If you want to continue to have a steady pipeline of potential clients into your business, then you should always be marketing. This is the only way to insure you have new people constantly learning about your services, products, and the various ways you can help them. Without a steady stream of leads, your business dies. Period. This is why you should have a healthy, optimized sales funnel.
If you're new to this business thing or even the language surrounding online business, then you may not even know what a funnel is. Simply put, your sales funnel is the journey your prospects take from first learning about who you are to finally making the decision to work with you. This may look like initially engaging with your free content and free offers to trying some of your lower priced offers, to finally working with you in your main offer (which is usually the highest priced offer).
Your aim should be to help others become aware of what you do and all of the benefits of working with you to solve their problems. If you're not constantly introducing people to this process, you'll eventually “run out” of people to potentially convert.
Here are five (5) things you should be doing — all the time (not just during certain seasons and times of the year) — to attract more potential clients into your funnel:
1. Market your business consistently.
When you mention marketing to most business owners today, their minds immediately go to social media. Social media marketing is very beneficial, and you have the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world. You can interact with people on both your business and personal accounts, as well as in groups. Facebook and LinkedIn are great for meeting like minds in groups.
However, social media marketing is only the beginning. There are tons of places to market online — third party event websites, your own website or landing page, video platforms, and more. But don't forget about all of the offline marketing opportunities as well. Attend conferences and networking events. Join your local chamber of commerce, and or volunteer at your children's school. Everyone should know what you do. If someone mentions a problem you solve, they should immediately think of you because you're known for that. Consistency is what will help people determine and remember what you're known for.
2. Ensure that your offers stay relevant and up to date.
The products and services you offer should solve problems that your audience currently have. This includes both your free and paid offers. If they aren't applicable to the situations they face in this time, then they're not going to be helpful solutions. And your audience will go follow someone else who “gets it.” They will simply assume you're not for them.
So think about it — when was the last time you went through your offers in each stage of your funnel? When did you last change your free lead magnet? What about your digital products and courses? Are the services you offer even things that people are interested in? Your audience wants to know that you care about them and their needs. This is how you attract potential clients looking for someone to guide them. This is how you build a loyal community.
3. Mention your offers often — unapologetically.
Let's be real — not everyone sees everything you post. And everyone certainly doesn't know what you do. (There are still people who think I conduct wine tastings. 😉). No matter how much you think you're putting it out there, there are still lots of people — who could be potential clients — who aren't aware. Tell your audience that you have a business. Let them know what your business offers. They sincerely may not know.
And if you've been online a while and may have shifted your brand — we've all seen those who've transitioned from lifestyle mom blogger to relationship coach to tax strategist — you have both new and old community members to inform of your current offerings. At the end of the day, you're in business to make money. Otherwise, it's not a business. You should always be selling or at least letting people know that you have things for sale.
4. Think about creating a trial offer or special coupon code.
I'm not saying you should cheapen your work or just give away your intellectual property. You should absolutely be paid for your expertise and the effort you've put into your products and services. That being said, though, there are some who just aren't ready to drop $2,000 on your signature course or $10,000 for a 3-month one-on-one custom coaching program. And I'm not talking about people who aren't willing to invest in themselves or people who are just looking for freebies. Most people have to build trust in you and like you enough to spend that kind of money — something they're still probably trying to figure out when they first come into your world.
I've seen some coaches with membership programs where they've offered a 7-day trial for $7 to allow potential members to access special content, courses, and other benefits temporarily in order to drive a conversion. I've also seen discount codes work well for courses and other digital products to let potential clients experience your teaching style and your depth of knowledge. In both cases, the offer could be extended to their entire audience, a segment of their email list, or members of a podcast audience on which they appeared. You don't have to discount everything for everybody.
5. Continue nurturing those who have already purchased from you.
It's easier to sell to a prospect who has already bought one of your products or services than it is to sell to someone who's never bought anything from you. There's a statistic that states that the chances of selling to a current customer range from 60-70% whereas selling to a cold contact is 5-20% (Marketing Metrics). Why is that? Because they already trusted you enough to make a decision with their wallets. That being said, they already know the results you can help them get. (This why many experts talk about creating a “tripwire” offer for those new subscribers to your email list — but more on that advanced strategy another time.)
Don't miss the chance to connect deeper with your audience, especially those who have invested with you. Talk to them regularly, provide them with exclusive content, and even offer them bonuses or discounts for their loyalty. These leads are already hot, so don't be afraid to sell to them again (after reminding them of the benefits of being part of your community).
If you want to go deeper into this subject, learning funnels and how you can consistently attract high-quality clients, join us for our LIVE masterclass, Ignite Your Income & Impact: The 5 Key Elements You MUST Have As A Personal Brand to Double Your Reach & Your Revenue Fast! We're going to dive into essential techniques for transforming your business. Get all the details now! And be sure to invite your business besties.
