). Your customer's goal: To become comfortable with the product, continually learn new uses for it, and decide whether any of your other products are worth claiming based on their satisfaction with their purchase and your support.

Likewise, a B2B brand needs to offer up similar content that tries to be a valuable resource and not a hard sell. If you have a $100 product, for instance, you have to find the people willing to shell out that kind of money for the benefits you're offering. So, the fourth important sales funnel stage is to keep your sales momentum going by earning more loyal customers.

This is effective for existing customers who may be coming back for more, or new leads who will make a decision based on the sales funnel stages idea of a good deal. Knowing and understanding the stages that a buyer goes through can help companies 'funnel' potential buyers, or prospects, into customers.