Building Sales Funnels

In 27 months, we grew Retention.com from $1M-$13M ARR with only 1 salesperson (me) doing 1,000's of sales calls. Here are my 10 biggest pieces of advice for any startup who wants to book and close more sales calls: 1. Ask for 15 mins, but book 30 When booking a meeting outbound, you have a better shot at getting a meeting by asking for 15 mins than 30. You may have piqued their interest but with a busy schedule, they are going to weigh learning about your business vs their time. Ask for 15 but send a meeting invite for 30.  If they can’t do the full 30, they will let you know, but from my experience, this rarely happens. 2. Tell your story People remember a story more than a product  Figure out your short story that you can tell prior to getting into the product pitch. How does your story connect to your business / product? 3. 5X5 Pitch Keep your product deck for your initial call to 5 slides / 5 minutes and make sure you answer any of the common questions you get from prospects. You can always book a follow up call to share more detail once you hook their interest. 4. Always Be Pitching Take control of the call and the sales cycle. You will only learn what does and doesn’t work by actually pitching.  5. Tell a customer story Again, people remember stories more than they do stats. Tell a story of a customer before implementing your product and the business outcome after implementing it. Don’t just talk numbers. Talk about how people felt, what they said, etc. 6. Create Urgency Attach an incentive if the deal is done by the end of the week or month.  (Example: 20% more credits or a 15% discount)  This also sets you up well for follow up as it now makes them feel like you are on their team to try and help them get the deal in for their benefit. 7. Land and expand We all want to close the big ACV deals, but the truth is most buyers don’t want to make a big commitment without seeing how your product works. Find a way to get them on for a small $ amount, with the plan to expand if the product meets their expectations. 8. Opt-Out Period Reduce buyer friction by offering a 90 day opt out period if you are trying to close 12 month agreements. It shows confidence that your product will drive the results you say it will. 9. Deck Recap Create a 1-2 pager highlighting the most important parts of your sales deck that you can send via email after every call (even if they don’t ask for it). The prospect won’t remember all details from the call, so this gives them something to look back on and will help sell internally if other stakeholders are involved. 10. Video for FAQs Create short form talking head video answering all FAQs. This will add value in your follow up, show you listened to the questions they had and that you care about making sure they understand the answers. It also helps internally as others will likely have the same questions as the person on the phone. Have questions about how to book/close more calls? AMA anything 👇

Zero-spend lead generation isn't a myth - it's a strategic playbook top-performing companies are mastering right now. The most successful businesses aren't throwing money at paid ads. They're building sustainable pipelines. They're generating qualified leads organically. Here are 4 zero-cost tactics that consistently deliver results: 1️⃣ STRATEGIC DM DRIP SEQUENCES Stop sending generic connection messages. Most businesses blast 100+ DMs daily with 0.1% response rate. Create a 5-message sequence that delivers value FIRST: → Follow up with case studies → Present a clear next step → Engage with their content → Offer specific solutions → Share relevant insights Response rates jump to 15-20% consistently. 2️⃣ PROFILE CTA OPTIMIZATION Company profiles are prime real estate. Yet most leave them static for months. High-performing teams: → Update CTAs weekly → Track click-through rates → Optimize based on data → Test different value propositions Result: 3X more inbound inquiries. 3️⃣ CONTENT SYNDICATION MASTERY Stop posting once and moving on. Content deserves multiple lives. Strategic content teams: → Repurpose across 5+ platforms → Double down on what works → Customize for each channel → Track engagement metrics Reach amplification: 400% minimum. 4️⃣ STRATEGIC COMMENTING Forget generic "Great post" comments. They add zero value and generate zero leads. Instead: → Add unique insights → Share relevant experience → Ask thought-provoking questions → Connect with other commenters Engagement rates jump from 2% to 25%. Same time investment. Zero ad spend. 10X THE RESULTS. Companies are just ONE strategic system away from transforming their lead generation game. What's the most underrated organic lead gen tactic you've seen real results from? Comment down below 👇 #Leadgeneration #b2bleadgen #founderinsights #leadgenstrategy #growthhacks

Digital Customer Journey Mapping The digital customer journey is the complete path that a customer follows while interacting with a brand through online channels. It encompasses every touchpoint, emotion, and interaction customer experiences, from initial awareness to eventual conversion and beyond. Think of digital customer journey mapping as a crystal ball that helps predict the future – well, almost! By knowing what customers like and dislike, businesses can plan ahead. They can launch new products or features that customers are likely to love. It’s like a chess game where they know the next move of their customers. This saves time, money, and effort that would otherwise be spent on things customers wouldn’t really care about. Digital customer journey mapping visualizes and analyzes this journey, highlighting touchpoints, emotions, and interactions to uncover pain points and opportunities for optimization. Understanding the digital customer journey is crucial for crafting a seamless and personalized customer experience, which can lead to increased engagement, conversions, and brand loyalty in today’s digitally driven landscape. Key Takeaways: 1) Mapping offers a strategic view of customer interactions across digital channels. 2) Break the journey into phases – awareness, consideration, purchase, retention, and advocacy. 3) Use insights to personalize experiences and increase engagement. Address pain points to improve satisfaction and boost conversions. 4) Regularly monitor data, gather feedback, and refine strategies for ongoing success. Digital customer journey mapping is a pivotal technique that unlocks a deep understanding of customer behavior and preferences in the digital realm. By comprehending each phase of the journey, businesses can optimize touchpoints, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. With the right approach, digital customer journey mapping becomes a compass that guides businesses towards success in the dynamic world of digital commerce.

Your customer journey map is missing the 8 touchpoints that matter most. You've optimised your ads, polished your landing pages, and A/B tested your emails to death. But whilst you've been obsessing over the obvious touchpoints, your customers have been forming opinions about your brand in places you've completely overlooked. These hidden moments of truth determine whether customers stick around or silently disappear. The good news? Your competitors are probably ignoring them too. 1. Pre-awareness Influences • What it is: Social conversations & word-of-mouth before formal brand discovery • Why it's missed: Difficult to track & attribute • Optimisation tip: Create shareable content specifically designed for peer-to-peer sharing • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2. Post-Purchase Onboarding • What it is: The critical first 24-48 hours after purchase when buyers seek validation • Why it's missed: Teams focus on acquisition, not retention • Optimisation tip: Create "success accelerator" emails with usage instructions • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3. Product Documentation • What it is: Help guides, FAQs, & support materials • Why it's missed: Often delegated to technical teams without marketing input • Optimisation tip: Inject brand personality into help documentation • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐ 4. Customer Support Interactions • What it is: The conversations with service teams that shape perception • Why it's missed: Viewed as cost center, not marketing opportunity • Optimisation tip: Create scripts that highlight complementary products/features • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5. Digital "Dead Ends" • What it is: 404 pages, out-of-stock notifications, & other negative pathways • Why it's missed: Seen as technical errors, not opportunities • Optimisation tip: Transform dead ends into discovery points with recommendations • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐ 6. Transaction Confirmations • What it is: Receipts, shipping notifications, & order confirmations • Why it's missed: Treated as operational communications only • Optimisation tip: Include personalised next-best action recommendations • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7. Post-Usage Check-ins • What it is: The period after customer has used your product for intended purpose • Why it's missed: Customer journey maps often end at purchase or initial use • Optimisation tip: Create timely follow-ups based on typical usage patterns • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8. Community Participation • What it is: Customer-to-customer interactions in forums & social spaces • Why it's missed: Difficult to scale & often understaffed • Optimisation tip: Identify & empower customer advocates within communities • Impact potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your marketing doesn't end where your analytics dashboard stops tracking. The brands that will win tomorrow are already investing in these invisible touchpoints today. Which one will you optimise first? ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to share with your network.  ⚡ Want more content like this? Hit follow Maya Moufarek.

Sales isn't just transactions; it's about understanding needs, delivering solutions, and forging meaningful connections... Here are three key dos and don'ts: Dos: Customer-Centric Design: Craft your sales funnel with the customer in mind, ensuring a seamless, user-friendly journey tailored to their needs. Data-Driven Insights: Leverage analytics to understand customer behavior, enabling strategic adjustments for optimal funnel performance. A/B Testing Excellence: Regularly experiment and refine elements of your funnel through A/B testing to pinpoint what resonates most with your audience. Don'ts: Ignoring User Feedback: Never overlook the valuable insights from your users. Act on their feedback to enhance the user experience and address pain points. Overwhelming Information: Avoid bombarding your audience with too much information. Keep the funnel concise and focused to prevent decision fatigue. Neglecting Post-Sale Interaction: Don't end the journey at conversion. Nurture post-sale relationships, gather feedback, and foster customer loyalty for sustained success. Fine-tune your sales funnel for peak efficiency and customer satisfaction. How do you optimize your sales funnel? Share your strategies! We all grow together ✨🦋 #SalesFunnelOptimization #CustomerExperience #BusinessGrowth #startuptips #startuptn #entrepreneur

We recently worked on a luxury real estate project in Noida. The challenge? The client had already spent heavily on Meta Ads—with very little to show for it. “We’re getting leads, but none of them are serious.” That’s what they told us on Day 1. Here’s what we discovered 👇 Most real estate brands push out ads like billboards—wide reach, flashy offers, no funnel. But in today’s market, attention alone doesn’t close deals. So we did it differently: 1. Narrow Audience Targeting We filtered by intent, not just demographics. Think NRIs, high-income IT professionals, and families actively engaging with real estate content. 2. Story-First Creatives No loud price tags. No urgent “last unit left” screams. Instead, we focused on how it feels to live there—morning light in a corner flat, the quiet of a gated space, the promise of a long-term investment. 3. A Funnel That Warms Cold leads became warm with: → Walkthrough video retargeting → WhatsApp follow-ups → Booking-focused remarketing ads → CRM automation for site visit nudges The result? We hit 6.4X ROAS. Real leads. Real bookings. Real momentum. #RealEstateMarketing #DigitalMarketingCaseStudy #LuxuryRealEstateIndia #PerformanceMarketing #MetaAdsSuccess #MarketingStrategy #LeadGenerationExperts #RealEstateLeads #GrowthMarketing #NoidaRealEstate #6XROAS #MarketingWithIntent #AspireAds Aspire Ads

72 Appointments in a Month – Here's Exactly How We Did It Yes, 72 appointments in a single month. And no, it wasn't luck. It was strategy. Let me break it down for you step by step - so you can replicate this for your own business or agency: Step 1: Define Your Niche Before anything else, niche down. We identified specific industries where we could deliver the most value as a lead gen agency. You should do the same - find the niche you can serve best. The more specific, the better. Step 2: Define Your Ideal Company Ask yourself: - What type of companies should I work with? - What traits do they share? Look for signals like: - Recently raised funding - Team size - Revenue bracket - Tech stack used Why? Because targeting companies that fit a very specific mold increases the chances they’ll say “yes.” Step 3: Build Your Lists with Precision Once you know who you're going after, tools like Sales Navigator and Clay will help you build laser-targeted lists. And don’t stop at just the decision-makers. You need to reach out to: 👤 The Decision Maker 🎯 The Influencer (e.g., Director or Manager) 👥 The End User Each person plays a role in closing the deal - so tailor your message accordingly. Step 4: Segment Your Messaging Personalization is key. We wrote one targeted message per persona and sent that message to 100 people who fit the same profile. It may not be “1:1 personalized,” but it feels like it is, because it speaks directly to their problems and goals. Step 5: Focus on Warm Leads, Not Just Hot Ones Not everyone is ready to hop on a call. So we warm them up by offering value: Invite them to a podcast Share a playbook or a free webinar Send a video breakdown Here’s an example: “Hey, I’ve just created a playbook showing how to generate 20+ appointments/month using one LinkedIn ID. Want me to send it over?” That gets replies. From there, warm leads turn into hot leads, and calls get booked. Bonus: Want Help? It's On the House. If you're not sure what niche to target, how to define your ICP, or what messaging to use, I’m happy to help. For free. Just shoot me a message and I’ll hop on a quick call. Good luck, and happy prospecting! 💼 #leadgeneration #sales #appointmentsetting #b2bmarketing #outboundstrategy #clay #salesnavigator #linkedinoutreach #startupgrowth

Old school sales tactics are broken. Nobody responds to a hard sell anymore... The best pitches don't feel like sales calls, they feel like a diagnosis. When I first started Lever, I'd get on calls and try to convince people they needed what we offered. It felt forced and no one cared. But everything changed when I stopped trying to convince and started trying to understand. When you do that, the sale becomes natural. Not because you convince them, but because they can see you get their problem better than anyone else. And there are a few things that make that possible: 1. Define A Clear ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) Know exactly who you're selling to. Figure out: → Who this is built for? → What stage they're at? → What they're struggling with? → Who this isn't for? 2. Understand Their Pain Points Show you understand what they're going through. Ask: → "What's your setup now?" → "What's broken?" → "What's that costing you?" → "What changes if this gets solved?" 3. Create An Irresistible Offer Everything flows from your offer. If it's weak, nothing else matters. Make it valuable, clear, and tied to the outcome they want. 4. Build An Ecosystem That Drives Leads Build systems that generate attention, nurture it, and convert it. → Content, outbound, ads → Newsletters, lead magnets, funnels → Calls, product pages 5. Remove Risk With Proof Don't just talk. Show evidence. → Results with context → The process you followed → Predictable timelines Skip the pitch until you've earned trust with proof. 6. Make The Next Step Easy End every conversation with clarity: → "Here's what I'd do next." → "Want me to map this out for you?" No pressure. Just direction. 7. Ask for Referrals Great work leads to referrals naturally. → Deliver a clear win → Remind them who you help → Make it easy to introduce others Sales get easier when you stop trying to convince people and start helping them see what's possible. If you want more breakdowns on building trust and turning conversations into clients, subscribe to our free newsletter, Building Leverage. Each week, we'll give you quick tools to grow your influence and close more deals without feeling pushy. Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/47q7i9v

I generate high-quality inbound leads from LinkedIn every day - without spending a single dollar. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄? Let me share my approach with you. Many believe that effective lead generation requires a hefty budget. But LinkedIn offers opportunities that are often overlooked. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝘁𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲: 1️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Start with your profile. Think of it as your digital storefront. Craft a compelling headline that speaks to your target audience. Use a professional photo that reflects your personal brand. And ensure your summary tells a story, showcasing your expertise and what you offer. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Share insights that address your audience's pain points. Use a mix of storytelling and educational content. Don’t just sell; provide value. Engage with your audience through thoughtful posts and articles. This builds trust and positions you as an authority. 3️⃣ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Comment on posts. Join groups where your target audience is active. Offer insights rather than just opinions. Be genuine in your interactions, and connections will naturally follow. 4️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻'𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Use it to find and connect with the right people. Personalize your connection requests. Explain why you’d like to connect and what value you can offer. 5️⃣ 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Stay in touch with your connections. Regularly update them with valuable insights. This ensures you're the first person they think of when they need your services. 6️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻’𝘀 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 Write articles that solve problems. (long-form content) Share case studies, success stories, and actionable advice. This not only showcases your expertise but also drives traffic to your profile. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Focus on building genuine relationships and providing real value. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? Let’s connect book a call here 👉https://lnkd.in/dW9gHvWZ

Great journey maps start from the intersection of user touchpoints. A customer journey map shows a customer's experiences with your organization, from when they identify a need to whether that need is met. Journey maps are often shown as straight lines with touchpoints explaining a user's challenges. start •—------------>• finish At the heart of this approach is the user, assuming that your product or service is the one they choose to use in their journey. While journey maps help explain the conceptual journey, they often give the wrong impression of how users are trying to solve their problems. In reality, users start from different places, have unique ways of understanding their problems, and often have expectations that your service can't fully meet. Our testing and user research over the years has shown how varied these problem-solving approaches can be. Building a great journey map involves identifying a constellation of touchpoints rather than a single, linear path. Users start from different points and follow various paths, making their journeys complex and varied. These paths intersect to form signals, indicating valuable touchpoints. Users interact with your product or service in many different ways. User journeys are not straightforward and involve multiple touchpoints and interactions…many of which have nothing to do with your company. Here’s how you can create valuable journeys: → Using open-ended questions and a product like Helio, identify key touchpoints, pain points, and decision-making moments within each journey. → Determine the most valuable touchpoints based on the intersection frequency and user feedback. → Create structured lists with closed answer sets and retest with multiple-choice questions to get stronger signals. → Represent these intersections as key touchpoints that indicate where users commonly interact with your product or service. → Focus on these touchpoints for further testing and optimization. Generalizing the linear flow can be practical once you have gone through this process. It helps tell the story of where users need the most support or attention, making it a helpful tool for stakeholders. Using these techniques, we’ve seen engagement nearly double on websites we support. #productdesign #productdiscovery #userresearch #uxresearch