{"id":3188,"date":"2025-01-07T13:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T13:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/?p=3188"},"modified":"2025-01-07T15:19:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T15:19:52","slug":"sales-and-marketing-funnels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/sales-and-marketing-funnels\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Types of Sales and Marketing Funnels? See 5 Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Talking about the types of sales and marketing funnels <\/strong>is essentially discussing the operational work behind your sales process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple example: think about creating a post for your social media. There\u2019s the creative and the operational side of the work\u2014the creative involves how to design the post, while the operational covers how the post will actually be produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, the operational is the behind-the-scenes work, the organization of all efforts aimed at driving sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this work is one of the most important aspects. Sure, you have salespeople, strategists, writers, and designers working together to achieve your goals. But it\u2019s through the operational work that you structure everyone\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the types of Sales and Marketing Funnels is an important step in this structuring process. It\u2019s through these funnels that you discover the best framework, allowing you not just to sell more but to sell better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s delve deeper into this topic today. Are you ready? Let\u2019s go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing Funnel vs. Sales Funnel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First of all, we need to address the key distinction between the types of funnels\u2014namely, the difference between sales and marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s quite common to find \u201cSales Funnel\u201d and \u201cMarketing Funnel\u201d being used interchangeably. In fact, in most articles online, you\u2019ll encounter this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not entirely wrong, but there\u2019s an important nuance to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Sales Funnel is used as a synonym for the Marketing Funnel, it typically represents just the final stages of the process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a look at this image:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the most common depiction of both the Marketing Funnel and the Sales Funnel. It\u2019s often labeled as the \u201cSales Funnel\u201d online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you can see just by looking at it that the actual \u201csales\u201d part only happens at the Bottom of the Funnel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other stages are tied to marketing efforts\u2014usually and primarily digital marketing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sales Funnel really begins only in the final stage, when the two are treated as distinct entities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This distinction is crucial because it deepens the sales process, which is more than just converting opportunities into customers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It involves aspects such as qualifying opportunities and encouraging repeat purchases. For service-based companies with long-term contracts, Customer Success can also be considered part of this separate Sales Funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how this separation looks in practice, with the stages of each funnel detailed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing Funnel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Diving into the types of Sales and Marketing Funnels, let\u2019s examine our monthly funnel here at Leadster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth mentioning that this image is part of an article we published on the Marketing Funnel, which is well worth a read. It expands on everything we\u2019re discussing here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our funnel is clearly divided. The blue, green, and light green sections are part of the Marketing Funnel, with specific strategies for generating qualified leads and nurturing them<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second part, in orange and yellow, corresponds to Leadster\u2019s sales process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, this strategy includes two main variations: MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) can progress in the Sales Funnel in two ways\u2014becoming PQLs (Product Qualified Leads) or SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, they qualify either through the product (via free trials) or through the sales team, based on the applied strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We measure these points to understand the results generated by each approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this becomes easier when we think of the Marketing Funnel as separate from the Sales Funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s take a closer look at the Sales Funnel now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales Funnel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Sales Funnel encompasses all stages not only for selling a product but also for maintaining ongoing sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For service-based businesses, it involves efforts to secure brand loyalty and longer contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sales Funnel focuses on activating strategies for direct interaction with prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, the work involves organizing the team and designing strategies to maximize the likelihood of a sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sales Funnel operates at the stage where an Opportunity is transformed into a Customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each brand has its own strategies. Check out this example from Pipedrive\u2019s funnel for a clearer understanding:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this example, we see six distinct stages within Pipedrive\u2019s Sales Funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting with a lead, often considered a very advanced stage in the Marketing Funnel, is just the first stage in this Sales Funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, several other actions qualify the lead, no longer based on their ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) but on their genuine interest in purchasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Pipedrive\u2019s case, it\u2019s only after navigating various stages\u2014assessing diverse interests and the feasibility of the purchase\u2014that the lead is offered a product demonstration or pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, this is the Sales Funnel for MQLs. We\u2019ve explained the differences between MQL, SQL, and PQL in this linked article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pipedrive likely has a separate funnel for those who directly test the product on the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this Sales Funnel were simply a segment of Pipedrive\u2019s Marketing Funnel, the unified structure would likely hinder the brand\u2019s sales development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s another quick point to discuss: a different type of Sales Funnel that\u2019s worth understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Customer Journey and the Funnel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides the Sales Funnel, you also need to consider the Customer Journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, the Journey offers a different interpretation of the Funnel\u2014or perhaps the Funnel is a different interpretation of the Customer Journey, and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Customer Journey outlines the steps individuals take to decide on purchasing a product or service from their perspective: what personal stages do they go through before making a decision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the Sales and Marketing Funnels focus on what actions a brand must take to engage customers at each stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overlap between these two concepts is inevitable. For instance, you\u2019ll often hear about Top of Funnel leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can simultaneously refer to leads in the early stages of the Customer Journey and those in the initial phases of the Marketing Funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Customer Journey, this lead is in the Discovery stage. For the Sales Funnel, they\u2019re a ToFu (Top of Funnel) lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To clarify this before diving fully into the types of Sales and Marketing Funnels, let\u2019s briefly address how to identify your specific funnel needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Determine the Best Type of Sales and Marketing Funnel for Your Brand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, there\u2019s no single funnel that\u2019s universally better or worse. Each serves a specific purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And since we haven\u2019t yet discussed the funnel types, let\u2019s quickly explore how to identify the needs your Sales and Marketing Funnel must address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, in simpler terms: what do you need to understand to choose the right type of funnel? And what do you need to uncover to define its stages?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bulk of this work will revolve around your ability to understand your prospect\u2014how they buy and the unique aspects of their Customer Journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned earlier, the Customer Journey and Sales Funnel share many similarities. <\/strong>Their stages often mirror each other, even if they go by different names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why are there these two forms of analysis? Why not just one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exactly to make the work we\u2019re about to present here easier: determining what to do in each stage of the Funnel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buying Journey is an essential tool for this task. And we will understand why now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapping the Stages of the Customer Journey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Buying Journey consists of four fundamental stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n