Sales funnels are essential tools in digital marketing, guiding potential customers from initial interest to final purchase. Understanding the different types of sales funnels can help businesses tailor their approach and increase conversion rates. Here, 19 distinct types of sales funnels are explained in detail, each serving a unique purpose and strategy.
O Funnel (ATM Funnel)
The O funnel, also known as an ATM funnel, stands for Optin, Offer, and One-click upsell. This funnel drives traffic to an optin where users receive a lead magnet. Instead of just confirming the optin, the funnel offers a product that helps users achieve the lead magnet’s promise faster and easier, typically priced between $9 and $99. After an initial purchase, users are presented with a chance to buy a high to mid-ticket product, aiming to multiply revenue by five to ten times. This funnel leverages upselling to maximize customer value.
19 Types of Sales Funnels
Without further ado, let’s see each type and how each sales funnel can help you.
SLO Funnel (Self Liquidating Offer Funnel)
The SLO funnel focuses on recovering advertising costs through low-ticket sales. For example, spending $100 on ads may yield 600 leads. The goal is to ensure sales revenue covers the ad spend, possibly around $180 in sales. Additionally, the funnel may offer affiliates a 100% commission to drive sales, effectively acquiring customers for free by incentivizing referrals.
Bookfunnel
This funnel uses a book targeted at a specific market with integrated offers. The book includes worksheets, courses, and multiple opt-in points designed to convert readers. Worksheets are often combined into a single opt-in document to streamline the process. After opting in, readers are offered additional sales or a chance to book a call, combining content marketing with direct selling.
Sideways Sales Letter
A sideways sales letter is a long-form content funnel, ranging from approximately 5,000 to 20,000 words. It divides the content into several parts, with each page having a call to continue reading. As readers progress, less continue but those who do are more qualified prospects. By the fourth or fifth page, readers are ready to receive an offer, ideal for mid-ticket products.
Waterfall Funnel
This funnel uses broad targeting on platforms like Facebook, showing content to everyone instead of specific demographics. Only qualified viewers engage with the content by commenting, liking, or watching videos for a minimum time. These engaged users are then retargeted with offers. Products work best here, but lead magnets can also be used, though with more cost considerations.
Reverse Squeeze Funnel
Similar to a traditional triple O funnel, this funnel provides part one of a lead magnet as a free video upfront. Users must opt in to receive part two, creating anticipation. After providing value in the first part, the funnel progresses to booking calls or making sales offers, nurturing leads through staged content delivery.
Webinar Funnel
Despite doubts about their effectiveness, webinars remain popular. This funnel involves scheduling a live or evergreen webinar that teaches users how to solve a problem. Registrants receive reminders and confirmation, and the post-registration page includes a low-ticket offer to skip the webinar or book a call directly. It’s a powerful lead magnet that converts well when paired with strong calls to action.
Book a Call Funnel
This funnel offers a direct one-on-one call to solve a problem within ten minutes. It requires a qualification process where the prospect’s revenue, budget, and needs are assessed. Qualified leads can book calls, which increases lead quality and conversion rates. The qualification process is key to ensuring valuable appointments.
Hub and Spoke Funnel
Using video platforms like YouTube, this funnel revolves around one core sales video linked to from many related videos. For example, a general weight loss video may reference a specific video about losing five kilos in 90 days. This central video includes a sales CTA, and related content drives continuous, targeted traffic to it.
Challenge Funnel
Challenge funnels encourage users to opt in for a short-term activity or challenge, such as a seven-day problem-solving plan. Participants receive daily tasks and interact in a community group. The funnel concludes by making a sales offer after the challenge, leveraging engagement and social proof for conversions.
Community Funnel
A community funnel builds a free group or community where people get exclusive content and resources. The goal is to nurture members within this smaller list and eventually upsell them to a paid community with additional benefits. It acts as an engaged secondary list supplementing email and ad marketing.
Social Following Funnel (Influencer Funnel)
This funnel monetizes social media followers by occasionally inviting them to work directly with the marketer. Posts encourage commenting for personalized help, leading to direct messages and call bookings. Sending free training videos or offers helps convert followers into paying customers via personal interaction.
Free Plus Shipping Model
This model offers a free product where the customer only pays shipping. The product and shipping costs must cover the price paid to avoid loss. After purchase, customers are presented with a one-click upsell for related, higher-value products, maximizing profit and covering traffic costs.
Product Launch Funnel
Popularized by Jeff Walker, this funnel uses a series of videos delivered over several days. Prospects opt-in to access content in stages, with the offer presented after part three or four. Testimonials are strategically placed to boost credibility. Often complemented by a community, this funnel creates urgency and social proof.
Unlock All Funnel
This funnel sells a drip content course, delivering videos weekly. Customers can pay extra to unlock all modules at once. SaaS companies often use this model to convert free trial users to paid subscribers by offering tiered access to features, increasing profitability.
Partnership (JV) Funnel
This funnel involves partnering with another business to cross-promote products. Revenue splits typically range from 30% to 60%, but offering 100% commission can be a strategic investment to acquire customers that will be upsold later. Bundling products is an effective tactic for joint promotions.
Downsell Funnel
A downsell funnel offers a cheaper alternative to people who decline a higher-priced product. After a no-sale decision, users are directed to a pared-down offer that is more affordable but still valuable. This strategy captures sales that might otherwise be lost by providing options at different price points.
No Sales Page Funnel
This unique funnel generates significant revenue without a formal sales page. Instead, a compelling offer is promoted directly through social media or email, inviting interested people to reply. Those who opt-in receive onboarding info and a checkout link or are closed via sales calls, providing a personal touch to conversions.
Conclusion
Understanding the different types of sales funnels equips marketers to choose the best approach based on their offer and audience. From the O funnel’s upselling to the no sales page funnel’s personalized selling, these 19 models encompass a wide range of strategies for increasing conversions and maximizing revenue.
There is much more types of sales funnels apart from 19 above, and I am looking forward to share you more in the future. If you interest to learn about sales funnel, I do covered it in my Digital Marketing Course, we had hand-on section how to create a traditional website and effective sales funnel in the website marketing chapter.
