Types of sales funnels: learn how to use them to sell more!

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A well-structured sales funnel is essential to improve sales team efficiency and opportunity management. This tool is especially valuable for complex and consultative sales, helping to optimize salespeople’s work and ensuring that each stage of the sales process is effective.

Managers, in turn, can more accurately assess which stages of the funnel need improvement and understand why the conversion rate may not be meeting expectations. For example, if there are many visitors at the top of the funnel but few conversions at the bottom, this indicates that there is a problem somewhere in the process. It may be necessary to review the qualification process or adjust the outreach strategy.

Furthermore, every detail in the sales process matters, including missed opportunities. Each failure provides valuable insights that can be used to adjust and improve future sales strategies. Understanding where the bottlenecks are and what can be improved is crucial to developing a more effective and efficient approach, thus increasing the office 365 database of conversion and the overall success of the business.

What are the types of sales funnels?
There’s no single sales funnel model that’s “right” for every business. The ideal structure depends on your business’s specific needs and the goals you want to achieve. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most common funnel types, which can be adapted or combined as needed to fit your strategy.

Marketing funnel
The marketing funnel is focused on capturing leads. The goal is to convert visitors into leads , usually through a landing page with a form to download material. These leads are then nurtured with relevant content via email, educating them about the company's solutions. Techniques such as lead scoring help qualify contacts and determine when they are ready to advance to the pre-sales team.

Cold List Funnel
This funnel starts with a list of contacts who haven’t been approached yet. These cold leads need to be warmed up before they can move into the pre-sales or sales funnel. The steps include:

Lead entry into the funnel : distribution of contacts among team members.
First contact: sending an email or calling to introduce yourself and understand the consumer’s situation.
Follow-ups: additional contacts to deepen the conversation.
Final contact: offer to answer questions and prepare the lead for the next step.
Pre-sales funnel
The pre-sales funnel is crucial for qualifying leads before passing them on to the sales team. A Sales Development Representative (SDR) reaches out to understand the lead’s needs. The steps include multiple outreaches to assess the lead’s interest and readiness to purchase. If the lead is ready, they are moved into the sales funnel.

B2B Sales Funnel
In the B2B (Business to Business) model, the goal is to convert qualified leads. The basic steps include:

Company presentation: through content and informative materials.
Contact with the lead: clarification of doubts.
In-person or online visit: demonstration of the benefits of the solution.
Commercial proposal: sending and negotiating the proposal.
Closing the sale : finalization of the negotiation.
B2C Sales Funnel
The B2C (Business to Consumer) funnel is aimed at sales to the end consumer. The stages include:

Learning and discovery: educating the consumer about the problem.
Problem recognition: helping you understand your need.
Solution consideration: presenting available options.
Purchase decision: closing the deal.
Growth Hacking Funnel
The Growth Hacking funnel seeks accelerated growth through combined marketing, data, and technology strategies. The steps include:

Acquisition: How users find your company.
Activation: First customer experience.
Retention: returning customers.
Revenue: ways to generate revenue.
Recommendation: satisfied customers who recommend the company to others.
Contract funnel
This funnel is used to secure the signing of contracts and formalize negotiations.

Steps may include:

Sending the contract: set deadlines for follow-ups.
First follow-up: confirm receipt.
Second follow-up: reinforce contact after a few days.
Negotiation: adjust clauses or values.
Closing: signing of the contract.