I'm super excited about this question because it really ties into the question I get the most often, which is “how do I get more clients?” The answer to that question is through building a thoughtful and intentional sales funnel that you continue to test and evolve over time, but that's the answer. So I'm excited to talk about this question of how to build a sales funnel because that is the question that most people don't ask, but they should be asking. It’s the question behind the question.  

So let's start with defining a sales funnel. This is one of those super businessy terms that isn't really talked about, so I’m gonna break it down. A funnel is essentially the container that houses the intentional client journey that you build in your business, from the moment a client hears about you, to the moment they convert to becoming a paid client. 

When you’re thinking about your funnel, you want to define what exactly is the journey you want your clients to have with you, and you can use that to determine what systems, events, engagements, services, or activities you need to create for them to engage with you and your content in order to move them along that trust-building journey.

When people say a sales funnel, and I’ll be honest I call it a relationship-building funnel (we all know spending money is an act of trust and you can’t have trust without some sort of relationship!) because in reality, you need to be building a relationship with your audience. Once you tweak that language, creating your relationship building funnel becomes more about the experiences you want your audience to have with you and the feeling you want them to take away from your interactions. Your funnel is taking your clients through a relationship building journey and you want to ensure you’re giving them plenty of reason to trust in your and your services.

Now that you have the definition of a funnel, I want to help you visualize it. A funnel in business looks just like a funnel that you might use in science class or in the kitchen. Wide at the top and tapering down to a narrow opening at the bottom. Given that, the word funnel is actually a visual representation of typically what it looks like in your business. If you think of a funnel like in science class, when you're pouring stuff into a funnel, the top of the funnel is really wide.

What that translates to is that you may have a very broad reach in terms of the number of people who are at the top of your funnel, then as you move down your funnel, your audience narrows. Not everyone makes it through every level of your funnel, and the funnel visual shows the natural narrowing of the audience (and that’s okay!)

When creating and building your funnel, I always recommend that you keep it simple. My personal strategy and philosophy is that, the more simplistic and consistent you are in your funnel, the higher your conversion rate will be. Remember, every level of your funnel requires some type of system and action, and/or messaging in your business. That means that the more complex your funnel is, the more things you have to keep up with.

Now you are welcome to have as many levels in your funnel as you like, but I’m going to share the 3 levels of my funnel here. 

Level #1 - “What is the way I want my audience to find me?”: This is the top (widest) part of my funnel. This is how people first get to know me, so when creating your funnel, you want to think about how and where your clients and audience first tend to find you. It could be social media, email, or word of mouth, but you want to know what it is to ensure you’re using it to your advantage. 

Level #2 - Opt-In: You know when you get those emails after you sign up for an email list that say “please confirm your email?” This is a form of Opt-ing in. It’s a way to check in with your audience members and ensure that they want to continue their journey with you. We’re at the middle part of the funnel now, and people are making a choice to engage with you further and usually, there's some type of action that people have to take to opt into that experience.

This is also often thought of as a lead magnet. A lead magnet is essentially some type of content that is of value to your audience. It's a line to the problem you're solving in your business, but people have to give their email address in exchange for access. This is not the only type of lead magnet or the only way to get people to opt-in, but it’s a great example! 

Level #3 - Conversion: This is the level where people are converting to becoming a paid client. Whatever your opt-in is, it should present people with the opportunity to work with you.

Here are a few examples:

• Webinar: if someone joins your webinar, you want to share with attendees, your services, and if they're interested in your services, what the next step is to work with you.

• IG Live:  At some point during the Live, you're sharing your services and how they can work with you more.

One piece that I will name when it comes to converting, and if you follow me you know I talk a lot about the mindset work that's wrapped up in entrepreneurship as an educator, and one of the biggest pieces of that mindset work is getting visible, getting comfortable talking about yourself and your business. 

If you review the three levels of a relationship building funnel, you’ll notice that every single one of those levels requires you to be present and visible. People have to hear from you. People have to hear your voice, see you. People do not buy from ghosts. So you have to be comfortable showing up and giving people some form of live content, because being able to see your expertise on display is what builds trust. 

You can’t have people find you on social media, join your email list, and expect that everybody's going to want to become a paid client just by receiving emails from you. At some level of your funnel, you have to have some type of live content so people can see you and start building a relationship with you! 

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