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A sales funnel vs a sales garden...with examples.

by gjabiz
12 replies
I encourage people to consider building a garden as opposed to a funnel.

A sales funnel brings in new customers and has offers of upsells and downsells and possibly longer term consulting (much more detailed, of course, but for the sake of this discussion, it suffices), but it may not have

a lifetime value

which can be significant.

A garden is more evergreen, it too offers products/services at different price points, often in a family of similar products which people can grow with and the lifetime value is much higher.

An example of a funnel can be seen daily in the WSO section, usually a low cost intro, a back end of higher value, more expensive and/or add-ons, upgrades, etc.

The WF itself is an example of a garden.

Let me offer some other examples, and I have NO affiliation with any of these sites, they are offered up as examples only.

Long lifetime value examples include bmyers dot com,
freeplants dot com,
mpowers dot com,
jinnybeyer dot com.

These sites have been around for 15 years, which shows sustainability, and were never dependent on google search for their success, unlike many warriors who built their Internet Marketing castles on the shifting sands of al gore rhythms.

Bill Myers was charging a thousand dollars a year for membership into something called the Idea Bank, back in 1998. I was one of dozens of members and like most, thought it was a good deal. He delivered great content for the bucks.

His site is still going and growing strong and some of his current members have been with him for two decades...now that is EVERGREEN.

Mike McGroarty (and now his son, Duston) is behind the freeplants site, and Mike has also had customers for a long period of time.

Making money is easy with a funnel, albeit, maybe not sustainable...whereas, planting a garden could sustain a business for many years.

So, as you consider and contemplate your IM activities, consider planting seeds of knowledge for many harvests of profits.

gjabiz
#examples #funnel #gardenwith #sales
  • Profile picture of the author techservice
    clever marketing post... sales garden - better do some watering then.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    This is just semantics.

    A sales funnel is simply a way of describing the process.

    Every online business (including your examples) have sales funnels in place.
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    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
    All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
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    • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
      Originally Posted by Brent Stangel View Post

      This is just semantics.

      A sales funnel is simply a way of describing the process.

      Every online business (including your examples) have sales funnels in place.
      It is what YOU hear, because you have a dog in the hunt, you sell information and software re: funnels, so you hear funnels.

      I don't sell Alexander seeds, so nothing to gain by parsing...

      but, if one were to LOOK and SEE for themselves, there would appear a clear difference between the models...so, I reject your myopic opinion.

      gjabiz
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      • Profile picture of the author onSubie
        Originally Posted by gjabiz View Post

        but, if one were to LOOK and SEE for themselves, there would appear a clear difference between the models...so, I reject your myopic opinion.

        gjabiz
        But I did look at freeplants dot com and it is a classic sales funnel.

        So if the examples you are using to highlight "gardens" over "funnels" look exactly like sales funnels then it seems much of your argument is semantics.

        I think there is a difference between a "funnel" and "garden" as you say, but I feel the difference is in their purpose and that they are not mutually exclusive.

        I point to freeplants dot com as an example....
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      • Profile picture of the author Steve B
        I understand the garden analogy but I'm not sure that a garden and a funnel can't co-exist in the same business.

        Maybe it's just semantics, but every business (IMO) needs a greenhouse of sorts . . . a place where prospects can be nurtured and cared for under the protection of the business. I don't see why one of the outcomes (points of exit) of a funnel can't be pointed to the greenhouse.

        I look at my own experience with bmyers dot com. I have joined and "unjoined" (probably not a word) his paid site numerous times depending upon whether I had time to actively participate in his discussions and forum. I would say I have been in his garden for years, but I have also been through his funnel and purchased products as well.

        The garden analogy makes me a little nervous because it suggests all the seeds planted either grow and are harvested or they die and need to be discarded. I have never been one to force someone away from my Internet sites. They are welcome to partake of all the free stuff whether they ever plan to buy something or not.

        Thanks for the discussion.

        Steve
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        Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
        SteveBrowneDirect

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        • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
          Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

          I understand the garden analogy but I'm not sure that a garden and a funnel can't co-exist in the same business.

          OF COURSE THEY CAN CO-EXIST.



          The garden analogy makes me a little nervous because
          it suggests all the seeds planted either grow and are harvested or they die and need to be discarded.


          Thanks for the discussion.

          Steve
          Not sure why the nervousness, maybe I don't get what your point is...but Steve, consider these two words.

          Annuals.
          Perrennial.

          gjabiz
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  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    I wasn't sure what the difference between a "funnel" and a "garden" are from your post.

    But really a funnel is designed for a very narrow focus, to limit the choice of a prospect and guide them through your offers/opt-ins.

    A Garden is more like a blog or shop. It is a place where traffic ends up, either to smell the flowers, sit on a bench and watch or buy all sorts of crap from aggressive marketing squirrels.

    Your examples of gardens are not designed to attract prospects to opt-in.

    They seem like two different and non-exclusive things. In other words, you can and should have both.

    Your funnel is designed to aggressively push people onto your list. This is where paid and directed traffic like PPC, YouTube FB ads, etc. go. This is how you get people into your garden.

    Your blog/member site is the garden. This is where your prospects are sent regularly from your autoresponder, Google Search and Social Shares.
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    • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
      Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

      I wasn't sure what the difference between a "funnel" and a "garden" are from your post.

      But really a funnel is designed for a very narrow focus, to limit the choice of a prospect and guide them through your offers/opt-ins.

      A Garden is more like a blog or shop. It is a place where traffic ends up, either to smell the flowers, sit on a bench and watch or buy all sorts of crap from aggressive marketing squirrels.

      Your examples of gardens are not designed to attract prospects to opt-in.

      They seem like two different and non-exclusive things. In other words, you can and should have both.

      Your funnel is designed to aggressively push people onto your list. This is where paid and directed traffic like PPC, YouTube FB ads, etc. go. This is how you get people into your garden.

      Your blog/member site is the garden. This is where your prospects are sent regularly from your autoresponder, Google Search and Social Shares.
      Let's get literal.

      A funnel (from Webster's)

      a : a utensil that is usually a hollow cone with a tube extending from the smaller end and that is designed to catch and direct a downward flow
      A garden
      a : a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are cultivated

      In IM, your funnel takes a PROSPECT, someone somewhat interested enough to put their email (often throwaway) on a form to resolve their curiosity

      And, then, IF interested enough may pay the entry fee to your offer. Then, a series of Pachinko like moves, upsells, crosssells, downsells, affiliate offers, endorsed offers, moves them DOWN the funnel til they either hit bottom or come out of the funnel OR are deposited into another funnel...a perpetual motion machine of IM.

      An IM garden has a gateway to what is inside, could be a curiosity offer or a more specific targeted point of interest. Once in the garden, they may buy some fruit, then come back later for flowers or veggies. They aren't put into a venturi to be "flowed" through a process.

      They pick and choose.

      I can't or won't argue with you, what you say is right. But here's an example right from this board, former WF guru Steve Wagenheim who was selling a funnel of how to make money products got the google slappped out of his funnel business, while the examples in the OP, all thrived.

      But the reader can do either and BOTH. I don't sell funnel products, so in my 30 years of online marketing opinion, I'd suggest a look at sustainable gardens as well as the quick cash get rich crowd peddling funnels. Fair enough?

      gjabiz
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      • Profile picture of the author onSubie
        Originally Posted by gjabiz View Post

        But the reader can do either and BOTH. I don't sell funnel products, so in my 30 years in IM opinion, I'd suggest a look at sustainable gardens as well as the quick cash get rich crowd peddling funnels. Fair enough?

        gjabiz
        I don't know where the idea that a funnel is a "quick cash get rich" methodology comes from.

        A funnel is actually a long term strategy where you get people onto your list (garden) where you can provide value, engage in discussion, and build a relationship that pays off over time.

        Few people make money or break even with a funnel unless they have a good back end. Most use a funnel to attract long term prospects that they will make money from over time.

        I see a funnel as getting people to opt-in to your list (where you grow your garden) and show them your primary products and/or services (from your garden).

        A PPC / Solo Ad / FB campaign will often lose money as the cost to send a customer through the funnel is not offset by customers who buy while in the funnel.

        But this is okay for most marketers as the prospect, once signed up, has much more long term value than the small cost it took to get them to opt-in.

        Rather than try and say "funnels" and "gardens" are two different things that cannot co-exist, I think it is better to figure out which parts of your business should be part of your garden and which should be part of your funnel.
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        • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
          Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

          I think it is better to figure out which parts of your business should be part of your garden and which should be part of your funnel.
          This ^^^

          Probably more of a mind set, on my part, Gardens sustain, funnels squeeze you through, as you said above...forced choices.

          As for where I get funnels= fast cash? GRK? Read the WSO section or follow the sig links to those selling funnels.

          gjabiz
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          • Profile picture of the author onSubie
            Originally Posted by gjabiz View Post

            This ^^^

            Probably more of a mind set, on my part, Gardens sustain, funnels squeeze you through, as you said above...forced choices.

            As for where I get funnels= fast cash? GRK? Read the WSO section or follow the sig links to those selling funnels.

            gjabiz
            Oh, well sales copy says everything is fast cash - sale funnels, niche sites, tee spring campaigns, CPA - it's all instant riches.

            But forum advice is usually "don't send traffic direct to an offer, send it to a squeeze page first and capture the lead for the long term".


            I think one thing about your point is it makes you start thinking what are your short term goals and activities and what are your long term goals and activities.
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            • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
              Originally Posted by onSubie View Post


              I think one thing about your point is

              it makes you start thinking

              what are your short term goals and activities and what are your long term goals and activities.
              MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

              gjabiz POTUS (NOT!)
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