Sales funnel is an illustration of the stages that a prospect goes through before becoming a customer. And, as your sales reps start engaging with them, only your most qualified prospects move to the next stage, and ultimately towards the close. Sales funnel is typically broken down into three stages, namely Awareness stage (Top-of-the funnel), Consideration stage (Middle-of-the funnel) and Decision stage (Bottom-of-the funnel). 

Here’s how you can set up your sales funnel software in seven steps:

1. Organize leads entering the funnel: A sales funnel software can help you organize data by breaking them down into modules for managing leads, customers, and opportunities. Capturing leads is the first step to the sales process. A few ways you could capture leads are placing web forms and Call to Action (CTAs) on your blogs and web pages, using a chatbot for intuitive conversations, and getting referrals from your existing customer base. 

2. Qualify leads in the funnel: Using AI, sales funnel software can qualify leads for you based on the lead’s interest and behavior; saving you time and energy from scrambling inside the funnel. AI-powered funnel software helps sales reps identify hot, warm and cold leads through an effective lead scoring system. You can assign positive and negative signals for your contacts.Based on this, AI lets you know which leads are likely to convert into contacts. For example, a lead who does not reply to your follow up mails is likely a negative signal. You can configure the lead scoring rules to match your ideal buyer persona.

3. Engage leads through the funnel: After viewing contact scores in the CRM and how likely a lead is going to convert, sales reps need to reach out to the priority leads over phone or email. Using a sales funnel software with built-in email and phone instead, you can create email templates in your funnel software to quickly reach out to leads. You can also automate sending out the first welcome email to new leads using workflows.

4. Track Leads: Modern CRMs also track your emails and notify you when the lead opens your email. You’ll know if your email has been read or not. You can also track email metrics to test your email performance, and craft better ones to increase open rates. Phone is still an effective tool for sales reps to sell. A powerful CRM allows you to make calls in a single click, auto-log and record calls, and transfer calls to other agents without the need for wires or third-party tools.

5. Automatically move leads down the funnel: As leads progress down the funnel, you must be able to analyze the number of leads by stage in order to ensure your funnel is always full to the brim with leads. It’s also important to know what stage each lead is at to know what to do next. A CRM can move leads down the funnel automatically through workflow automations and templates.  

6. Create opportunities to the pipeline: After you’ve met or spoken to the lead, and if they’re committed to buy, you’ll have to quantify the value of the opportunity. Visual sales pipeline in a CRM provides an overview of your deals by stage, allowing you to see how leads are moving down the sales funnel. It also gives sales reps a quick estimate of their targets, and urges them to add more leads during funnel building.

7. Nurture leads in the funnel: Not every lead who enters your funnel finds their way to the bottom. Sometimes, even all the qualified leads don’t reach the bottom of the funnel. A CRM helps you win back lost opportunities through lead nurturing. By interacting with leads, whether top, middle or bottom, with relevant nurturing campaigns you keep them interested and groom them into paying customers.