Do your clients move predictably from one product or service to the next, allowing you to accurately calculate your expected income from month to month? Or do you experience radical ups and downs, with some months high and others…well, pretty low?
If you’re not able to predict your income each and every month, chances are your funnel is out of whack—or maybe doesn’t even exist. Tighten your product and services funnel, and your business will grow on autopilot.
The Funnel Opening
Here is where all your potential clients first arrive on the scene. Perhaps she read your blog, received a forwarded email from a friend, attended a free webinar, or downloaded your opt-in incentive.
They’re not yet a paying customer, but they are getting to know you better. They’re learning whether or not your personality and style is a match for them, and whether or not theybelieves you can help them.
Your job for this potential client is to entice them to make a purchase.
Low-Cost Offers
Often called “tripwires,” these low-cost items are a way for your customers to take you for a test drive. No commitment, no risk, just an easy-to-consume eBook, self-study course, or other small purchase.
But don’t let them just buy and bolt! A well-planned funnel will include a related product as an upsell, too. They’re already in a buying mood, so make sure they see what the next logical step is for them, and they might just pick that up as well!
Mid- and High-Range Offers
You see where this is going, right? A solid funnel moves smoothly from free to low-cost to high-end, with each step along the way being the very next thing your ideal client needs in her training or business arsenal.
For example, a great freelancing funnel might include:
- A free webinar
- An eBook or small training program
- A self-study course or walk-thru
- Simple product or service (not customized)
- Customized product or service
- One-on-One freelancing contract
Not all clients who enter your funnel at the top will make it all the way to your one-on-one freelancing contract level, but you should build your funnel as if that’s what you expect to happen. As you increase the number of people who are active in your funnel, you can tweak your landing and sales pages to increase conversions and reduce the number of opt-outs you experience.
With analysis and attention, you’ll see a rise in the percentage of those who continue in your funnel all the way through to the end.