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Understanding And Using The Parts Of The Sales Funnel

Forbes Agency Council

Max Cyrek, CEO of Cyrek Digital, is an SEO expert, web designer, and digital marketing consultant with over 10 years of experience.

Getting clients is a goal for all businesses. We try to beat each other using marketing techniques to grab potential clients’ attention, get them interested in our offer, and finally convince them to buy our products.

A potential client is, in a way, led by our marketing techniques. Bear in mind that this occurs both consciously and subconsciously. The whole sales process, which begins with a potential client getting to know your brand, is called the "sales funnel."

What Are The Parts Of The Sales Funnel?

"Sales funnel" is not an accidental term. The funnel shape nicely depicts the process of acquiring clients by brands. The funnel has a wide top and its body gets narrower and narrower until it resembles a thin pipe at the bottom. You might say that the sales funnel is similar to an upside-down pyramid.

There are four parts of the sales funnel:

• In its upper part are the potential clients whose attention you're aiming to gain. The goal here is to make potential clients realize a need and to give them a way to fulfill that need. This part of the funnel has the most potential clients; that is why it is the widest.

• Underneath is the second part of the funnel, which is comprised of potential clients who are considering the possibility of taking you up on your offer. They are at a stage when they may compare different solutions and learn new information.

• Next is the narrowest part of the funnel. This is for those who have already made up their mind to make a purchase. This is the time to negotiate the details of your offer.

• Lastly, there's the fourth part of the funnel, which is technically right under it. This is for clients who, after purchasing a product, are happy with its quality and will recommend it to others or keep buying it.

Why Is The Sales Funnel Important?

The sales funnel allows you to create and use sales strategies that are aimed at certain target groups. Segmenting potential clients based on their level of engagement helps you adjust your marketing strategies accordingly. When you know the needs and expectations of potential clients, you can offer them tools and resources that may convince them to make a purchase.

The sales funnel may apply not only to product sales but also to building a base of clients. Either way, its point is to get leads, which can be acquired via a lead magnet—this can be something like a free trial of a product to convince potential clients to use it and eventually buy the paid version.

Tailoring Your Marketing To The Parts Of The Sales Funnel

You can tie your marketing undertakings to different parts of the sales funnel. The first part of the funnel is about showing the potential client's needs. You can do this via social networking sites, blogs, landing pages, public relations, infographics and video materials.

During the second part of the funnel, provide potential clients with more substantial sources of information, such as webinars, handbooks and manuals, e-books, and case studies to help them learn more about your product and how it can help them.

The third part of the funnel is the time for decision making. Here, give your potential clients hard data in the form of product demonstrations, pricing, or evidence of previous clients being satisfied with their purchases.

The fourth part of the funnel can take place on forums where happy clients can recommend your product to others. Consider inviting your clients to take part in Q&A sessions and sending them discount cards for their loyalty in promoting your brand.

Wrapping Up

The sales funnel is a great representation of the client journey. It allows you to create marketing strategies that address and engage clients at every level. This way, you can increase client loyalty, your number of new leads and, ultimately, sales.


Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?


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