Can we let you in on a not-so-secret secret? We've worked with brands that are just getting ready to launch their course. And we've worked with brands who make over $20M per year selling courses.
So here's the secret...We use the exact. same. sales funnel for all of them. Seriously.
Keep reading and we'll show you exactly what we do. Feel free to copy it and use it for yourself... we promise we won't tell.
A sales funnel is essentially your customer's journey from not knowing you to eventually buying from you. The goal of the funnel is to turn casual site visitors into leads and leads into customers as quickly as possible with as little effort as possible.
A sales funnel is:
On the other hand, a sales funnel is not:
We'll say again quickly: a sales funnel is not a magic wand you can wave to make money overnight.
While simple to understand and implement, a sales funnel still requires you to get traffic to your website and have a great product your customers want. Without those things, it doesn't matter how great your funnel is.
We've implemented this funnel with over 30-course brands. Over the last few years, it's generaled well over $50M total for our clients. I'm titling this the "7-figure sales funnel" because we've implemented the exact steps below to help clients get to $1M (7-figures). Once you get beyond that, there are a few other factors to take into consideration. But this funnel has the potential to help you get to that first million. Quick disclaimer: This is by no means a guarantee or promise that the information here will make you money. You'll need to put in the work AND you need to have traffic and a great product.
Your website is the cornerstone of your sales funnel. A website can make or break the entire funnel... a great site will convert leads quickly and easily while a bad site will lose you money and frustrate your customers.
Here are 5 tips for creating your website:
1. Your website should marry great design and great copy. You've likely seen a website that looks beautiful but doesn't actually say anything. Copy and design are both important to driving sales.
2. Your website should be easy to navigate. Keep your main menu simple, with important pages a click or two away.
3. Your website should have your own images. Nowadays, website visitors see right through tacky stock photos. Spend a little money and hire a photographer to take your own high-quality images. It'll take your site to the next level.
4. Your website should be mobile-first. Over 50% of website visitors are on their phones, so make sure your site looks good on all devices. The font should be easy to read and the buttons within reach of a thumb.
5. Your website should show your customer how you can solve their problem. Use copy that says, "We get it, and we can help you solve this problem."
A lead generator is how you get email leads. This allows you to maintain the relationship with the potential customer even after they leave your site. Lead generators can come in all different forms, but their primary goal is to collect email addresses. Maybe your lead generator is a quiz, a free download, a webinar, or something else of value.
As a general rule of thumb, people will part with their email address about as easily as they'll part with $10. This means your lead generator should be worth at least $10 in the eyes of your customer. We go into more detail about lead generators in this blog.
Now that you have their email address, you can start to send them a series of automated emails that drive the user to buy your course.
Quick note: we love ActiveCampaign for sending automated emails.
When working with clients, we typically write between 9-12 automated emails per series. These emails cover things like:
1. Keep your emails short and sweet. You don't need to write a novel to convince your customer to buy your product.
2. Write in a friendly, personal tone. The email should look like it's coming from you (or a member of your team), therefore, you should write in a friendly personal tone.
3. Include a call-to-action. Every email should have a clear CTA that drives the customer to take the next step.
4. Minimize graphics and designs. I know, I know... you want your emails to look pretty. However, research shows that emails that are written in plain text (without designs) convert better than highly-designed emails. You're also more likely to end up in someone's inbox rather than in their spam folder.
Automated email marketing is a great way to keep in touch with potential customers and drive them toward making a purchase. By sending a series of automated emails, you can keep your potential customers informed about the features and benefits of your product, as well as how it solves their problems. Including a call-to-action in each email will help you to convert leads into buyers. So, let's recap quickly. A simple sales funnel can be one of the most impactful things you do for your business.
This funnel consists of three parts:
Jump in and get started!
