Marketing Agencies: 8 Steps To Attract & Close $5,000 – $15,000+ P/M Retainer Clients. With A “Crossbound” Sales Funnel.

You need a reliable sales funnel for your Marketing Agency. So you can generate new, high-value clients, on command.

My client Sean’s "Crossbound" Sales Funnel brings in $50,000 deals monthly.

Let's listen to what he had to say...

Really attract the right consumers and guide them through that sales process. As a result we're able to consistently close over $50,000 packages every month. Just from his engagement and effective copy

I’ve used this funnel strategy with multiple marketing agencies. To:

1. Create Evergreen assets that attract clients for years. 

2. Give them the flexibility to use paid traffic, inbound or outbound. Depending on the landscape. And their goals. 

3. Fill their sales pipeline with pre-qualified, wallet-open, perfect prospects. On command. 

Sean’s Marketing Agency (PreApps) had worked with big names like Candy Crush, Nike and Netflix. They are the #1 app marketing agency in the world.

Pretty cool. 

You don’t need that level of expertise. But you do need at least one solid case study. And this strategy works best if your services cost over $5,000.

Meet those qualifications? Great.

Read on to see exactly how to build your own Crossbound Sales Funnel Step-By-Step. 

8 Steps To Build A Crossbound Sales Funnel

Follow these steps. In this particular order.

To build the best Crossbound Sales Funnel ever.

By the end, you'll have something that resembles this...

Here are the phases to build it:

PHASE 1 - PREPARATION

1. Avatar 

2. Belief mapping

PHASE 2 - ASSET BUILDING

3. [ASSET 1] Blog Post

4. [ASSET 2] RBS Email Autoresponder

5. [ASSET 3] Call Booking Page

PHASE 3 - TRAFFIC & NEW CLIENTS

6. Inbound Traffic Strategy

7. Outbound Traffic Strategy
8. Weekly Evergreen Newsletter

Why Regular Sales Funnels Don’t Work For Marketing Agencies

I’ve met SO many agencies who spent $25,000+ for a funnel. But when it came to generating sales from paid traffic?

They fell flat. Not profitable.

This niche is fiercely competitive. You are competing with other marketers. Who are at the top of their game.

Sales calls cost these agencies $500+ 

The worst part?

Agencies were hopping on the phone with clients that couldn’t afford their services. Or who were just a bad fit in general. 

I’ll show you how to avoid these with Crossbound. 

The cornerstone of a Crossbound Funnel are the right assets. Which...

[a] MAKE SURE potential clients are pre-sold before they get on the phone. It’s your filter.

[b] Can be used on Outbound channels (i.e. Cold Email and LinkedIn)

[c] Can be used on Inbound channels (i.e. Facebook or Google ads). Switch them on and off. Generate sales calls on autopilot. 

Like Justin from Journey Engine ..

I've gotten a 20x ROI from Andrew's services. I've used analytics and seen that people have come to my long form article cold, downloaded my content upgrades, gone through my autoresponder sequence and then landed on my page and converted. 

He signed a $35,000 dream client with LinkedIn + Crossbound. They’re still with him today, as I write this.

Using one simple LinkedIn strategy / messaging campaign. I show you the specifics of that later on. 

For now, we’ve got a funnel to build. Let’s go

PHASE 1 - PREPARATION

Step 1 - Identify Your Avatar 

Imagine your dream client. They ..

Pay on time. 

Can afford your services. 

Stay with you for years. 

Become the bedrock of your business.

Got that image? Ok - everything - starts with identifying THAT person. 

If you don’t get this step right, then nothing else will matter. 

You need to speak to your prospects' pain points in a compelling way.

All our assets speak to ONE particular person (avatar). You’ll sell ONE service. 

CLEAR messaging is the key. 

Marketing Agencies offer many services. A common trap is to try and offer them all. To everyone. In every campaign.

That’s a shotgun approach, not a sniper. You’ll fail to resonate with anyone. No new clients for you…

An easy way around that?

Answer the following two questions now…

My highest ROI service is___________________________________

I’ve sold that service most successfully to_________________________

That’s it.

No complex avatar spreadsheet. No deep dive research needed. 

Pick the service that generates the most $’s with the least resources. 

It’s already proven in the marketplace. Let’s scale it. Why reinvent the wheel?

Now fill out the table below. That’ll give you more insight into what made them buy.

Now you know…

[a] the ONE avatar you are targeting [b] the ONE service you will sell to them [c] why they bought

You take them from a starting belief (what they believe now). 

To what they need to believe before they buy your service. 

It’s the “secret sauce”. 

Put the easier to accept beliefs at the top.

E.g. you are a X avatar struggling to do Y.

That is a fact. 

They HAVE To accept it. 

Which makes it easier for them to accept the subsequent ones. As you build and ramp up.

BTW, in sales, this is also known as a “yes ladder”. Saying yes to easy requests makes it easier to say yes to more difficult ones. 

People are unwilling to accept bold statements right away. 

The solution is to present your case in a slow and controlled way. 

Each belief builds on the last. Until they believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are the best marketing agency for the job.

Well use the belief map across our assets. To [a] show prospects we are the best agency for them [b] make them want to buy!

I made a video that walks you through how to create a belief map. For your business. Get it below. 

This can be challenging. 

If you don't want to download the video above, then here are a few belief suggestions. For a Google Ads agency:

• Beliefs about internal struggle “Google ads won’t work for me”
• Beliefs about opportunity “my competitors are getting $4 out for every $1 spent”
• Beliefs about external struggle “the Google algorithm could change at any moment”
• Beliefs about your credibility “I believe Joe has great testimonials”

It works.

When you prove these beliefs out. Conversions come fast ..

Powerful stuff.

We are going to come back to these beliefs when creating your email series and call booking page. 

In fact, it’s going to make “copywriting” a thing of the past. The copy will practically write itself. 

PHASE 2 - ASSET BUILDING

Step #4 - [Funnel Asset 1] Write A Blog Post

Now we’re onto the asset portion. 

Quick confession. In case you haven’t realised it yet…. You are currently reading MY Asset 1!

THIS blog post is my top of the funnel asset. 

It’s crucial for Crossbound because…

I can distribute it via Outbound. By sending it to prospects directly.

Or ..

I can drive paid, or organic traffic to it via Inbound.

It’s “Crossbound” because if a reader downloads any of my CONTENT UPGRADES, they’ll get added to my email list. And go further down my funnel. As you’ll soon discover.

Content upgrades are the extra downloads I’ve sprinkled across my post. They are hyper relevant supplements to my article. 

The ones I've added in this article are: 

1. LinkedIn Messaging Template Downloads
2. Belief Mapping tutorial video
3. Blog post outline. So you can write posts like this 😉
4. $10,343 from a list of only 453 people Email Promo Templates

Here are some other ideas...

Content Upgrade Ideas:

• Swipe files
• KPI dashboards
• Templates
• Additional PDF’s
• SOP’s

It doesn’t matter where traffic comes from. 

Subscribers go further down my funnel WHEN they download any of my content upgrades.

A good blog post, coupled with relevant content upgrades will convert super well. 

You don’t even need that much traffic. 

Because quality readers...

1. Want the result you provide.
2. Have signaled their interest in it.
3. Understand enough of the context to want to take an additional step. 

The third point is MASSIVE.

The problem with lead magnets is, there is no context. 

Visitors generally just want the “thing”. Content upgrades are better. People have to read a little before they download it. And only do so after understanding the underlying context. 

So what should your blog post be about?

Your process!

How do you get clients results?

Go back to the preparation section. You should have answered the following question…

My highest ROI service is___________________________________

Simply document each stage of your process. In a blog post. 

Most of the agencies I work with already have an airtight SOP. For them it’s a case of beefing that up a little. Or stripping it down. 

Word count is irrelevant. But...

DO make it detailed. 

So if the reader wants to do it themself (or hand it to their inhouse team), they can.

Leave no stone unturned. 

You can download my Blog Post Template below. Use it to map out your process. In detail. 

Hint: you’ll also see the rest of my funnel too 😉

Step #5 - [Funnel Asset 2] Write A 7 Part RBS Email Series

Someone downloads your content upgrade. What happens next?

Well. 

They get added to your email list!

Once that happens they’ll get a 7 email autoresponder. A “Relationship Builder Sequence” RBS. 

These build beliefs. And a relationship with your readers. Fast. 

They make people like you. And want to work with you. Because your service is head-and-shoulders above the competition. 

After they’ve read your emails?

They’ll be presold. Ready to hop on a call and work with you.

With very little friction.

You’ll be booking sales calls. On Autopilot. You have a scalable lead flow / pre selling system. 

Ok so...

What do you write about?

Go back and revisit the belief map from Phase 1.

See how it’s broken down into different emails?

Your job now is to write 5 - 7 emails that prove those beliefs. 

By the end of the emails the reader should believe they need your services. 

End Belief: I believe [Unique Mechanism You Offer] is the easiest, fastest or best way to get [Desired Result] and the only way to get this is through [Your Service].

That’s the end belief.

The belief map builds a case for that. 

Unique mechanism is the “thang” you do better than anyone else. Your unique process.

Break down false beliefs. And install new ones. 

Do that?

And you’ll generate some serious results. Even with tiny little email lists. 

Like I did for my client Bastian ..

We generated $10,343 from a list of only 453 people. For a digital product.

This belief system stuff works!

You can download the emails we used below ..

Take some time. Write your 5 - 7 emails. Then load them up in your Email Service Provider as an autoresponder. 

That way they’ll get delivered automatically. 

Here’s a snippet of what that'll looks like inside ActiveCampaign…

Done?

OK, let's move onto the next step ..

Step #6 - [Funnel Asset 3] Call Booking Page

You now have...

[a] A blog post that’ll generate top of the funnel conversions

[b] A Relationship Builder sequence that’ll build beliefs / books calls

These do the heavy lifting.

Once someone has gone through these, they are sufficiently buttered up. 

Now is the time to get them on the phone and close. 

Your Emails will have different CTA's.

I like to use the following structure. 

Email 1 CTA: Your #1 social media profile 

Email 2 CTA: Another relevant blog post

Email 3 CTA: Call booking page

Email 4 CTA: An educational video about your process

Email 5 CTA: Call booking page

Email 6 CTA: An educational video about your process

Email 7 CTA: Call booking page

It’s a fine balance between giving value. And inviting them to convert. 

We’ve given them THREE opportunities to hop on a call. In emails 3, 5 and 7.

These take them to the call booking page. Keep that page simple. 

The blog post and email series has cleared the path. Broke down their objections. Warmed up their buying temperature. 

On the call booking page you can keep it plain text. Or use a short video sales letter (under 13 mins). 

Call Booking Page Structure:

HEADLINE: Use your end belief…

I believe [Unique Mechanism You Offer] is the easiest, fastest or best way to get [Desired Result] and the only way to get this is through [Your Service].

PROVE: Insert a screenshot or testimonial that re-proves the statement

INVITE: Insert a “Book A Call Button”

PROVE: Re-prove why you’re the best to cure any lingering doubt. State why they should act now.

INVITE AGAIN: Insert another “Book A Call Button”. 

I use Calendly for scheduling. 

After they click the “Book A Call” button my calendar pops up. 

Calendly lets you use qualifying questions. Before confirming the appointment. 

That way you won’t waste time with dead end leads. 

You now have all the assets. 

Let’s set everything up and get you some traffic.

PHASE 3 - Traffic and New Clients

Here’s a graphic of what your new funnel should look like ..

Make sure your funnel assets are set up and “talking” to each other.

You can see how Inbound and Outbound traffic ALL go to your Blog Post.

That is your top of the funnel asset. 

Generate more eyes on that?

And you’ll get more email list sign ups. And more sales calls. 

With prospects who understand who you are. Crucially why you’re the best. 

Which WILL result in new clients for your agency.

Let’s explore some ways to get eyeballs on your blog post. I’ll keep the next section super short. 

Step #6 - Inbound Traffic Strategy

Paid traffic is where it’s at. It’s super scalable.

You can turn your ads off-and-on when you please. Depending on current workload. 

Drive Facebook, Google or Taboola ads directly to your blog post. 

Then you can start booking super cheap sales calls. 

Like my client Christiaan at Heavy Head Social ..

His costs per call went from £300 to £30.

Expert hint: Retarget your blog post visitors with ads. Send them directly to your call booking page. 

Sharing your blog post in relevant groups and forums is a great inbound method too. 

And don’t forget to send your warm audiences to it as well (social media + email list). Past clients will be interested in your offer also! 

Step #7 - Outbound Traffic Strategy 

The two most effective forms of outbound marketing are cold email and LinkedIn. 

LinkedIn Campaign

My strategic partner Justin and I used our Crossbound Funnel on LinkedIn to close a $35,000 deal. In a few short days.

That client is still with us 1.5 years later. 

Here are the steps:

1. Get to 500+ connections
2. Write a compelling tagline and profile
3. Build your prospect database with LinkedIn sales navigator
4. Use “targeting buckets” if you have more than one avatar
5. Schedule a 5 message campaign (one that leads with value)
6. Track your KPI’s (including # of SQLs)
7. Analyse your campaign and fix bottlenecks
8. Optimize bottlenecks 
9. Repeat starting at step #3

Download a template of the 5 message campaign we used below...

If LinkedIn isn’t your thing, then you can use Cold Email instead ..

Cold Email Campaign 

Here’s a simple 2 step campaign you can use. To get in touch with your ideal prospects. 

You’ll use your assets in a very strategic, calibrated and non-spammy way. 

Start with Identifying your dream 100 clients. 

People you’ve always wanted to work with. But have never actually tried to sign. 

Create a spreadsheet with the following columns.

Do that for all 100.

For the second column… go through their social media and website. 

Find a piece of content that really stands out. Consume some of it. You’ll have to riff on it for a couple of lines. For each cold email you send. 

That’s where the genius comes in. 

You’ll stand out this way. And show you invested time in getting to know them / their brand. 

Then use the email template below to connect with them. 

Email Template

Howdy [Firstname]

Saw / Read / Listened to [X THING]. You mentioned [Y THING]. [Riff on topic for 2 - 3 lines with something unique / interesting / funny].

Would love to help get this message out to more people. 

Recently wrote a post. Outlines how [Unique Mechanism You Offer] has already helped [X # of People] achieve [Desired Result]. 

Can I shoot that over?

Regards,

Your Name

----- x ----- x ----- x ----- x ----- x

If they respond to your first email. Then you send them the resource. 

There’s really is nothing else to it. 

You’ll be surprised at how many of those dream 100 actually [a] respond warmly to your riff [b] request your article [c] download the content upgrades [d] book actual sales calls!

STEP #8 - WEEKLY EVERGREEN NEWSLETTER

Most people who come into your Crossbound Funnel won't be ready to buy right away.

There a host of reasons. 

Maybe they're waiting for next quarters marketing budget to land. Perhaps they need to ask their business partner or spouse before they make any large financial commitments. 

Either way. 

It's your job to follow up. To stay top of mind. So when they are ready to pull the trigger they know who to call. 

Don't let all that good work, nurturing and belief building go to waste!

Use an Evergreen Newsletter. 

These are weekly emails. For the best open rates, schedule them for 10am Monday. Or 5pm Friday.

You can send these out forever. And as your list grows the returns become exponential.

Here's what the Evergreen Newsletter looks like in ActiveCampaign ..