Creating an effective sales funnel and supporting marketing system helps you earn profits around the clock. Use this handy checklist with ten key steps to help you identify and complete the essential tasks of a profitable sales funnel.
#1 Have you made a list of all the products and services you will be offering, including the price points and promotional price points? Have you created a system to organize your products/services and relevant prices. You can use the following to improve the process:
- Spreadsheets
- Mind map
- Flowchart
- Notebook
#2 You need to identify:
- the problem that needs a solution
- the target audience
- the benefit each product or service provides.
#3 You need to create a content plan that is used to drive traffic and enter the prospects into your sales funnel. It includes:
- Social media posts
- Blog posts
- Guest blog posts
- Free reports/case studies
- Videos
- Interviews
#4 Next, you will need to create an opt-in offer and squeeze page to build the email list. Your opt-in offer is a:
- Report
- Newsletter
- Video series
- Tutorial
- Ebook
#5 You need to create automated email messages that follow up with new subscribers with a thank you page and follow up messages to transition them to the first product in your sales funnel.
- Establish a timeline that takes into consideration the most effective time to deliver each message.
- Identify the format, goal, and call to action for each message.
#6 Create and schedule the email messages using an autoresponder technology. For example, Infusionsoft.
#7 Look at your product/service list. Have you identified opportunities to:
- Up-sell – When, during your sales and marketing process can you offer the next higher priced product to your customer?
- Cross sell – When, within the body of your sales funnel can you offer complimentary or supplementary products to your customer?
- Create special promotions – Where in your sales process and funnel can you introduce special promotions to your customers to help them move through your funnel?
#8 Create sales page for each offer. It should include:
- Attention grabbing headline
- Compelling benefit driven copy
- Proof
- Motivation to act now, for example a limited number, or a limited time offer
- Call to action
#9 Test all elements of the sales funnel process including email links, sales page links, and how each element appears on various browsers. The shopping cart system is integrated into the sales material and emails and everything is working perfectly.
#10 You should implement a system of analytics and evaluation – create systems to collect data about:
- Email messages click through rates
- Links and calls to action on sales pages
- Email open rate
- Squeeze page conversions
- Sales and profits for each customer and offer
and
- Schedule a time each week/month/quarter to review the analytics and make any necessary tweaks or changes to your existing sales funnel.