Who doesn't love funnel cake?
If you sell anything, you have a sales funnel—and that may be a problem
Here’s what most people who sell things do…
They say, “Hey, I make these things. Would you like me to tell you more about them?”
Their potential customer replies, “Oh, those are beautiful. Yes, I would love to hear more about your work.”
And the seller replies, “Great! Here’s an email newsletter that I send out occasionally, where I talk about my work and my life, and then redirect you to my Instagram account because I assume you have a short attention span, but I desperately want to maintain a connection with you.
Then I’ll post reels and stories on my Instagram sharing short versions of those same work and life bits, and if I do it enough times, maybe you’ll click the link in my bio, which is a list of links, the most prominent telling you to check out my newsletter.”
As much as I hate seeing it, that is a sales funnel.
It’s an awful sales funnel, but it’s the one most people use. They send people around and around but never ask for the sale. Instead, they stand behind the proverbial check-out counter in the corner, staring out the window, wondering how long it will be before they can make their next thing that also won’t sell.
Putting the fun back in funnel
I wrote a different post meant to be shared today, but it was a cart-before-the-horse story that still needs a little time to cook. That post shares the biggest missed opportunity for anyone with a newsletter, but you’ll need to wait for that one because we need to talk about your funnel.
We can be honest with each other—most sales funnel talk is dry, unexciting, and un-fun, but I want to attempt to change that by simplifying the process and introducing some creativity. I call this process Funnel Cakes, because it’s deliciously satisfying and a little sticky.
Truthfully, this process is similar to most other sales funnel strategies, except without the biz-bro jargon or the pressure to sell courses and coaching in lieu of the goods or services you sell now (if you sell courses and coaching, this still works for you, too).
The steps are simple, and once you see them working, that’s when it becomes fun. You see people moving through the process, coming out the other end with (hopefully repeatable) sales, and that will get you excited to hone the process.
When I ran The Hungry, my former newsletter, I was using Kit.com for my email service, which has a lot more functionality than Substack, but within that limitation comes simplicity and fluidity. I don’t have the multi-level automation and email sequences to feed people through a tiresome funnel.
Instead, I have this simple structure to attract, engage, and connect with people in a meaningful way while also showing them where they can buy from me, and in the next few weeks, I’ll share exactly what I’m doing with each part of this structure.
NOTE: This process assumes you already have an account with an email newsletter platform. If you don’t, Substack is the easiest way to get started.
Dave’s ooey-gooey Funnel Cake strategy
It’s important to know what your ideal objective is and to stick to that objective at every turn. I want people to become members of Pieced Together and/or buy directly from my shop. I share content freely because I want to provide as much value for others as possible, but I’m also making efforts to drive people to those two objectives. This is the process that anyone can replicate:
Share Joy - Maybe your thing solves a problem, but that’s not a requirement. Often, if you find a way to put a smile on someone’s face, that’s all you need to keep them coming back, but it must be valuable enough to them to share their email address.
Welcome Them - This week, I added two things to Pieced Together. The first is a welcome post that’s pinned to the top of the page and talks about what my Substack publication is about and what’s in it for them. There’s very little in that post about me, but instead, what I can do for the readers.
Introduce Value - The second thing I added is an Asset Library where people can find things I share in an organized list. Going forward, all posts will first provide value, and then ask for the sale by leading people to membership or the shop.
Encourage Sharing - If you’re putting out posts on a regular basis, telling good stories, lending expertise, or filling people’s mornings with humor, it’s fair to ask them to share your posts with others. Substack also has a recommendation engine where you can reward people for any friends they get to join your list, and though I’ve had this established for a few months now, I’ll be leaning into it more frequently in the future.
Working this strategy on Substack will take time to refine and polish, but if I get this right, the funnel becomes more of a flywheel that eventually starts to turn itself. People come in, get value, become loyal fans, tell their friends, and the wheel goes around again.
You are already here, so you’re in the middle of the funnel, but next time, I’m going to share the changes I made to the top of the funnel and why most people get it wrong. Keep an eye out, and share with friends who you think might benefit.
Finally, this week I’m front-loading more digital assets for the library. Members will get instant access to those assets. If you want a piece of that and every other asset drop from the past and future, become a PT member today. I’ll even sweeten the deal for you.