Company growth is an ambitious aim. An essential step to achieving it is to acquire new customers, which in turn requires an effective sales process. Keeping up to date with technology, outperforming the competition and having an optimised strategy are all part of the journey.
How to acquire new clients through a sales funnel
The sales process, or funnel, features a series of actions designed specifically to acquire new customers. To get potential customers to convert, you have to establish empathy with them: to understand what they expect from a brand, what makes them choose to purchase (or not) and be at their side from the initial phase in which they come into contact with the brand, right up to the conversion phase, (the purchase) and finally the loyalty phase, in which they buy at least a second time
- Awareness: the target audience - people potentially interested in the products or services - comes into contact with the brand and begins to get to know it. At this stage, the aim is to imprint the brand in the consumer's mind. It is here that you begin to stimulate their interest, finding new contacts and expanding your audience.
- Consideration: Consideration: this phase is crucial as the potential customer will have to decide whether to choose the brand over others and consider purchasing (purchase intention and evaluation).
- Conversion: the lead decides to purchase and becomes a client. At this point, communication has to remain focussed and specific, so as to incentivise them to make a second purchase and keep them as a customer.
This is a measurable, repeatable and not a random process. Communication with the client has to be specific to the stage of the journey they are at, structured around a sustainable strategy and able to develop according to trends and changes. It is precisely the ability to attract new leads, convert them into customers and then retain them that make a company thrive.
How to increase sales in 2022
Acquiring new clients and increasing sales is harder today than it was in the past. Not only is there more competition, but there are also many more channels in which to position yourself to get noticed by your target market. There is no longer a clear boundary between online and offline: it is almost impossible today for brands to ignore digital tools, which allow for targeted and specific communication, through a detailed selection of the target audience that identifies which people are really interested in your product.
Which channels are essential for any business today?
A strategic funnel aimed at acquiring new clients needs a mix of specific marketing activities and techniques. A high-performing business needs a digital infrastructure with a range of elements, including a mobile-friendly website with optimised user experience and valuable content, a well-structured e-commerce site and a CRM. These essential tools improve the overall performance of the company and create the foundation of the funnel to attract new leads. Let’s take a look in detail:
- A high-performance website: your website is the mirror for your brand and its public’s needs. It has to be visually appealing, mobile-friendly, readable and have an intuitive, user-friendly design
- E-commerce website: selling online is no longer just an option, but essential to keep up with the times and your competitors. Like the website, your e-commerce site must be easy to understand and get straight to the point with clear indications and eye-catching visuals that highlight the products’ qualities
- A CRM (Customer Relationship Management platform): a database to manage contacts is an integral part of an effective and efficient process. Managing contacts in the right way means being able to communicate in detail with a potential client at their specific stage of the funnel, using the right channels, and grasping valuable opportunities. A CRM is essential for keeping track of data, activities and updates on each individual contact.
These channels can then be expanded with additional tools to reach more people, like social media, a blog and a newsletter. The more touch points you have with potential clients, the more opportunities for conversion you create. Leveraging several channels at the same time not only increases the chances of getting in touch with leads, but also acts as a buffer in case one of is not performing as well as you’d hoped.
Having the right strategy to acquire and retain customers sets a successful business apart from one that fails to develop. Each of these channels and steps needs skills, time and consistency to develop to the full, as well as a specific study of the business, the market and their needs.
An expert team like the NFS Group helps you leave nothing to chance, creating a tailor-made strategy for your needs and helping you meet your targets for business development.
