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For years, decades actually, you’ve been taught to create marketing “funnels” and “pyramids” and that these, in essence, create the backbone of your marketing plan.
Truth is, they don’t work.
Let’s start with the marketing funnel. . .
Wide at the top, this is where your prospects first learn about you – where awareness is created.
The thought is that you want as many people “falling into” your funnel as possible as only a few will make it all the way through. It’s considered a numbers game.
And the funnel bottom. . .narrow, designed to allow only a few through, this is where the high end programs, products and services are located, waiting for those lucky enough to reach the bottom of the funnel.
All the motion surrounding the funnel is negative. . .not the energy a conscious or heart-based entrepreneur is seeking.
And onto the marketing pyramid. . .
Wide at the bottom, this is where your prospects first learn about you – where awareness is created.
The thought is that you want as many people stepping onto your pyramid as possible as only a few will make it all the way to the top. Just like the funnel model, it’s considered a numbers game.
And the top of the pyramid. . .narrow, designed to allow only a few access, this is where the high end programs, products and services are located, waiting for those lucky enough to reach the top.
Many marketers who believe themselves to be “softer” use the pyramid as a way to move away from the traditional funnel paradigm – problem is that the pyramid doesn’t work either.
Everything about the pyramid is incongruent with a soft-style, relationship-based marketing approach.
Neither the funnel nor the pyramid models impart the feeling of “welcome” and “I appreciate you” that your clients are looking for. . .and your business should automatically (read “consistently and through systems”) provide.
As for Launch-Based Models. . .
You know the launch-based business model – revenue comes in when you launch something new (a program, product or service) and when you’re not launching something, incoming revenue tends to be limited.
It creates a Revenue Roller Coaster in that one month you’re doing great and on top of the world and the next, you’re scraping things together to meet your basic expenses.
I think of it as the “YES!”/”UH OH” model, it’s not a business/lifestyle model I’d wish on anyone and yet it’s likely the most prevalent among small business owners and entrepreneurs.
While you may have never heard it described as a “Launch-Based Model”, if you’re living this model, you know exactly what I’m talking about and it’s not a comforting place to be.
Just describing it here feels stressful – living this model takes its toll on your energy, your motivation (your campaigns sound desperate to your readers. . .seriously, they do!) and your client care. It’s hard to serve your clients when you’re consistently worried about where your next mortgage payment will come from.