My journey in building ZimbOriginal has taught me something most people underestimate: selling is hard! Building a product—and not just any product, but a good product—is only half the work. And trust me, that’s the easy part. The other half—selling, getting someone to reach into their pocket and hand over their money—is the real challenge.

If you’re good at marketing and selling, you have something special. In fact, if you’re thinking about a business idea, you could make big money just by helping business founders market and sell their products.

It was my struggles with marketing and selling that led me to discover everything I know today about email marketing and the structured approach or systems I now use for my business. One of those systems is a sales and marketing system.

As I continue learning, I’ve come to realize how essential it is to understand the concept of a sales funnel. Without it, many business owners—including myself in the past—end up doing random, unstructured things that don’t bring results. So today, I want to break it down in simple terms.

Once you grasp this concept, you’ll be able to apply it to your own business and find better ways to market and sell. Most importantly, understanding the sales funnel will also clarify why I always emphasize the importance of becoming a content creator, even if you’re just a business owner.

You Need a Clear Sales Funnel

Every business has a sales funnel, whether it operates online or offline. So, what is a sales funnel?

It’s the process that guides someone from the moment they first hear about your business to when they finally make a purchase.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

• Traffic: You need people to discover your business. If you have a physical store, thismeans having the right location where people walk by. If you’re online, this could bethrough social media, SEO, or referrals.
• Leads: Once people discover you, you need a way to engage them. In a physical store,this is your signage or window display. Online, this could be an email opt-in or a leadmagnet (more on that below).
• Nurturing Leads: Not everyone who walks into your store or visits your website is readyto buy immediately. In a physical store, a merchandiser might assist and guidecustomers. Online, this is where email marketing comes in—you warm up your leads byproviding value and building trust.
• Conversion: Finally, after engaging and nurturing your leads, you make the sale. In astore, this happens at the checkout counter. Online, it happens when a prospect finallymakes a purchase.

Now, Let’s Look at This in the Context of Being a Creator

Choose the Right Platform to Get Traffic

When you share content on social media, your website, or through word-of-mouth, you are attracting traffic to your business. In my case, many of my customers first discover me through my blog or word-of-mouth referrals.

Offer Value to Convert Traffic into Leads

In a physical business, your shop’s signage invites people to engage further. For a digital business, you need a lead magnet—a valuable free resource that encourages people to take the next step.

For example, on my blog, a visitor can enter their email address to receive a free eBook with beginner Shona stories.

What valuable free resource can you offer that would make someone willing to give you their email?

Nurture Your Leads by Providing Value

Once someone joins your email list, you don’t just sell to them immediately. Instead, you engage them with valuable content that helps them understand your business and how you can solve their problems. This builds trust and positions you as the right person to help them.

Convert Leads into Customers with a Compelling Offer

Once you’ve provided enough value, you can make an offer that aligns with what your leads need. By this point, they are more likely to buy because they trust you and see the value in what you offer.

Final Thoughts

Having a sales funnel is non-negotiable. If you’re still relying on random marketing tactics and hoping people will buy from you, it’s time to adopt a structured approach. You can adjust and refine your funnel over time as you see what works and what doesn’t.