Sales

Reorientating the Classic Sales Funnel

October 27, 2010

Traditionally, the sales funnel has gone through few, if any, changes.

Essentially, at the top of a sales funnel is a wide inlet that allows salespeople to drop in gobs of prospects, indiscriminately. The prerequisites for these prospects are minimal, and for the most part, any prospect with a direct line of contact will do. In this model, your main motivation is to increase the quantities without considering quality. Naturally, this leads you head-first into some issues, as Seth Godin explained.

Your main problem will eventually become the shrinking pool of prospects. Because you’re sapping so many prospects from a limited supply, you’re eventually going to run out. This is basic math. Godin offers up an alternative: turn the sales funnel on its side. It then becomes a megaphone, acting as a promotional tool that’s utilized by your current customers. They will generate prospects – good prospects – for you.

Experimenting with the sales funnel is a good way to shake up the norm. And if you’re running low on momentum, this may help. Watch the full video for more information on this topic.

Content Marketing Director

<strong>Amanda Maksymiw</strong> worked at OpenView from 2008 until 2012, where she focused on developing marketing and PR strategies for both OpenView and its portfolio companies. Today she is the Content Marketing Director at <a href="https://www.fuze.com/">Fuze</a>.