Marketing funnels can be intimidating and complicated, but they don’t have to be. In 2022, while vacationing in Sri Lanka, I had an unforgettable encounter with a simple and effective funnel. The story of Kingsley, the Sri Lankan fisherman, offers us invaluable insights on how to simplify our marketing approach.
Lesson 1: Be Where Your Customers Are
Kingsley met us on the beach where we were staying. He knew that tourists were there to enjoy the water and the sun. He positioned himself in a location where he knew his potential customers would be. As small business owners, we need to understand where our customers are and make sure we are there too. This could be online, in-person, or at events. Being where our customers are increases our chances of connecting with them and selling our products or services.
Lesson 2: Sell Something Small and Easy to Say Yes To
Kingsley’s initial offer was a boat tour of the canals and promised we would see water monitors (large lizards). The price was reasonable, and it was easy for us to say yes to the offer. This small offering allowed us to experience his service without committing to something more significant. Small businesses should also focus on providing small, easy-to-say-yes-to offers to their customers. This could be a free trial, a discount, or a low-cost product that allows the customer to try out the business and build trust.
Lesson 3: Provide a Positive Experience and a Surprise
Kingsley provided us with a positive experience during our boat tour. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and showed us the water monitors as promised. As we were leaving, he offered to take us to his home to enjoy fresh coconut. This surprise added to the positive experience and left a lasting impression on us. Small businesses should focus on providing their customers with positive experiences and small surprises. This could be a personalized note, a thank you gift, or a discount on their next purchase. These small gestures can go a long way in building customer loyalty.
Lesson 4: Have Something Else to Sell Them
After the boat tour and coconut, Kingsley offered to cook us an authentic Sri Lankan seafood dinner. This offer was more significant than the previous ones, in fact, it was double the cost of the seafood dinner we had at the fancy hotel the night before, but because he had already built trust and provided such a positive experience, we were happy to accept. Small businesses should focus on providing additional products or services to their customers after they have built trust and provided value. This could be an upsell or a complementary product or service that enhances the customer’s experience.
Kingsley’s simple marketing funnel of being where his customers were, offering something small and easy to say yes to, providing a positive experience and a surprise, and having something else to sell them, was highly effective.
Kingsley had no formal education in marketing and probably had never heard of fancy marketing tools like Clickfunnels. Yet, he was able to run a highly effective funnel through his simple and authentic approach.
As business owners, we often get bogged down by overthinking and analyzing, which can lead to analysis paralysis. Sometimes, we need to step back and ask ourselves what Kingsley would do in our situation. By simplifying our approach and focusing on delivering a positive experience to our customers, we can create a highly effective marketing funnel just like Kingsley.
So, the next time you find yourself overwhelmed by marketing, take a page out of Kingsley’s book and focus on providing your customers with an authentic, positive experience. By doing so, you can simplify your funnel and achieve great results.
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