The temptation is to focus on selling. This means throwing more money at how to generate leads. However, if those leads engage in an ineffective process with your organization and value proposition, then it’s like rowing harder with a hole in your boat. Patching the boat should be the priority first. It is easy to understand this, but it is hard to execute when you are thinking about selling and not buying.
Seth Godin’s article on “What shape is your funnel?” articulates this point. If you can focus on making your funnel efficient first and foremost, then your strategy for conversion will be more effective and less costly. In addition, it will scale. You can fill the funnel as large as you like because of the robustness of your nurturing strategy.
Most people learn this after failing. They spend money on a website, adwords and try to put it together. They spend a lot of money with little conversion. The reason comes from a lack of nurturing and connection with the buyer. The funnel is not wide. It is narrow and focused on selling when it needs to have the elements of personal, relevant and timely value delivered in an automated way.
Marketing automation fattens the funnel. It is about the buyer who needs to move from interest to desire to buying. Veneers will not accomplish this. Only a thorough strategy engaging the buyer will.
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