We often hear about the sales and marketing funnel: a way of capturing and progressing customers from initial interest to being an active, loyal client. To make this tangible, I like to look at sales activities that accompany the stages of the marketing funnel as these can provide inspiration for action-focused initiatives to help you build your business. So, without further ado, here are 21 sales activities for you to consider when building your marketing plans.

First on our list are activities associated with the ‘lead generation’ segment of the funnel:

1.       Networking groups – Head to a local networking group. They are a great way to break the ice with other local businesses and to identify prospects as well as finding strategic partners who might make great referrers for your business. Most are currently online at the moment so a little less daunting, perhaps.

2.       Events and exhibitions may not be plentiful in our current strange reality, but there are still some virtual options and getting your name out there at one of these is also good exposure. Consider putting together an event-focused offer or exclusivity period to attract sales on the day.

3.       Telemarketing is an effective and efficient way of carrying out some more targeted sales activities. Assuming you have done your homework on your ideal client persona, you can then brief a telemarketing agency to contact the right people to make them aware of your offering.

Next we move into the lead nurture segment of the funnel, so sales activities here are about being even more specific.

4.       Personalised mailshots or offers are a great way of letting someone know you have the solution they are looking for.

5.       Teaser freebies can be used to give people a safe way to try your product or service without committing. For products, this might be free samples; for services, a reduced scope or a discovery call can work.

6.       Testimonials are extremely powerful when they are well-written. If a previous or existing client can say they’ve received your offering and been impressed, this is highly likely to convert people who know or can identify with them. Once you have them, use them in multiple marketing activites; website content, social media, newsletters, event presentations, networking ‘pitches’ the list can be endless.

7.       Telemarketing (I know, this is a repeat but read on) can be even more targeted especially if you can refer to previous or existing clients with testimonials, follow up on interested parties from earlier calls to events. Because they are done in person, sales calls can be highly personalised.

8.       Guides or e-books that can be posted or downloaded are a great way of giving people a more in-depth taste of what you do. It also means they have something to keep with your brand on it which will help you stay front of mind.

9.       Still at the nurturing stage, why not offer a free demo to interested parties. Let them see and explore the product or service for themselves. This gives you the chance to understand their exact pain point and address it head-on.

10.   Free trials are popular for online products and services. Once people are signed up and using something, it’s probably less likely that they will want to go without once the trial period ends.

11.   A free audit of the business you want to sell to can give you the chance to explain exactly how you can solve their specific challenge and can therefore be powerful convincers.

12.   Discount periods are a good way to finally convert buyers who have been teetering on the brink. Always give them a time limit to create that sense of scarcity.

13.   Try before you buy has become popular with some product-based businesses who may leave samples behind or even run pop-up gatherings enabling people to experiment with the products. Again, once someone has something in their hands, their desire to own it is likely to increase.

14.   Offering a quality proposal is a great way to demonstrate your confidence in your product or service. Money-back guarantees are common but be clear about what you are measuring.

Finally, we move to the bottom of the funnel and the sales opportunity. Your audience are people who are now highly likely to buy so your approach needs to be gently convincing.

15.   Ensure people will give good reviews and promote you as a supplier by putting in place an excellent onboarding experience for your clients. Lots of personal attention and contact is a good way to start.

16.   Make sure your systems are supporting you, not hindering you. Any website purchases need to be slick and quick. Any technical difficulties could become a barrier to sale.

17.   It’s the simple things – send a message to say thank you for the business. Being polite never goes amiss.

18.   Stay in touch with clients to upsell or cross-sell by letting them know of other products or services and any new developments. Existing customers are much easier to sell to than new ones.

19.   Special offers for loyalty can increase upselling. Existing clients may get a percentage discount or one product in every 10 free.

20.   A great way to stay in touch and stay front of mind, as well as improving customer experience is to send a satisfaction survey. Don’t forget to report back on any improvements so your clients feel listened to.

21.   Connect online. LinkedIn is a great place to nurture business relationships so connect with your clients. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram if that is relevant to their businesses. It’s another touchpoint for you to use in the future.

I have outlined a number of options in this blog, but a key point is to start with defined goals and clarity on your target audience and then select the right activities to achieve your goals. If you would like some help to build a marketing strategy and plan for your business contact us.