Discover a sales funnel process that works smarter for you, so you can focus on working more efficiently.
The more you engage with customers, the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing. ~ John Russell
Rockstar leaders in sales work hard from every angle in the sales process. Staying on top of your game means always fine-tuning your marketing and PR strategies to bring in more leads, following up with those leads, and keeping your team motivated. “Work smarter, not harder” they say, and that’s how you stay on top of your game.
You may have heard about a “smarter” or more intelligent sales funnel process and wondered exactly what that means. Simply put, a more intelligent sales funnel is one that is more focused. Collecting and using data in a targeted way allows you to cut the waste out of the process and results in attracting the right leads for your business.
This a big win for you; because once you get started, this funnel strategy grows even more intelligent. Finding, nurturing and converting more leads successfully is attainable. Soon, you and your team will be working smarter, and not harder!
Stop thinking of your funnel as linear
Sometimes a simple mindset switch is necessary for thinking about the bigger picture. Too many people become locked into the idea that their sales funnel process simply has to move leads from point A to point B. They throw all their efforts and hard work at finding the magic bullets to push the most leads through to the end.
The reality is that a sales funnel is also circular, and leads could drop in or out at any point, skip points, or even move backward on occasion. Your job is to figure out how to re-engage lost leads or engage them in a smarter way from the beginning. Start with a wide net of interconnected strategies to reach different types of potential leads and pull them into the sales funnel. Learn about your potential customers and narrow your focus as you guide them through the process.
Use data to be predictive and take action
You know the importance of having great metrics to gather as much information from leads as possible. Your sales funnel process is already somewhat designed to nurture leads. However, not every lead is the same. It’s time to take your data use to the next level!
Analyze your data for patterns and implement dynamic targeting changes, such as collecting information in a more strategic way! For example, have you noticed differences between the leads you get at a business conference and leads who are filling out a form to download an e-book on your website? If you have, but you’re still using the same form to collect information, you’re missing opportunities to make some tweaks to how you are nurturing these groups of people.
Rather than launching everyone through the same drip campaign, a simple switch in how you approach different leads can mean a higher conversion rate.
With your intelligent funnel attracting all the right leads, take your conversions to the next level! Schedule a free demo of our lead management software and turn leads into customers with less work!
Use concrete actionable goals
Vague, fuzzy goals are another limitation that keeps your sales funnel process from improving. Your goal can’t be one big top-to-bottom line where leads are fed in and somehow get pushed toward sales. Set targeted mini-goals and action steps to better guide customers through the process.
Try tracking a group of leads that you picked up at a sales conference. Learn what their top concerns and pain points are, and design a path for them through a drip email campaign that drives them back to your blog. Steer them to a series of follow-up posts that includes topics relevant to their interests. See if they are more likely to download a helpful e-book or reach out for other ways you demonstrate value with expertise.
Identify leaks faster
Have you ever been puzzled about how and why leads drop off? A smarter sales funnel process also helps you see the gaps in the process more quickly, and that’s great news! It’s easy to think about what customers are looking for long-term, but don’t miss what your leads are looking for or why they may be hesitant throughout the sales funnel process.
While a customer retention strategy is important to think about long-term, don’t discount the ability to use what you learn about your leads to re-engage them sooner. Even better, it may be possible to predict what’s going wrong and create a more intelligent funnel solution to fix it. Again, this is the strength of predicting with data and taking action.
In addition to asking your customers about their concerns and pain points with all of your initial data collection, also consider any factors that might be causing concern in the environment. An economic downturn, bad business deal or security risk in the news might spike the concerns of a small business owner or a startup trying to launch a new product. You can anticipate this lost-lead potential and adjust your lead-nurturing processes by optimizing keywords, creating content and demonstrating your value in building trust, ensuring security measures and the long-term benefits of loyalty in your brand.
With your intelligent funnel attracting all the right leads, take your conversions to the next level! Schedule a free demo of our lead management software and turn leads into customers with less work!
Have you already started employing a more intelligent data-based strategy in your funnel? Share your best tips and success stories with us in the comments!