Hey, it’s Kathryn here!

Today we’re starting with a riddle (the answer is at the bottom of the email - let me know if you guessed it!).

Riddle of the week:

I’m always running but never get tired.
I work for you, and you created me.
What am I?

If me saying the word sales funnels makes you do this 👇…you’re not alone 😂.

You’ve heard you need a funnel... but which kind?
A freebie funnel?
A course funnel?
A secret underground funnel only marketing pros know about? 👀

I’m going to let you in on a lil’ marketing secret…

You really just need a simple way for your customer to get the info they need to make an informed and easy decision to buy from you.

Sales funnels aren’t about YOU.
They’re about your customer.

You’re thinking $$$ but your customer is thinking “Houston, I’ve got a problem!”.

Your sales funnel is the way to ensure you’re creating the right touch points for your customer to experience so that they go from:

“Houston, I’ve got a problem!” > “Take my money, I need this asap!”.

Today, I’m breaking down 7 categories of sales funnels (with examples) so you can see what options are out there.

Next week we’re going to chat about how sales funnels are evolving for the new generation of customer.

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🍭 Best Finds This Week

• Tips to help you overcome a negative narrative (Blog Post)
  

• Increasing membership conversion with a surprise to sale funnel (Blog Post)
  

• Freebie Funnel Guide: Turn email subscribers into paying customer (Our Blog Post)
  

• How to make smart decisions without getting lucky (Blog Post)

💡Focus of the week: Sales Funnel Categories

Instead of chasing leads or walking them through every step, your funnel works behind the scenes to educate, engage, and convert.

Did you know?

1. Businesses that use upsells in their funnels can boost their revenue by 10–30% (source).

2. A good lead magnet funnel can increase your conversions by 34% or more (source). Not bad for something running on autopilot, right?

Here is a list of different types of sales funnels, organized by goal and use case, which is especially helpful for solopreneurs scaling with digital products, courses, or programs.

🧲 Lead Generation Funnels

Designed to grow your email list or community with ideal potential customers.

Lead Magnet Funnel: 
Landing page with a freebie → triggers a welcome email → helpful emails introducing your services/products → added to your email list for more tips and offers.

Quiz Funnel: 
Quiz landing page → results page + email opt-in → tailored nurture sequence to present service/products → added to your email list for more tips and offers.

Newsletter Sign-Up Funnel: 
Email signup landing page → welcome sequence → pitch core product → added to your email list for more tips and offers.

Challenge Funnel: 
Free 3- to 5-day challenge landing page → education + community → pitch at the end → subscribers/community added to your email list for more tips and offers.

Webinar Funnel:
Free workshop landing page → welcome email OR directly to webinar → pitch at the end → added to your email list for more tips and offers.

Why use a lead gen funnel:

• It builds your list with people who want to hear from you.

• You earn trust by solving small problems before the pitch.

• When it’s time to sell, you’ve got a warm audience ready.

• You can make sales through welcome emails, newsletters, or community content.

Tips if you’re already using one:

• Make sure your funnel clearly leads to your product.

• Check for drop-off points and tweak to boost engagement.

• Don’t leave them hanging at the end—what’s the next step?

🛍️ Low-Ticket Product Funnels

Convert subscribers into paying customers right away.

Intro Offer Funnel (part of your lead gen funnel):
Landing page with lead gen item → low-ticket intro offer on the thank-you page → welcome email (reminder about the offer) → nurture sequence → added to your main list.

Standalone Intro Offer Funnel:
Landing page with intro digital product → checkout → upsell/cross-sell offer → confirmation + onboarding → added to your main list.

Product Ladder Funnel:
Start with the standalone intro offer funnel → follow-up email sequence introduces more advanced/expensive products over time → added to your main list.

Why use a low-ticket product funnel:

• Turns free subscribers into buyers from day one.

• Helps cover your ad and lead gen costs.

• Builds buying habits and introduces your product suite.

• Some people don’t need a freebie. If your product solves their problem, let them buy now.

Tips if you’re already using one:

• Make sure your upsell or bump is directly connected to the main offer.

• Keep your thank-you page offer short-term or exclusive.

• Watch your numbers. Small tweaks can lead to big gains.

🎓 Digital Product / Course Funnels

Built to sell self-paced or live online programs. Automate your product sales and scale beyond launch week.

Evergreen Course Funnel (part of your lead gen funnel):
Lead magnet or quiz → 5-day nurture email series → evergreen sales page → post-purchase onboarding emails → add to email list for future offers.

Live Launch Funnel:
Waitlist opt-in → pre-launch emails → open cart → promo emails → cart close → add to email list for future offers.

Webinar Funnel (Live or Evergreen):
Opt-in for webinar → automated/live training → pitch offer at the end → follow-up email sequence → add to email list for future offers.

Workshop Funnel:
Free or low-cost workshop → live delivery or recording → pitch a course or higher-tier product → follow-up email sequence → add to email list for future offers.

Pre-Sell Funnel:
Opt-in page teasing the product → interest/waitlist collection → validate with a pre-sale offer → deliver product after confirmation.

Why you should use this funnel type:

• Scales your expertise without adding more hours.

• Allows you to earn while delivering value in an automated way.

• Converts warm leads who are ready to go deeper.

Tips if you use one already:

• Make sure your emails are doing the teaching AND selling.

• Include testimonials and results inside your sequence.

• Add time-sensitive bonuses to boost conversions.

📆 Application & Call Funnels

Great for group programs, strategy sessions, or premium digital offers.

Application Funnel:
Opt-in → short qualifying form → manually approve or deny → send acceptance email with payment link → onboarding emails begin.

Discovery Call Funnel:
Landing page → scheduler → pre-call email sequence → post-call follow-up email with recap + link to buy.

Waitlist Funnel:
Landing page → email sequence → invite to apply or purchase when spots open.

Why you should use this funnel type:

• Filters serious leads from casual browsers.

• Helps you tailor your offer based on what they need.

• Works well for digital programs that include coaching or a cohort model.

Tips if you use one already:

• Automate as much as you can, but keep a human touch where possible.

• Use their answers to personalize your follow-up.

• Provide down-sell opportunities for those that aren’t the right fit or don’t buy.

🚀 Recurring & Membership Funnels

Create long-term income with predictable monthly payments.

Membership Funnel (part of lead gen funnel):
Lead magnet → nurture sequence → pitch membership → welcome/onboarding series → regular engagement emails.

Founding Member Funnel:
Landing page pitching early access at a discounted rate → social proof/testimonials → invite-only or limited-time signup → beta feedback → full launch later.

Mini-Membership Funnel:
Low-ticket recurring content delivery → sales page → Stripe/checkout setup → onboarding → upsell or down-sell offers to buyers and non-buyers.

Why you should use this funnel type:

• Builds steady, recurring revenue.

• Creates a strong community around your brand.

• Encourages continued engagement with your content.

Tips if you use one already:

• Focus on retention—what happens after month 1 matters most.

• Deliver quick wins regularly (weekly templates, content drops, etc.).

• Make onboarding friction-free and high-value.

💬 Social Proof & Referral Funnels

Let happy customers sell for you. These funnels are added to the end of your sales funnel when someone has successfully purchased a product.

Testimonial Funnel:
Email customers post-purchase → link to a feedback/testimonial form → ask for permission to share → display on sales page.

Referral Funnel:
Email happy customers offering referral incentive → provide shareable links or swipe copy → reward both parties.

Affiliate Funnel:
Create a landing page for affiliate partners → they drive traffic → tracked purchases → commission + thank-you sequence.

Why use a social proof funnel:

• People trust people. Testimonials boost conversions.

• Referrals bring in warm leads.

• You grow without creating more content.

Tips if you’re already using one:

• Automate testimonial requests right after delivery.

• Give customers swipe files so it’s easy to share.

• Share your wins often. Don’t hide the proof.

🔁 Re-Engagement & Retargeting Funnels

Reconnect with leads who’ve gone cold.

Abandoned Cart Funnel:
Someone hits checkout but doesn’t finish → send reminder email → offer limited-time bonus or nudge.

Re-Engagement Funnel:
Send value-driven email to inactive subscribers → ask if they still want to hear from you → offer a win-back freebie or flash sale.

Down-sell Funnel:
After someone says no to your main offer → pitch a lower-cost, lower-commitment product that aligns with their problem.

Why use a re-engagement funnel:

• A “no” often just means “not yet.”

• You can recover lost sales with little effort.

• Keeps your list active and engaged.

Tips if you’re already using one:

• Make it personal. Reference what they clicked or downloaded.

• Use subject lines that spark curiosity and urgency.

• Be human. No guilt trips. Just helpful reminders and clear next steps.

The most common and effective funnel for selling a digital product in action:

1. Sales Page: Share the benefits, add testimonials, and include a clear CTA.
   

2. Checkout: Easy payment flow with an upsell.
   

3. Thank-You Page: Show next steps (like joining a group or booking a session).
   

4. Confirmation Emails: Automate access details, schedules, and bonus content.
   

5. Testimonial/ Referral Funnel: Ask for feedback during the experience so you can collect social proof for your sales page.

This funnel keeps running, helping you fill your program while you focus on delivering an amazing experience.

👀 This Week’s Action:

1. Pick a Goal
   What do you need right now—leads, sales, testimonials? Start there.
   

2. Choose or Tweak a Funnel
   Pick the one that matches your goal. Start with just one.
   Already have one? Look for drop-off points and tighten things up.
   

3. Map It Out
   List the steps. Example:
   Application Funnel → Qualifying Questions → Application → Invoice → Welcome Emails
   

4. Test and Tweak
   Don’t aim for perfect. Launch, learn, adjust.
   The right funnel will save time and help you scale smart.

🦄 In Your Corner

The Power of Consistency:
It’s not about doing everything at once, it’s about showing up consistently.
Small, intentional steps add up.

Your funnel might look a little Frankenstein’s monster-y at first, but it gets more strategic with each tweak.

Build as you grow. Perfectionism isn’t invited.

🫡 KM Tip of the Week

Still doing everything manually? Let automation do the heavy lifting.

Here are a few of my go-to tools for automating your funnel:

• *Beehiiv – Email sequences, lead magnet delivery, purchase emails, re-engagement and more.

• *Thrivecart – Checkout pages, upsells, and automations that trigger emails or product access.

• Calendly – Makes scheduling discovery calls or consults easy and hands-off.

Start simple. Automate one thing, then build from there.

P.S. These are affiliate links. I use Beehiiv and Thrivecart in my own business and may receive a commission if you purchase through my link—at no extra cost to you.

👀 Riddle Answer:

Your email funnel.
I’ll also accept any part of your sales funnel (website, blog, email funnel, etc.) because they’re doing the heavy lifting in your work life 🦄

Do you want me to do a deep dive on one specific type of funnel?
Hit reply and let me know, I’d love to hear! 📨

See you next Wednesday,
- KM