Sales Funnel

A sales funnel is a marketing visualization of the process where customers become aware, consider, convert, then enter a loyalty phase.

Sales Funnel’s Phases

The sales funnel is the seller’s perspective of the acquisition and includes four stages:

• 1. Awareness
• 2. Consideration
• 3. Conversion
• 4. Loyalty

These four phases roughly correspond to the four of the clients’ buying process: awareness appears during the buyer’s research, consideration during the evaluation of alternatives, the conversion is the purchasing phase, and loyalty is a result of post-purchase evaluation.

Next, we interpret the sales funnel within two scenarios. Our first case is the architect attracting clients through content marketing. In the second case, potential clients are looking for architects to implement their solutions.

Awareness Phase

Potential customers become aware of your existence. They discover you either during the phase where they are looking for information about their project in the customer buying process, or as a result of their search for an architect.

As we discuss in Clients’ Buying Process, the awareness happens either when potential clients look for information regarding their larger buying process of building/investment, or during the specific search for an architect or architecture firm.

In one case, you become their trustful source of information, supporting and assisting their decisions. In the second case, they are looking for an architect to implement their already made decisions, their solutions.

• First scenario: Those potential clients grasp the complicate process ahead. They learn that they have to make complicated decisions because they find your quality, helpful, informative content. Because they understand the roles of architects, they have realistic expectations, as they understand the importance of architectural design.
• Second Scenario: Other potential clients got their information from various sources. Being at the point where they can’t advance further, they are looking for an architect to design accordingly their already made decisions. They need an architect to express in blueprints their design.

Consideration Phase

As the two scenarios develop, the consideration phase point to different consideration criteria:

• First scenario: Those potential clients are aware that they face a complicate process, having to make important decisions. They have realistic expectations, understand both their own and the architects’ roles, and are looking for help. Therefore, they are considering working with you, evaluating your expertise, goodwill, and the collaboration’s benefits.
• Second Scenario: Those other potential clients made all important decisions based on questionable information. They know exactly what they want. Thus, they evaluate your ability to execute their cast-in-stone solutions, ask for offers, put conditions, try to negotiate fees, etc. You compete against many other architects.

Conversion Phase

• First scenario: The clients already contacted you. They asked for advice on buying a plot of land, zoning regulations, or other crucial elements of their project. So, they trust you and admire your expertise and your goodwill. They willingly accept your financial and technical terms. Actually, they enjoy the journey, looking for your guidance.
• Second Scenario: Those clients expect nothing but approvals for all their already-made decisions. They try to impose solutions, negotiate fees, push for unrealistic deadlines, because they don’t understand the roles in design and construction processes. But, for some reasons, they sign the contracts.

Loyalty Phase

• First scenario: Those clients are trustful and open-minded. They embrace creativity, have realistic budgets and expectations. Collaborations are smooth and friendly, resulting in better design solutions, great architecture, and reciprocal satisfaction. Therefore, clients become loyal brand advocates.
• Second Scenario: Poor initial conditions lead to friction, conflicts, and stress. Clients consider all setbacks the architects’ faults, but all accomplishments are their merit. Design solutions are compromises, but architects’ skills might lead to decent architecture. Clients might recommend you as a reliable architect, but only under proper client leadership.

Sales Funnel Conclusions

It’s up to you what kind of sales funnel you want to build to attract clients and get new projects. A good content marketing strategy can help you educate and guide clients, have a smooth relationship, and aim for great architecture. Is it the time to stop struggling with difficult clients, and competing against other stressed architects?

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