Businesses that do not have predictable sales face serious management problems that end up impacting operations, harming the company as a whole.
In this article, we will show you in a practical way how you can create an effective sales funnel, using a free tool that will help you have a better and more reliable definition of your sales funnel, also improving your sales process.
What is a sales funnel?
First of all, let's understand what a sales funnel is in commercial management. Also called a sales pipeline , it is a strategic model that represents the journey that the customer goes through, from the first contact with a company, until the closing of the deal .
This process consists of guiding and monitoring the lead, from the moment they become aware of your product/service, until the conversion into a sale, when they become a customer.
Composed of a set of steps and triggers, the sales funnel facilitates commercial management , helping in decision-making regarding the planning and structure of customer acquisition.
Consequently, this impacts sales predictability and helps the sales team direct efforts towards leads with the greatest chance of becoming customers, that is, those that have been pre-qualified.
Qualification is done through triggers that trigger passages between the funnel stages. These passages can be automatic (lead converted on a form, clicked on the email, etc.) or manual (pre-salesperson fills out a checklist throughout the sales process, for example).
A good sales funnel has an accessible process, with manageable conversion rates, and a clear forecast of new business.
The stages of the sales process are the way the company can deliver value to its leads, and aim to reach the triggers for the next point in the purchasing journey.
Stages of a commercial process
The sales process is the set of sequential steps that a lead/customer goes through until they complete a purchase. These are joint actions taken by the marketing and sales teams with the aim of attracting, qualifying, converting and retaining customers.
With a well-structured approach, it is possible to better organize south korea telemarketing data team actions, making them more efficient and favoring sales conversions.
The sales funnel is part of the sales process, helping to visualize the process as a whole.
Among the stages of the commercial process, we have:
Prospecting
At this stage, the sales team must seek out potential customers and identify business opportunities for the company. With a well-defined ideal customer profile , it becomes easier to direct efforts towards prospects with greater potential.
Prospecting can come from inbound (when leads are nurtured by marketing and reach sales), or outbound (when the company actively seeks new customers).
Qualification
At this stage, we understand whether the prospect has the profile to buy from your business. Qualification is important to make better use of the sales team's time, increasing the conversion rate.
Here, research is carried out on the lead, to understand more about their reality and the problem they face. This way, it is possible to check whether your product or service can, in fact, provide the solutions they are looking for.
Presentation
This is the time to show your product/service and how it can solve the lead’s problems and needs.
As the salesperson probably already knows a little more about the lead, it is important to provide examples that are relevant to their reality, showing the benefits and personalizing the communication.
Submission of proposal
At this point in the sales process, we send the first proposal to the lead. At this point, the lead already understands what their problem is and knows what solution they need.
The ideal is to send a proposal focused on what was discovered about the client and what your business has to offer.
Negotiation
Here, the terms of the sale are discussed. It is at this point that the necessary concessions are made so that both parties reach a common agreement.
Important: Always put the customer at the center of the sales process, but don't forget the value of your product or service. Some customer objections may arise at this stage, so having a team trained in negotiation is essential. Closing
After the negotiation, the lead makes their decision and makes the purchase.
With expectations aligned, it is time to sign the contract and start work. The most important thing at this stage is to make all points clear and aligned, avoiding communication issues.
After-sales
The process doesn't end when the sale is closed. After-sales service is essential to ensure the customer's success in using your product or service and their loyalty.
This step can be carried out by the Customer Success team in partnership with the sales team.
It is important to maintain a good relationship with the client, remembering that a satisfied client will recommend your work to other people, so pay close attention at this stage!
Learning how to create a sales funnel in practice
Here at Br24 , we use the sales funnel in our daily lives, which helps us centralize information and ensure the success of our sales process.
The examples you will see below were taken from the spreadsheet we developed to help you create your sales funnel from scratch.
With this spreadsheet, you can establish the stages of the sales funnel. First of all, you need to think about which stages your lead needs to go through to reach the sale. In other words, how you need to guide them to reach their final goal.