Email Sales Funnels
The What and Why of Email Sales Funnels
Email sales funnels are automated sequences of emails, designed to guide each potential customer from awareness to initial and repeat sales. This is done by delivering relevant personalised content at each stage of the customer journey. When done effectively, this can increase confidence in a product or service and motivate customers to complete an action, such as subscribing to a service or purchasing a product. Using digital marketing platforms, such as Mailchimp or HubSpot, the online sales process can be efficiently managed and optimised, by collecting and analysing relevant data.
Sales Funnel Example: B2B SaaS
This email sales funnel example refers to a fictional B2B SaaS (software as a service) company called Cloud9TechUK, which sells cloud services to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). Cloud9TechUK wants to attract more leads, increase sales and reduce churn for its cloud services. This proposal describes an approach that is designed to achieve that goal, using an email sales funnel. If you want to hire my services as a copywriter, I can create an email sales funnel designed to meet the requirements of your business.
Within this fictional example, I have provided an outline for each stage of the email sales funnel, from generating and nurturing leads, to customer conversion, on-boarding and retention. Tools and tactics employed are described, along with methods for measuring and optimising performance. I have also provided an email sequence with an example email for; the initial welcome, nurturing leads, service demo, limited offer to motivate sales decision and follow up to improve customer retention.
Requirements and Goals
Cloud9TechUK serves business customers that require cloud service solutions that are reliable, flexible and scalable. They do not want to take on the costs of managing in-house systems, but need to be confident they will get a service that meets their needs at a cost they can afford. Cloud9TechUK provides its existing customers with an excellent cloud product, but they want to grow their business. An effective email sales funnel can help them to achieve this goal, by attracting more leads and increasing sales conversion rates. A seamless on-boarding and after sales support process can increase customer satisfaction and reduce churn.
Outline of an Email Sales Funnel
1. Offer lead magnets to attract attention and generate leads, by emailing to potential customers something of value when they sign up using their email address. For example, hyperlinks to free case studies, white papers, newsletters or eBooks. Immediately following signup, send personalised welcome emails, in which you introduce key features of services provided by Cloud9TechUK. You could highlight testimonials from businesses that reduced costs by a significant amount using your services and offer new customers a free trial period or demo, in addition to requesting feedback about their requirements.
2. Develop leads by providing information designed to increase engagement and build trust with potential customers. Based upon their industry sector, or survey results, send personalised content reflecting likely usage needs and highlight the benefits to them of using your services. This could be in the form of additional case studies, blog articles, eBooks or webinars, that include real world scenarios and solutions that are relevant to their industry sector and company size.
3. Convert potential customers into paying customers using calls to action that are appropriately timed and could involve sending several emails. Each could offer an incentive, such as a consultation, demo, or time-limited discount, such as a 20% price reduction for the first six months. Emails should be personalised, based upon the customers profile data. You could also respond to any questions that potential customers might have.
4. Use platforms such as Mailchimp or HubSpot, to automate email funnels. At each stage of the sales funnel, track open and click though rates. Using A/B testing, monitor and compare conversion rates from different emails and offers. The goal is to reduce customer acquisition cost (CAC), reduce churn rate and increase customer lifetime value (CLV). When gathering customer data in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, to deliver more tailored communications, be aware of and follow relevant privacy laws, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
5. New customers subscribing to the cloud services, should experience a smooth on-boarding process. They should receive a series of automated emails that help them to easily and quickly get the most out of the service from day one, but not feel overwhelmed by information. For example, provide video tutorials, step-by-step guides and customer support services.
6. The initial on-boarding emails should be a personalised welcome to the new and valued customer of Cloud9TechUK and include a guide to Getting Started. This should be followed by advice regarding best practice tips for users of the cloud services platform. As required, send emails that remind customers of the services available they haven’t activated and how they can do so.
7. In order to retain or up-sell existing customers, send emails based upon their use of your services and make them aware of new features they might benefit from. Include links to relevant educational and training material, which an SME could use to support training and up-skilling opportunities for their employees. Send regular emails, that contain valuable information and insights relevant to their business sector. Highlight additional higher tier services that might benefit their business. Use personalised customer satisfaction surveys to gather useful feedback and spot potential issues early, so that they can be addressed.
8. In order to reduce customer churn, try to re-engage with inactive customers by offering them assistance in making the most of the services they are paying for, or offering exclusive incentives. You could send personalised emails to former customers, offering attractive returning customer service plans. Also request feedback, to learn how you might be able to improve the services you provide.
B2B SaaS Company Email Sales Funnel Example
On a Cloud9TechUK company webpage or social media platform, potential customers will find information designed to promote the companies services. There will also be a form into they can enter their email address, along with required or optional data fields such as an individual or business name and their industry sector. After signing up to get the free Lead Magnet they are sent a welcome email.
1. Welcome Email (Sent immediately following initial signup)
Subject: Welcome to Cloud9TechUK - Get Your Free Trial!
Hello [First Name],
Thank you for signing up to receive our free [Lead Magnet] and your interest in services offered by Cloud9TechUK.
You are one step closer to your business benefitting from using our industry-leading cloud service solutions. We are ready to help you get started on that journey.
Along with a step-by-step guide designed to help you learn how you could get the most out of our platform, you can take advantage of your free trial.
[Button for Potential Customers to Start Their Free Trial]
Please contact Cloud9TechUK today if you have any questions about what we can do to help your business.
Kind Regards, The Team at Cloud9TechUK
2. Lead Development Email (Sent 3 days after welcome email)
Subject: How Cloud9TechUK Helped [Customer] Transform Their Business
Hello [First Name],
If you are curious about how Cloud9TechUK can help your business, read how [Name of Existing Customer] reduced their operational costs by using our scalable cloud solutions, rather than in-house systems.
[Link to Existing Customer Case Study and Testimonial]
If you would like to learn more about how Cloud9TechUK can help your business, book a demo here: [Button to Schedule a Demo]
Kind Regards, The Team at Cloud9TechUK
3. Sales Conversion Email (Sent 4 days after lead email)
Subject: Get 20% Off Your First 6 Months with Cloud9TechUK!
Hello [First Name],
We are excited to be able to offer you an exclusive 20% discount on your first six months, using Cloud9TechUK as your cloud service provider.
[Button For New Customer To Claim Their Discount]
Kind Regards, The Team at Cloud9TechUK
4. Re-engagement Email Sent to Inactive Users
Subject: We Miss You! Here is 20% Off to Welcome You Back
Hello [First Name],
We noticed you haven’t been using our services for some time.
As a valued customer, we would love to have you back and can offer you a 20% discount off your next 6 months with Cloud9TechUK.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to encourage you to re-join us, or if there are any issues that you would like to raise with us.
[Button For Customer To Re-activate Their Account]
Kind Regards, The Team at Cloud9TechUK
Additional personalised emails can be included at various stages of the email sales funnel. Through a process of A/B testing and performance evaluation, an optimised sales funnel could be developed for Cloud9TechUK, helping them to increase customer sales and retention.