Why you NEED sales funnels to grow your small business
What is a sales funnel and what on earth is a lead magnet?
These are questions I get asked all the time. So let me break it down and explain by starting with 2 scenarios:
Scenario 1: Who’s guilty of this…? You browse an online store, spot something that you would LOVE to buy once you’ve been paid or for someone’s birthday or to take on holiday etc, but that time isn’t now. You leave the website and forget all about it. When you are ready to make the purchase you can’t remember the link.
What if on your first visit you’d given them your email address and that company had kept in touch? You would not have forgotten about their products or their website and you would’ve likely become a customer.
Lesson learned: Don’t let your customer slip away! Make an offer, such as a discount code or free checklist which they will claim using their email address. This offer or freebie is also known as a lead magnet. And then keep in touch.
Scenario 2: Who’s done this…? You spot something that interests you at a craft market. You’re not planning on buying it but once you’ve seen the demonstration or tried it on or sampled it etc, you love it and you buy it.
If you hadn’t seen the demonstration or tried it on or sampled it, you wouldn’t have bought it.
Lesson learned: By capturing emails you are able to send out newsletters with additional photos and explanations of how your product looks or works, therefore doing this demonstration in a virtual kind of way.
So can you see the importance of keeping hold of your potential customer? By getting their email address you have the opportunity to keep your business in their minds for when the time is right to buy and you have the opportunity to really nurture that relationship. People buy from people and they need to build up that know, like and trust before making a purchase.
There are plenty of free email subscriber list services. I use Mailchimp - I would describe myself as fairly 'non-techy' so if I can do it then so can you!
