Building sales funnels and having a customer relationship management system is crucial because it allows you to automate acquiring customers and increasing sales. A well-designed funnel will help you gain more customers while optimizing your sales processes.

A customer relationship management system will also allow you to manage your customer relationships more efficiently. As a result, it can lead to increased sales and a better customer experience. This guide will cover some excellent background information about sales funnels, why you need one, the challenges to building them, and the top reasons to make a sales funnel. We will also cover how to start building your first sales funnel or optimizing your current sales funnels.

5 Top Reasons to Build a Sales Funnel

1. Increased Conversions

When you have a well-oiled sales funnel, you can expect a dramatic increase in your conversion rates because your leads are nurtured down the funnel until they are ready to buy.

2. Improved Customer Satisfaction

A sound customer relationship management system will help you keep track of all your customer's interactions with your business. This way, you can always ensure they get the best possible service.

3. More Effective Sales Staff

With a sound customer relationship management system in place, your sales staff can spend more time selling and less time on administrative tasks.

4. Increased Revenue

A sales funnel can bring in a lot of extra revenue for your business. Some businesses have seen increases in their income by as much as 50%.

5. Better Customer Retention

When you have a sound system for managing customer relationships, you can expect a significant increase in customer loyalty and retention rates.

The Biggest Trends in 2022 for sales funnels

Sales funnels and customer relationship management (CRM) are two of the most important aspects of any business. To stay ahead of the competition, knowing the latest trends is essential.

Here are the most significant trends seen in 2022 for sales funnels and CRM:

1. Sales funnel stages will become more complex.

As businesses become more sophisticated, they will require more complex sales funnel stages that allow them to track the progress of each customer through the buying process.

2. Sales funnel templates will become more popular.

Sales funnel templates are a great way to build your own sales funnel. They provide a framework that you can customize to fit your own needs.

3. Customer relationship management systems will become more popular.

Customer relationship management systems are essential for managing customer relationships effectively. They allow you to track every interaction you have with a customer and keep track of their purchase history and preferences.

The Biggest Fears About Building Sales Funnels And Customer Relationship Systems

Many businesses are hesitant to implement sales funnels and customer relationship systems because they fear potential risks. Here are some of the biggest fears:

1. Sales funnels will be too complex and challenging to set up.

2. That customer relationship will be managed promptly with a CRM system.

3. Sales funnels will not be effective in generating leads or sales.

These fears can prevent businesses from taking advantage of the many benefits that sales funnels and CRM systems offer. It's important to remember that these tools can be customized to fit your needs and that many resources are available to help you get started. With careful planning and implementation, you can overcome any fears and enjoy the many benefits these tools offer.

Three biggest mistakes when building sales funnels

1. Not having a clear goal for your sale funnel.

When building a sales funnel, it's crucial to have a clear goal. With a goal, you'll know if your funnel is successful. Some standard plans for sales funnels include generating leads, making sales, or getting email subscribers.

Once you know your goal, you can create a process or sequence of events to help you achieve it. This process should be tested and measured to make sure it's effective. If it isn't, then you need to make changes until it is.

2. Not creating a process or sequence of events.

When you're creating a sales funnel, it's essential to have a clear goal in mind. With a plan, you'll know if your funnel is successful. Some common goals for sales funnels include generating leads, making sales, or building customer relationships.

Once you know your goals, you must create a process or sequence of events to help you achieve them. This is why planning the sales funnel stages is essential. There are three main sale funnel stages:

The first stage is the lead stage and where you build awareness. In this stage, you need to get people's attention and let them know you exist. You can do this through paid advertising, SEO, or content marketing.

The second stage is the sales stage. In this stage, you need to overcome false beliefs, reduce fears and get them to believe in what you offer enough to make a purchase. You can do this through free trials, lead magnets, or case studies.

The third and final stage is the customer relationship stage. In this stage, you want to build a business relationship, get them excited, get them massive results, add more value to their lives, offer additional sales, ask for testimonies and referrals or even join your affiliate program. 

3. Not testing and measuring the results.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when building sales funnels is not testing and measuring the results. First, you to try your conversions on your funnels to know if your funnel is working. Then, you need to measure the results to know which parts of your funnel are practical and which need improvement.

There are several ways to test and measure the results of your sales funnel. For example, you can use conversion tracking software, Google Analytics, or A/B testing software. Using these tools, you can track how many people are entering your funnel, how many are converting, and how much money you're making.

10 Steps to Build A Sales Funnel and customer relationship management system from start to finish

Step 1: Understand The Basics Of Your Customer Value Journey

(CVJ Map Based on Digital Marketer)

Sales funnels are an essential part of any business. They help you to focus on the most important customers and to keep track of your progress. But before creating a sales funnel, you need to understand the 8 stages of your customer value journey.

The first stage is awareness. At this stage, the customer doesn't even know they need your product or service. They may be vaguely aware of a problem but don't know how to solve it.

The next stage is engagement. The customer is starting to become interested in your product or service. They visit your website or watch your video. They're not ready to buy yet, but they're starting to think about it.

The third stage is a subscription. At this stage, the customer has decided that they want your product or service. They may sign up for a free trial or purchase a subscription.

The fourth stage is conversion. At this stage, the customer has become a paying customer. They may purchase a one-time product or become a long-term customer.

The fifth stage is excitement. At this stage, the customer is excited about your product or service. They may tell their friends about it or write positive reviews online.

The sixth stage is ascension. At this stage, the customer is using your product or service more and more. They're getting more value from it, and they're starting to recommend it to their friends and family members.

The seventh stage is advocacy. At this stage, the customer loves your product or service so much that they want to tell everyone about it. They may start a blog about it or write articles on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

The eighth and final stage is promotion. At this stage, the customer is so enthusiastic about your product or service that they do everything they can to promote it to others. For example, they may talk to their friends and family about it or post positive reviews online.

Step 2: Create a Detailed Description of your Customer's Avatar

Sales funnels can be highly effective in helping businesses increase their sales and profits, but only if they are built correctly. One of the most critical steps in creating a successful sales funnel is creating a detailed description of your customer's avatar. This involves gathering information about your customers' interests, demographics, and psychographics.

Once you understand your customers' avatars well, you can create content and offers more likely to appeal to them. You can also use this information to target your advertising efforts more effectively.

If you're not sure where to start, here are a few tips for creating a customer avatar:

1. Ask your customers what they're interested in. One of the best ways to get to know your customers is to ask them what they're interested in. You can do this by sending out surveys or conducting interviews.

2. Look at your customer data. If you already have some data about your customers, such as their age, gender, or location, you can use that to better understand their interests and needs.

3. Use social media listening tools. Social media listening tools can help you learn more about your customers' interests and hobbies. They can also help you identify any pain points that your customers may be experiencing.

4. Do some online research. Many online resources can help you learn more about your customers' interests and needs. For example, try conducting Google searches or using social media platforms like Twitter and Pinterest.

Once you understand your customer's avatar well, you can create content and offers more likely to appeal to them."

Step 3: Research Your Competitors and their offers and Customer Relationship management system

You'll want to research your top competitors and examine their products or services. You can use a tool like Ahrefs to determine which keywords your competitors are targeting and their website traffic and organic search rankings. This information can give you a good idea of what products or services are doing well for them.

Once you've identified some of your competitor's top products or services, you'll want to look at their offers. What are they charging for these products or services? Are they offering any discounts or bundled packages? By understanding what your competitors offer, you can create a more appealing offer to customers.

You'll also want to research your competitors' sales funnel process. For example, how do they attract new customers? How do they convert leads into paying customers? What steps do they take to close a sale? Understanding how your competition operates enables you to fine-tune your sales funnel process more effectively.

Finally, you'll need an innovative CRM system to manage your sales funnel. A CRM system will allow you to track all interactions with potential and existing customers, including phone calls, emails, and social media interactions. This information can help you better understand customer needs and desires and help you close more sales.

By researching your competition and understanding how their sales funnel works, you can create a funnel that is more appealing to customers and more likely to result in sales. You'll also need a sound CRM system to manage the process effectively. ( The Innovative Marketing Pro is a Perfect CRM system for this) 

Step 4: Map Out Each stage Of the Customer journey based on the offers

The customer journey begins with the customer becoming aware of your business and what you offer. They may request more accessible information, such as a free trial or consultation. 

Once they become familiar with your business, they may make small purchases, such as a product or service.

Once satisfied with the products or services they've purchased, they may be interested in buying your core offers. 

If satisfied with your core offers, they may be interested in purchasing your upsells.

If unsatisfied with your core offers, they may be interested in purchasing your down sales. Finally, if the customer is unsatisfied with your offers, they may be interested in purchasing bundled packages.

You will want to make sure you map out the customer value journey based on the offers that you have and to always have the next step for all the prospects and customers to take. 

If you would like to learn more about Sales Funnels and how to Design your Customer Value Journey Map based on your offers, and how to automate the communications for each offer, please (click here) to book a free discovery call for a Customer Value Journey Assessment from the Innovative Marketing Agency. 

Step 5: Goals for each of the 8 stages of the customer journey

Setting goals is essential to the success of any business, no matter what stage of the customer journey it finds itself in. To create a sales funnel that works, you need to be clear on what you want your customers to do at each stage of their journey. These steps will show you the goals for each stage so that you can move your customers through your funnel and closer to becoming paying customers.

Awareness:

The goal of awareness is to get the customer's attention and introduce them to your product or service. The goal is essential because it sets the tone for the rest of the customer journey and determines whether or not the customer will be interested in learning more.

Engagement:

The goal of engagement is to get the customer interested in your product or service and encourage them to learn more. The goal is important because it helps to build trust and positive momentum with the customer.

Subscription:

The goal of a subscription is to get the customer to sign up for your product/service or request more free information. The goal is important because it helps you build a relationship with the customer and increases their chances of becoming long-term customers.

Conversation:

The goal for the conversation stage is to get the customer to interact with your product or service. The goal is important because it helps you understand what the customer wants and how they feel about your product or service.

Excitement:

The goal of excitement is to create a positive reaction from the customer and encourage them to buy your product or service. The goal is important because it helps increase sales and builds customer loyalty.

Ascension:

The goal for ascension is to get the customer to use your product or service more often. The goal is important because it helps keep customers engaged with your product or service and encourages them to become long-term customers.

Advocacy:

The goal of advocacy is to get the customer to refer other potential customers to your product or service. The goal is essential because it helps you reach new customers and grow your business.

Promotion:

The goal of promotion is to get the customer to talk about your product or service on social media. The goal is essential because it helps you create buzz and build brand awareness.

Step 6: How to Find the right resources and tools to build your sales funnel

When building a sales funnel, it's important to have the right resources and tools. This can make the process much easier and ensure your funnel is as effective as possible. Here are some of the most critical resources and tools to consider when building your sales funnel:

Sales Funnel Builder: A sales funnel builder is a tool that allows you to create your sales

funnel without having to hire a developer or design expert. This can be a great option if you're on a budget or want more control over the design and layout of your funnel. Several different sales funnel builders are available, so be sure to research before choosing one. We have a sales funnel builder in the Innovative Marketing Pro. Check it out. https://innovativemarketing.pro/

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System: A CRM system is essential for managing customer relationships and tracking customer data. When building your sales funnel, it's crucial to have access to this information to track how each customer progresses through the funnel. A CRM system will also help you identify which customers are most likely to convert so that you can focus your efforts on these individuals.

Marketing Automation Software: Marketing automation software can help automate many tasks involved in marketing, including email marketing, lead nurturing, and social media campaigns. This can save you time and energy and help you achieve better results with less effort. When looking for marketing automation software, find one that fits your needs and budget.

These are just a few essential resources and tools for building a sales funnel. When choosing which ones to use, consider your needs and budget, and find options that fit both. Then, with the right resources and tools, you can build a successful sales funnel that will help you increase revenue and grow your business.

Another secret tip is to use a CRM and Funnel building platform that offers services to build your funnel and help you maintain the system. Most entrepreneurs are not funnel builders and get sucked into the time and energy it takes to build a funnel. Most platforms will have templates or snapshots you can use immediately. Still, you also want to have the option to create more advanced funnels and customer relationship management systems without having to do all the work yourself or bring in outside help.

Innovative Marketing Pro offers Funnel Building Services and can help you maintain and make slight adjustments to the funnel depending on your plan.

Step 7: How to Build your Sales Funnel system or hire someone to do it for you

When it comes to creating a sales funnel, there are a lot of different things that you need to take into account.

The first step in creating a sales funnel is creating a good offer. This offer should be unique and appealing to your target market. It's also essential to make sure that your customers actually need or want the offer. Once you have created your offer, it's time to create a landing page where people can learn more about it.

Your landing page should be designed to persuade people to take action. So you should use solid visuals and persuasive copy to get people interested in your offer. It's also essential to ensure that your landing page is mobile-friendly, as most people will access it on their smartphones or tablets.

Once someone has clicked on your landing page and expressed interest in your offer, it's time to send them down the funnel. This is where the real work begins! First, you'll need to create a series of emails or other content that will convince them to buy from you. You'll also need to set up a system for following up with these leads and ensuring they don't fall through the cracks.

If you're not comfortable creating all of this content yourself, you can always hire a professional copywriter or marketing agency to help you out. The key is to make sure that you have a well-oiled machine that will convert leads into customers.

Step 8: How To Test, test, test!

Testing is a critical part of any sales funnel. You need to ensure that your landing pages are effective, that your ad campaigns are driving traffic to the right places, that your email follow-ups are getting people to convert, and that your sales pages are convincing people to buy.

One of the best ways to test all these things is to use real-world data. For example, you can track how many people click on your ads, how many people visit your landing pages, how many people sign up for your email list, and how many people buy your product. You can then compare this data to see which parts of your funnel are working and which need improvement.

Another great way to test things is to use A/B testing. This involves testing two versions of a page or emails against each other to see which one performs better. For example, you could test two landing pages against each other to see which generates more leads. Or you could test two different versions of an email campaign to see which one gets more clicks.

A/B testing can be a great way to determine what works and doesn't in your sales funnel. It can help you fine-tune your funnel to be as effective as possible. For example, you could test two different landing page versions against each other to see which one generates more leads. Or you could try two different versions of an email campaign to see which one gets more clicks.

By using A/B testing, you can find out which versions of your pages and emails are getting the best results, and then you can continue using those versions while you work on improving the ones that aren't performing as well.

Step 9: How to Make changes as needed and Optimize your Sales Funnel

A sales funnel is a set of steps to increase the number of potential customers who buy your product or service. The first step is identifying your potential customers and determining what they need or want. Then, you can create a sales funnel that offers them the solution to their problem.

You'll need to make changes and optimize your sales funnel to ensure you get the most out of it. Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure your offer is appealing and relevant to your potential customers.

2. Test different versions of your funnel to see which ones work best.

3. Optimize your funnel to ensure you get the most out of it.

If you need help with creating a sales funnel, you can always hire someone to do it for you. Many online services offer this service. Just make sure to do your research and find a reputable company. We help our clients Build funnels; you could always book a free discovery/strategy call. https://innovativemarketingagency.net//book-discovery-cvj-call

Step 10: How to Drive Traffic To your Funnel

To create a sales funnel that works, you need to drive traffic to it. There are several ways to do this; the one that will work best depends on your business and your audience. Here are some tips for driving traffic to your funnel:

1. Use social media. Social media is a great way to reach many people quickly. You can post about your funnel on your Facebook page, Twitter account, or LinkedIn profile and share links to your funnel on other social media platforms. This can take a lot of time, and having a good strategy for posting useful content that directs traffic to your funnel offers. 

2. Use Paid Advertising. If you have the budget, you can use paid advertising to drive traffic to your funnel. Paid advertising can be expensive, but it can effectively reach your target audience.

3. Use Email Marketing. Email marketing is a great way to reach people who are already interested in what you have to offer. You can send them email invitations to visit your funnel and include links to your funnel in your email newsletters.

4. Make Sure Your Funnel Is Optimized for SEO. If you want people searching for information about your products or services to find your funnel, you need to ensure that it is optimized for SEO. This means using the right keywords in your titles, descriptions, and metadata and making sure that your content is high quality and relevant to your target audience.

The Secret To Building a Winning Sales Funnel And Thriving

Sales funnels can be the key to your business success, but only if they are built correctly. This guide provides a step-by-step process for creating a winning sales funnel to help you thrive in today's competitive market. If you want help putting this process into action or need assistance with any other part of marketing your business, our team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can make your online presence shine.

We would like to hear from you!

If you're looking to achieve success with your sales funnel, contact us today for help. Our team of experts can put together a funnel to help you reach your business goals. We would love to hear about your experience with sales funnels and any tips you may have. Leave us a comment below and let us know how we're doing!