#29: Sales Funnels for Beginners: A Clear Path from Click to Customer

Sales funnels don't have to be complicated; they can be simple, guided paths that help people go from curiosity to purchase without feeling pushed. The key is creating a straightforward journey that builds relationships naturally, making the sale feel like the logical next step rather than a high-pressure situation.

• A funnel is just a series of steps from stranger to buyer: awareness, interest, desire, action
• Complicated funnels create more opportunities for mistakes and audience confusion
• Being simple means fewer things break and customers feel guided rather than lost
• The structure of a basic funnel: low-ticket product → possible upsell → welcome emails
• Let yourself be human in your funnel communications to build genuine connections
• Focus on just one offer at a time to maintain clarity and effectiveness
• Test, tweak and repeat - nothing you create is ever the final version

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Episode Transcript

Alyssa (00:00):
is because a simple funnel is about building
relationships without lookinglike you're always selling.
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, thepodcast that takes you behind
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(00:42):
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Tune in, get inspired and let'sspark your next big, brilliant
idea.
Welcome back to the BrilliantIdeas Podcast.
Today, I want to chat aboutsomething that sounds more
complicated than it actually isA simple sales funnel.
Yeah, we're going to talk aboutfunnels, but listen for the
word simple, because that'sgoing to be our lifeline through
this entire episode.
Now, before you roll your eyesor start frantically searching

(01:03):
for your next episode, hear meout.
Sales funnels do not have to becomplicated, and they certainly
don't have to make you feellike you need a PhD.
You only need to show up andserve your people at the right
time in the right way.
So today I'm going to bring yousome tough love, some comedy, a
little vulnerability and,hopefully, a lot of insight that
will help you see the sneakypower of a simple funnel that

(01:24):
can have in building yourdigital product business.
So I want you to raise yourhand.
If you've ever felt personallyvictimized by the concept of a
funnel, I see you.
I get it.
We've all been there.
The word funnel makes me thinkof images of complicated
flowcharts and a 72-step emailsequence with automations.

(01:47):
But I'm here to reassure you.
Funnels can be simple.
Actually, they should be simple.
I mean, why the heck would youwant to build something
complicated that frustratesyourself and your audience?
Don't let the fancy diagramsfool you.
I create a lot of funneldiagrams.
Fool you, I create a lot offunnel diagrams.

(02:08):
But at its core, a funnel isjust a guided path that helps
people go from I'm curious toI'm ready to buy, and sometimes
the biggest struggle is evenadmitting that we actually need
a funnel.
So we tell ourselves storieslike I'm just not a salesperson
or ew, I don't want to be thatpushy.
So I want you to knock thatself-sabotage right off the
table.
A funnel done right isn't pushyat all.

(02:29):
It's an invitation, and we alllove a good party invite.
So let's define what a funnelis In the simplest terms.
It's the series of steps yourpotential customers take to go
from stranger to buyer.
That's it.
There's no complicated jargonand no big scary words.
It's just a path from abeginning to an end, and

(02:50):
typically that journey lookslike this.
So you start with an awareness.
They discover you.
Maybe they see your socialmedia posts on Instagram, or
maybe they visit your blog orthey get referred by a friend.
Then they decide you know, thisperson's actually kind of cool
and I want to like hear more ofwhat she has to say.
That is when they get thatinterest.
Then they have some kind ofdesires.

(03:12):
They think, oh wow, I actuallykind of need what you're
offering.
Like I need it right now.
And then they finally pressthat glorious buy button or sign
up for your course ormembership.
Now, before you think I'm overhere living on a cloud of funnel
perfection, I want to be realwith you.
I have messed up funnels a lotlike no shame in my game.
I've created funnels that lednowhere, Funnels that were too

(03:35):
pushy, funnels that had too manysteps, and even I got confused
One time.
I tried to set up an automatedemail series for a course and I
messed up half the links, whichmeant yes, half my audience was
clicking away into like someblack hole of 404 pages.
It was so embarrassing and Idefinitely had moments of lying

(03:56):
on the couch wondering if Ishould just scrap the whole idea
and go back to a nine to five.
It was that bad.
But guess what?
Every single cringe worthymistake taught me this it's how
to simplify, Because the morecomplicated I made the funnel,
the more mistakes I produced,and when I stripped away the
extra BS, suddenly it all justworked.

(04:17):
And that is the sneaky power ofmaking things simple.
Now, being simple means fewerplaces for things to break, so
it means your audience isn'tstuck wandering in the
wilderness of your emailsequences wondering what the
exit sign is.
It means they're not bombardedwith 27 different offers.
Just the right offer at theright time, and that's the real

(04:38):
magic of a good funnel.
It's like a well-lit path in adark forest.
You want your customer to feelguided and safe, not stressed
out and confused, but astraightforward path.
That's where the trust is built, Relationships are formed and
conversions happen.
So I want to outline what youactually need and let me tell
you there is a million and onedifferent funnels that you can

(04:59):
create, but this one I'm goingto share is one you can create
without a whole lot of legworkinvolved.
So let's say, you have a lowticket product, so something
that is under $47.
So this is where the magicstarts.
You have something like a PDFguide, a mini video series or
maybe even a short ebook, Maybeit's a course that you're

(05:20):
selling.
The goal is to get them to say,yes, I need that, and hand over
their credit card.
Then the buy now buttonredirects into an upsell.
So if you're going to do anupgrade or an upsell, they
should be tools to support whatthey just purchased and not just
some random products.
After they've gone through yourfunnel, they're going to get an

(05:40):
email or two or maybe threethat says hey, welcome to my
world.
Here's what you purchased, Plusa few extra free goodies from
me about what I do and how I canhelp you.
So this is your chance to letyour new subscribers get to know
you and start to trust you.
So here's another thing In yourfunnel.
Let yourself be human.
So don't be afraid to show thereal you in your emails or on

(06:03):
your sales page.
Share your own journey.
Talk about your missteps.
Invite your audience to see youas not just the expert but as a
real person who really getswhat they're going through.
Now I know I titled this episodethe Sneaky Power of a Simple
Sales Funnel, and here's thereal reason it's so.
I guess sneaky is because asimple funnel is about building

(06:26):
relationships without lookinglike you're always selling.
So each email, each interaction, each social media post is part
of a bigger story you're tryingto tell.
So, instead of trying to push asale 24-7, you're letting your
potential customers raise theirhands and say hey, I'm
interested, Tell me more.
They slide into your funnelbecause they want the content,

(06:48):
they want what you have and theywant your help.
And because you're showing up,you're giving them value and
you're being genuine.
When you finally say, hey, Ihave this product that might
solve your biggest pain point,they're like heck, yeah, like,
sign me up.
And that's the sneaky part.
It doesn't feel like a hardsell to them, it just feels like
the natural next step for them.

(07:10):
And so let's get down to somenitty gritty tips here.
First, I have to say I have totell you guys I have a great
course on how to get your first100 sales in Thrivecart by
building a simple automatedfunnel.
Go, check that out.
It's the link in the show notes.
Second, start with one offer.
Don't try to funnel people intolike five different products at

(07:32):
once.
Pick one.
It can be a mini course, aworkshop, a membership, whatever
you have.
Focus on funneling them intothat single offer.
You have focus on funnelingthem into that single offer.
And last, I want you to test,tweak and repeat.
So check your links, reviseyour messaging if your metrics
aren't performing well and tweakyour offer if you need to.
Nothing that you create is evergoing to be a final version,

(07:55):
and that's it.
The sneaky power of keeping itsimple and straightforward when
it comes to your sales funnel.
Power of keeping it simple andstraightforward when it comes to
your sales funnel Less clutter,less confusion, more genuine
connection and, ultimately, moresales.
I'm here to help you turn yourbrilliant ideas into a thriving
digital product business.
One simple strategy at a time,so I'll see you next time on
another brilliant idea.

(08:16):
Thanks for tuning into thisepisode of Brilliant Ideas.
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