There are a lot of resources out there telling you how to create a sales funnel. 

And you’ll often see these resources use the term lead magnet. But a lead magnet isn’t the ONLY way to create a sales funnel that results in more traffic, sales, and passive income. 

In fact, my team and I have made a list of 26 types of funnels that can actually help you drive immediate revenue. While there are many funnels that offer free content, the sales funnels below are all geared towards driving sales now. 

So, let’s dive in!

1. A paid webinar 

Here’s a well-kept secret for you ⸺  not all webinars have to be free.

In fact, not only can you charge for a webinar (with zero tech knowledge because you can leverage existing tools that have payment already integrated into the software), but you can use this type of sales funnel to test out new product ideas you have.

• To get started, choose a topic you want to teach during the webinar. Preferably, the webinar would focus on one of the problems your prospects need help solving (e.g – how to train your dog to sit, how to get started with meditation, how to sell my house quickly).
• Next, create a short (actionable) webinar that solves this issue (e.g the 3-step process for selling your home to the right buyer and for the right price)
• Lastly, offer it as a paid training to your existing audience (or even run some Facebook ads to relevant audiences).

Pro-tip: Create a webinar series people sign up for after each webinar. This series could eventually become a full-fledged course that brings passive income into your business!

Here’s an example of a landing page for this type of sales funnel from Sketchnote Academy.

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2. A paid live event 

One of the best things about online events and conferences is that they spare you a LOT of time travelling and going through security checks.  They also cut the time spent away from your family. The other great thing about them is that they cost less and are FAR more accessible than in-person events. 

A paid live event is a great way to monetize a funnel AND grow your email list. On one hand, you get to teach your own content (for example: give people a preview of what it’s like to learn from you during a full paid course). On the other hand, you get to host other specialists in your industry during the event who bring their own audiences and grow your reach.

The trick with a paid live event is that you need the right speakers and the right topics to create demand. So, this sales funnel example may not lead to the results you expect if you’re unable to guarantee those two things. 

Here’s an example of a landing page for this type of sales funnel from a paid live event I spoke at. 

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3. The eBook 

Create a funnel that sells your eBook to subscribers and prospects. 

An eBook is a great way to get people in the door and a small enough offer that allows people to get to know you and the value you provide.

Don’t have an eBook yet? Revisit topic-related blog posts you’ve written and turn them into a guide with extra resources, worksheets, and content they cannot find on the blog.

Here’s an example of this type of eBook from Empty Easel. 

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4. The workshop, masterclass, or “mini-course”

Workshops and mini-courses are a one-time (and short-time) event (as opposed to a full-blown course or membership) where you cover one subject. 

Students love masterclasses because their short, intensive nature makes them a relatively easy commitment that delivers rapid results.

Learners who don’t have (or won’t make) the time to commit to weeks-long courses can often find time for a shorter, more intensive experience and will even pay a premium in order to learn your material in the shortest possible time.

• Pro tip: Consider teaching a masterclass on an existing platform (e.g Udemy) to build your brand and audience so you can later sell to them. 

5. Onboarding clients for your consultancy services 

A great way to secure clients for your one-on-one coaching or consulting services is to build an education funnel that provides value and slowly (but surely) builds your credibility. 

First, start by offering a pre-recorded free training (a short video teaching your audience one subject and giving them the confidence they can solve their problem).

Next, after watching the video, invite them to learn more about the subject by reviewing some case studies, or examples you’ve created.

Finally, reach out via email or the thank you page with your paid services. 

6. The lead nurture 

If you’ve been in business for a while, you likely have leads you have spoken to in the past who didn’t hire you at the time. These leads are people who know you and like you, but the timing just wasn’t right.

Nurturing those leads through email sequences or interacting with them on social media is an opportunity for you to stay on their radar and hire you if the circumstances are right.

Use the 4-step funnel to win them back and re-check their interest by creating a social media ad that engages their interest (using a lead magnet they care about), driving them to download a new content piece on your landing page, and inviting them to book a call, get more information or purchase a package from you on the thank you page. 

Then leverage your emails to better understand their needs and goals so you can reach back with a relevant offer. 

7. The lead magnet 

Lead magnets are high-value content pieces that are given away for free — whether in the form of a PDF, masterclass, webinar, checklist, or guide  — and that are used as part of your marketing strategy to bring in traffic (“leads”) that you can then sell to. 

If you haven’t done so already, create a free lead magnet and drive traffic to it so you can later send personalized and relevant emails their way with your paid offers. 

Here’s an example of a great lead magnet that helped Winning International create an income-generating sales funnel. 

8. The mini-product 

Sell products you have previously created for yourself or your clients that are customizable for your audience, whether these products are a high-converting email sequence, social media templates, or guides for setting up lead magnets or a tech process. For example, at GetUplift we sell a bundle of email templates we’ve used over and over again for our own business and our clients for just $97.

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9. A smaller project offer 

Oftentimes, prospects aren’t necessarily ready to hire your full services immediately. 

Sending them through a more approachable (easy to decide) sales funnel will give you the opportunity to provide them value quickly, and later upgrade them to your full services. 

For example, you can offer a smaller project like an audit, a review, a wireframe, or a one-on-one coaching call and have them purchase it on the sales page itself.

10. The specific service offer page 

This is a simple and straightforward funnel to test. 

The idea is that the sales page sits within your website and you treat it like a landing page. This landing page is for website visitors who want to understand a specific offer you have, how it relates to them and how you do it (it can also be leveraged for paid campaigns). 

The idea here is that you present one specific service people can hire you to do (e.g audits, coaching, consulting, agency work etc.) and allow them to hire you directly on the page itself. 

For example, Sujan Patel’s offer is directed at SaaS companies. The entire page directs you to fill in the form, book a call, and hire them directly.

11. The pre-order 

This sales funnel is a great way to test a business idea you’re not sure about yet.

The concept here is simple: Create a pre-launch landing page (one that clearly says “coming soon” or states that they are pre-purchasing a product that will only be available in the near future) and drive Facebook ads to it to see if people are interested in this product. 

If people show interest (signup, contact you, or purchase the product or service before it is available), you can then build/create the product itself (this ensures) you’re investing where needed and not wasting time on building something people won’t want. 

Pro Tip: You can set up a pre-order landing page on Gumroad and leverage existing traffic. Justin Welsh did this for his LinkedIn Operating System course and generated $90,351 in presales before even launching his course.

Here’s an example of what a Gumroad pre-order page could look like.  

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12. A quiz 

You can create a quiz that takes people from curious about you and what you do to becoming paying customers. 

A quiz funnel is designed to move prospects towards a purchase decision but there are differences. Using a quiz makes it possible to segment subscribers at the point of lead capture based on what they’ve told you about themselves and you can immediately present hyper-focused offers to your subscribers based on how they responded to the quiz questions.

Here’s a great example from Lemonade.

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13. A sales funnel that monetizes a process you’ve built

Do you have an in-house process you use to execute projects, interview people, fill in or collect information? You could monetize it. 

How many times have you googled a process or a framework in the hopes of finding something simple, tested, and proven you can simply download and start using? 

Review all of your internal processes and find one that your audience, or even competitors, would benefit from.

14. A sales funnel that sets up calls with prospects 

This is a great funnel to test against a multi-step one. 

Create a simple sales funnel that helps your prospects easily book a call with you in two simple steps. Use landing page builders like Leadpages to embed scheduling tools within your landing pages. For example, 

Step 1:

Step 2:

15. A sales funnel that collects valuable information about your prospects

Research is KEY to your funnel’s success. The more you know about your prospect, the better (and more persuasive) offer you can make. 

Embed an existing tool like Typeform on your landing page to ask questions and collect data about your prospects. This type of form can be used on any landing page and give you a LOT of valuable information for your follow-up call. 

Step 1:

Step 2:

16. A video ask 

One of my favorite new funnel tools is Video Ask, a brilliant video chatbot software that helps you personalize your website for every prospect that comes to your page and navigate them to a relevant offer. The process is simple (and fun!): 

• Segment your audience into two or three buckets and decide on the offer that’s relevant for each segment (e.g – courses for one segment, services for another)
• Next, record a video for each segment, asking them who they are (in which segment do they fit) and then directing them to the offer.

17. Self-segment sales funnels

Use a simple sales funnel to segment prospects and ask them what kind of problems they’re trying to solve. 

This sales funnel resembles a quiz or questionnaire funnel in which you ask them to self-identify, collect their email, and then send them relevant information in the form of use cases, examples, guides, and templates they’d value. This way you’re collecting their email and moving them one step further in the funnel. 

Here’s a great example from Beardbrand. 

Step #1: Take the Beardbrand Quiz

Step #2: Provide your email address to get beard grooming tips, product information, and special offers.

Step #3: View your results and buy the recommended products.

18. A challenge 

Creating a challenge gives you a great opportunity to stir engagement and increase your reach (while also helping you grow your email list or social media following). 

A challenge also enables you to demonstrate your coaching/teaching while giving actionable steps to your prospects so they can see how you work. 

A good challenge will funnel prospects into taking your courses, showing up for events, or hiring you. 

Here’s an example of a challenge from Lori Geurin.

19. The coaching call sales funnel

Coaching calls are great opportunities to help a client solve a problem with a limited time commitment and give them a glimpse of what they could get from you with a full-time commitment. 

Whether you can get your client results in one call or if you want to sell a package of calls, coaching calls require little tech or set up and can enable you to help your clients on a personal level. Here’s an example by Noor Anisa

20. The mastermind 

Once you have a signature framework and have gotten results for clients working one-on-one with them, the next step could be a mastermind. A mastermind is set up by gathering a group of like-minded people who want regular support to reach new levels of success in their lives or businesses and teaching or providing coaching to them along the way. 

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21. A sales funnel to promote your podcast

Using your podcast to drive traffic to your website will enable you to get more eyes on your offers or products and increase your sales. You can promote your podcast on your social media accounts, via your email list, and through appearances on others’ podcasts or in their groups. The more visibility your podcast gets, the more likely it is that you’ll attract paid opportunities such as sponsorships. 

22. Membership 

Another great funnel to consider is a membership site funnel.

In this type of funnel, you’re essentially selling a subscription model to your customers (e.g – access to a private community on Slack or Facebook, ongoing access to new content, course content, or coaching). For instance, all students who enroll in Emotion Sells get access to the Slack channel where they can bounce ideas off me and each other, as well as get direct feedback from me on their landing pages and sales funnels.

Oftentimes, this funnel is created for existing customers who are already participating in your courses and programs or hire your services. The membership could be sold separately or as an add-on to any existing service you offer. 

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23. Gumroad sales funnels

Gumroad is a platform that allows you to sell your products (e.g templates, designs, worksheets, courses, coaching, and more). 

The great thing about Gumroad is its huge audience, and the fact you can use it to sell products you’re already selling elsewhere. It’s essentially an additional channel that allows you to sell more. 

24. A loyalty program 

Leverage your own audience to gain more traction and sales. 

One of the best funnels for growth and sales is in fact a loyalty and ambassador program funnel. Brands like theSkimm and Harry’s have been leveraging it for years with huge success. 

25. A down-sell offer 

If you have traffic coming to an offer, but clicking away without purchasing, you can set up a down-sell offer. This offer can be something that costs less or that covers the work that needs to be done before your main offer. 

If someone comes to your offer and it isn’t a good fit for them at that time — whether because of their budget or because they don’t have the foundation in place — offer them something else that will help them get ready for your main offer. 

26. An upsell 

You have a great offer and someone has purchased it — congrats! What can you offer them that can support them even more? 

Can you offer coaching or one-on-one calls? What about additional training or support that will help them accomplish their goals more quickly or go more in-depth with what you’re teaching them? There are so many options — an eBook, access to paid workshops, a membership subscription, an audit and so much more.

So, what does your own sales funnel look like?

The great thing about sales funnels is that they’re always evolving. You don’t have to limit yourself to the traditional lead magnet. There are 26 ways for you to not only attract people to your sales funnel and also generate passive income while doing it. 

I’d love to hear from you. Have you tried any of these sales funnels before? What were your results? Let me know in the comments below.