If you’re in the online business space, you’ve probably already encountered the word ‘funnel’.

Everyone talks about it.

“You gotta have your funnel right.”

“You’re just one funnel away…”

“This is the best funnel on the internet…”

And on and on.

All cool.

Now, here’s the problem.

After talking to countless entrepreneurs and marketers online, from aspiring to established ones…

I’ve realized this:

Most people have a vague idea about what a funnel is and how it works.

At best, they have a ‘textbook’ understanding of the concept.

The kind that might get you decent grades in a university marketing degree or something.

But that doesn’t really work when you have to roll up your sleeves and actually build something to sell stuff on the internet.

There is no professor. No grades. No text.

It’s the real world.

In real life entrepreneurship, when you’re trying to get someone to give you money for something….

You either create something that works or doesn’t work.

Period.

That’s the unfortunate reality of the online biz space.

With that being said, here’s where I stand on the topic.

I think that the concept of ‘funnel’ is a rather broad one.

And it doesn’t help us (marketers and entrepreneurs) trying to sell stuff online.

You don’t need vague, textbook kinda concepts that get you nowhere.

You need something clear, simple, and actionable that brings results.

What you need is a complete understanding of how funnels work and how they can be tailored to suit your specific business goals.

That's where the distinction between marketing funnels and sales funnels comes into play.

And that's what we'll be exploring in this post.

Let’s unpack this.

Marketing Funnels vs Sales Funnels

I have a rather particular view on this issue - not all funnels are equal.

Meaning, there is a difference between a sales funnel and a marketing funnel.

Here it is.

A marketing funnel is the master plan—the strategic blueprint that guides your efforts from complete strangers to paying customers.

In other words, the marketing funnel is your overall strategy.

It’s your complete system to convert complete strangers into paying customers.

You build a marketing funnel by visualizing the entire path, from casting a wide net to attract prospects to nurturing leads and ultimately converting them into loyal customers.

On the other hand…

The sales funnel is the tactical execution of the selling system included in that plan.

It’s about the nitty-gritty details that dictate how you lead potential customers through each stage of the buying process.

It's like the roadmap that outlines the specific steps and actions you take to move prospects closer to making a purchase.

So while the marketing funnel sets the stage and defines the overarching strategy, the sales funnel provides the precise framework for turning leads into customers.

Here is a practical example.

Imagine you're launching a new software product.

Here's how you might approach it:

Marketing Funnel: The Strategy 

Your marketing funnel strategy begins with creating awareness and generating interest in your software product.

You decide to launch a podcast, run ads on social media platforms, and engage in PR efforts to get the word out to your target audience.

This is how you make noise and build brand awareness.

The goal at this stage is to cast a wide net and capture the attention of potential customers.

Once you've captured their attention, you focus on nurturing those leads and building trust.

You offer valuable content, such as educational webinars, reports, or white papers, in exchange for their contact information (like e-mail or mobile phone number).

This allows you to continue engaging with them through email marketing campaigns, personalized messages, and exclusive offers tailored to their interests and needs.

As leads progress through the marketing funnel, you gradually introduce them to your software product, highlighting its unique features, benefits, and value proposition.

You showcase customer testimonials, case studies, and success stories to demonstrate its effectiveness and build credibility.

The goal here is to cultivate a sense of trust and confidence in your brand.

You are laying the groundwork for conversion.

Sales Funnel: The Selling System 

With your marketing funnel strategy in place, you can now think about the sales funnel.

This is how you guide leads towards making a purchase.

For this example, you design a series of online pages.

You start with a compelling landing page that captures attention and encourages visitors to learn more about your software and get a FREE trial for 14 days.

That’s the first page they see.

From there, you lead them through a carefully crafted sequence of pages—such as a product demo page, a features and pricing page, and a checkout page—that provide detailed information about your software and facilitate the buying process.

Each page is optimized for conversion, with clear calls-to-action and persuasive messaging that encourages visitors to take the next step.

In addition to the online pages, you implement automated email sequences and retargeting ads to further engage leads and address any lingering objections or concerns they may have.

As leads progress through the sales funnel, you track their interactions and behavior, refining your approach based on real-time data and insights.

You continually optimize your funnel, testing different strategies, offers, and messaging to maximize conversion rates and drive revenue growth.

By now I hope you see the difference between a marketing funnel and a sales funnel.

One is about the overall strategy.

The other is about the practical step to turn a potential customer in a paying customer.

Here’s where most people (my past-self included) often fail when it comes to sell stuff online:

They have a (vague) idea of an offer.

They have a (vague) idea of who it’s for.

And they also have a (vague idea) of the sales message.

But this - if done correctly - only gives you a sales funnel.

And as we know, a sales funnel is your selling system, but it doesn’t comprehend your marketing system.

You end up creating a sales funnel without having a clue about your marketing funnel.

In other words, you have no idea how to get attention, create interest, and channel desire in the marketplace.

So you have little to no views, and you get little to no results.

You have a sales funnel. But you still need an entire MARKETING plan that ensures you get the attention you need to fill your funnel with interested people.

That's what content, ads, outreach, publishing, partnerships, launch campaigns, etc. come into play.

That’s what having a long-term marketing strategy is truly about.

And that's what most people lack.

So here’s the long story short.

A sales funnel is nothing else than a selling system.

But it can't function without a proper marketing engine behind it.

A funnel builder asks what type of funnels and offers to put together.

A marketer asks what’s the strategy to get attention, build interest, and present the offers.

So the next time you’re thinking about building your next ‘funnel’, think about that.

➢ Are you building another ‘sales funnel’?

➢ Do you have the marketing infrastructure to launch this thing?

➢ Are you thinking like a marketer or like a funnel builder?

Hope this brought value to you.

Talk soon,

Nick