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Most think that selling a course and coaching is as easy as leveraging their online audience, putting up an announcement and people flocking to them. That is rarely the case. I have worked with over a 100+ coaches who have helped over 5000+ people upskill in topics ranging from technology and product to careeer counselling and selfimprovement. And, their success boils down to one thing: a solid sales funnel. In this article I am distilling all my knowledge on how to leverage sales funnels to grow your coaching, consulting and course creation Business. Let’s begin.
What is a Sales Funnel? A sales funnel is a concept that describes the journey that your potential clients take from first becoming aware of your coaching services to actually making a purchase. It’s a series of steps that guide them towards becoming a paying client. Sales funnels typically have three to four stages: awareness, interest, decision, and action. This is often referred to as the AIDA framework. This is similar to what I call: The ladder of trust.
The Awareness Stage
The awareness stage is the first step in a sales funnel. At this stage, potential clients are just becoming aware of your coaching business. They might have come across your website or social media profile, or maybe they received an email from you. The goal of this stage is to introduce your coaching services to them and get them interested in learning more.
The Interest Stage
In the interest stage, potential clients are showing more interest in your coaching services. They might have signed up for your newsletter, downloaded a free guide or attended a free webinar. The goal of this stage is to build trust with your potential clients and establish yourself as an expert in your coaching niche.
The Decision Stage
The decision stage is when potential clients are considering whether or not to purchase your coaching services. They might have reached out to you with questions, or maybe they’re comparing your services to other coaches’ services. The goal of this stage is to make it clear why your coaching services are the best option for them and how they will benefit from working with you.
The Action Stage The action stage is when potential clients become paying clients. They’ve made the decision to purchase your coaching services and are ready to take action. The goal of this stage is to make it as easy as possible for them to make the purchase and start working with you.
7 Actionable steps you can take today to implement the above
Now that you know what a sales funnel is and how it works, let’s discuss how you can use sales funnels to grow your coaching business.
Step 1: Identify your target audience
The first step in building a successful sales funnel is to clearly define your target audience. This includes understanding their pain points, desires, and what motivates them to take action. For coaches and consultants, this may involve identifying the specific problems your target audience is looking to solve and how your expertise can help them achieve their goals.
The best offers boil down to: Improved health, improved wealth, and/or Freedom (of time and money). And if you can show that they can do this fast, efficiently and with less money its
Step 2: Create valuable content
Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, the next step is to create valuable content that will attract and engage them. This can take the form of blog posts, social media updates, videos, or any other content that your audience is likely to find useful and relevant.
Step 3: Drive traffic to your funnel
Once you have created valuable content, the next step is to drive traffic to your sales funnel. This can be achieved through various marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, or paid advertising. The key is to focus on the channels that are most effective for reaching your target audience and driving conversions. Test different channels, narrow down on one through elimination.
Step 4: Offer a lead magnet
To entice potential customers to enter your sales funnel, you will need to offer them something of value in exchange for their contact information. This could be a free eBook, a video tutorial, a discount code, or any other type of lead magnet that your target audience is likely to find valuable.
Step 5: Nurture your leads
Once you have captured leads through your lead magnet, the next step is to nurture them through a series of targeted emails, videos, or other types of content that will keep them engaged and interested in your offerings. This can involve sharing testimonials, case studies, or other forms of social proof that demonstrate the value of your coaching or consulting services.
Step 6: Make an offer
Once you have nurtured your leads and built trust with them, it’s time to make an offer. This could involve offering a coaching package, a consulting service, course, or a group program that is designed to help your target audience achieve their goals.
Step 7: Upsell and cross-sell Finally, it’s important to remember that the sales funnel doesn’t end with the initial offer. Once a customer has purchased from you, there are often opportunities to upsell or cross-sell additional products or services that are relevant to their needs. This can help increase customer lifetime value and drive repeat business over time. In conclusion, sales funnels can be a powerful tool for coaches, course creators and consultants looking to grow their businesses. By following the steps outlined above, you can create a sales funnel that is tailored to your target audience and designed to drive conversions at every stage of the customer journey.