If you're experiencing sales funnel problems, run a quick diagnostic to see where the problems lie and how to go about fixing them. Let's look at the three parts of the sales funnel to get a better idea where the problems can occur.
Top of the funnel. Top-of-the-funnel problems are easy to identify. If you look at the value of your pipeline and notice that the number doesn't change from week to week, you might as well be staring down the barrel of a gun.
If you test these opportunities by walking through whatever method you use to qualify prospects only to find that they have failed your test, you are looking at a very bleak future. (By the way, the most important qualifying test is whether or not your prospect will agree to explore making a change.)
Middle of the funnel. If the middle of your funnel is empty, you actually have a top-of-the-funnel problem. Either you aren't qualifying real opportunities or you aren't gaining the right commitments.
Most middle-of-the-funnel problems show up as stalled opportunities. If you skip any of the stages of the sales process, you can wind up with stalled deals. Almost always what is skipped over is a difficult-to-gain commitment, one that, had it been gained, would have moved the opportunity forward.
