As a high-ticket sales coach, I know my clients’ success relies on consistently closing sales and generating revenue. Without a consistent sales pipeline, your business will never feel stable, and your revenue will be inconsistent and unpredictable. 

Let’s talk about what it means to build a sales pipeline when you’re an entrepreneur.

A well-structured pipeline ensures a steady flow of prospects and streamlines your sales process, leading to increased conversions and revenue. It’s that simple. 

Let’s talk about the practical strategies to help you build a pipeline that empowers you to close sales daily—without stress, friction, and selling to the wrong people!

Step One: Define Your Ideal Client 

Before you start building your pipeline, you must clearly understand your ideal customer profile. I will challenge you to speak to their highest potential—you want to work with people who are thriving, not suffering, I promise you. 

Sit down and identify your target audience’s characteristics, needs, and pain points. This will help you focus on prospects likely to convert into paying customers. A well-defined customer profile ensures your pipeline is filled with qualified leads, saving you time and effort.

Step Two: Develop an Effective Prospecting Strategy to Build a Healthy Sales Pipeline

Prospecting is the foundation of a successful sales pipeline. 

I can hear you now, “But Nat, I don’t want to be salesy and send cold pitches all the time.” 

First of all, there’s nothing wrong with being salesy! If you’re in business, you’ve got to sell

But also understand that prospecting is identifying people you can help—sales is service. It’s not icky, gross, or sleazy (despite the impression dude-bro salespeople may have given you). 

Implement a multi-channel approach to reach your target audience. Utilize DM outreach on social media, and make connections through email campaigns and networking events. Tailor messaging to address your ideal customer’s pain points and goals. Consistency is critical; allocate dedicated time to daily prospecting and fill your pipeline with fresh leads.

Understanding Prospecting for Entrepreneurs

Prospecting refers to proactively and intentionally identifying and qualifying potential customers or leads who may need your services. 

  1. It involves searching for and reaching out to individuals who fit your target market criteria and have the potential to become paying customers.
  2. Prospecting is a vital component of the sales process. It helps fill your sales pipeline with qualified leads, allowing you to build relationships, nurture prospects, and ultimately convert them into customers.
  3. It requires talking to people! You have to introduce yourself and build relationships—no more waiting for people to come to you. 

Step 3: Nurture Leads in Your Pipeline with Personalization

Building relationships is crucial in high-ticket sales. People must trust you and believe you will deliver on your promises. Without that trust, they won’t invest in you. 

Once you identify potential leads, build that relationship with personalized communication. Use a customer relationship management CRM system to keep track of your interactions and tailor your communication based on their specific needs. Establish a system where you regularly follow up with leads, provide value, and offer solutions to their pain points. Demonstrating expertise and building trust will increase the likelihood of closing the sale.

Here’s an example of what that looks like during my morning sales activity:

8:00 am-8:30 am CT (Outreach)

8 am Open Sales CRM. Start outreach/follow up with the hottest leads (mine has already been sorted this way). I only reach out to deepen relationships and make offers. I do not update my sales pipeline CRM in this block.

8:30 am-9:00 am CT (Research & Social Selling)

This time block is when I make a social post, check previous days’ comments for buying signals, leave comments, and invite people into sales conversations (via sales calls or DMs) with me. I aim to respond to 90% of the comments left on my posts.

9:00 am CT – Update CRM with leads and leave notes for each interaction

6 pm/7 pm CT – Evening outreach. I find that this is a good time for people as they’re done with their calls and work for the day. Personalized voice notes get a good response in this timeframe.

Step Four: Effectively Qualify Leads in Your Business’ Sales Pipeline Effectively

Not all leads are created equal. 

Implement a lead qualification process to identify prospects with a genuine interest and willingness to pay for your high-ticket offers. Rank them based on warmth, aka lead temperature (how likely are they to move forward with working with you), so you put your efforts towards the best ROI opportunities. 

Lead Temperature

In the context of an online high ticket coach or consultant who sells primarily via social media, the terms “hot lead,” “warm lead,” and “cold lead” refer to different stages of a potential customer’s readiness to make a purchase. These terms are often used in sales and marketing to describe the level of interest and engagement a lead has shown in your product or service.

Here’s how they are typically defined:

  • Hot Lead: A hot lead is someone who has expressed a high level of interest in your offering and is actively considering purchasing. They may have contacted you directly, engaged in multiple conversations, attended your webinars or live events, or demonstrated strong buying signals. Hot leads are usually the most valuable prospects, more likely to convert into paying customers.
  • Warm Lead: A warm lead has shown some interest in your product or service but may not be as ready to purchase a hot lead. They may have engaged with your content, subscribed to your newsletter, downloaded a lead magnet, or interacted with your social media posts. Warm leads require further nurturing and relationship-building efforts to move them closer to making a buying decision.
  • Cold Lead: A cold lead has shown little to no direct interest in your offering or has not engaged with your content or social media presence. They may be unaware of your brand, have minimal knowledge about your product or service, or simply not have a current need or desire for it. Cold leads require substantial effort to educate, engage, and warm them up before they can be considered potential customers.

Set specific criteria to evaluate leads, such as their budget, decision-making authority, and timeframe for purchasing. This will help you prioritize your efforts and focus on leads with the highest potential for conversion, increasing your chances of closing sales daily.

And learn to pick up cues when someone is no longer a lead—walking away from a low-quality prospect is okay. It’s 100 percent OK, I promise!

Step Five: Implement a Structured Sales Process.

A well-defined sales process ensures consistency and improves your efficiency in closing sales. Too often, I see my audience letting ready-to-buy leads languish in their pipeline, and they just haven’t made an offer, or the offer is too hard to buy. 

Here’s an example of how I eliminate those problems. I recently closed a high-value one-on-one private client into a $15,000 offer. Here’s how it went down:

  1. Because I had defined my ideal client and messaging, I posted content to attract her into my ecosystem.
  2. Once she expressed interest in working with me, I followed up with a direct message to increase familiarity.
  3. She booked a sales call and showed up on time. We had a conversation that follows my sales roadmap (which is more flexible than a sales script), and I made her a firm offer.
  4. The prospective client gave me a financial objection (“not right now”), but I didn’t take it personally. I made one attempt to resolve her objection, but we ultimately agreed that she wasn’t ready yet. 
  5. I marked her as a warm lead in my Sales CRM (Airtable) and set a follow-up to circle back on a specific date, which I did.
  6. In the meantime, I researched her more and engaged her on her social media posts. Sometimes, I would send an appropriate lead magnet or an interesting article.
  7. When she contacted me again and stated price was a concern, I informed her about third-party funding and payment plan options.
  8. She agreed and signed the contract, and remitted payment.
  9. I onboarded her seamlessly and started serving her with excellence.

As you can see, the flexible sales system I have created leverages my sales pipeline and follow-up system, so I stayed top of mind. This keeps leads from growing cold.

Step Six: Leverage Automation and Technology to Keep Your Pipeline Current

To scale your sales efforts and close sales daily, leverage automation and technology tools for your business. 

Savvy entrepreneurs utilize CRM software to manage their pipeline, automate follow-ups, and track customer interactions. Email marketing automation tools can help you send targeted, personalized campaigns. Additionally, use analytics tools to measure your pipeline’s effectiveness and identify improvement areas.

At Unapologetic Wealth, our team uses a simplified system of apps for managing our pipeline, including:

Airtable Affiliate Link: https://airtable.com/invite/r/84N7QUcR

Dubsado Affiliate Link: http://www.dubsado.com/?c=unapologeticwealth

Key Takeaways: Building a Sales Pipeline as a Coach or Consultant

  • Building a pipeline that helps you close sales daily requires a systematic approach, consistent effort, and a focus on building relationships. 
  • By defining your ideal client avatar, implementing an effective prospecting strategy, nurturing leads, qualifying prospects, following a structured sales process, and leveraging automation and technology, you can create a pipeline that drives consistent revenue and positions you as a successful high-ticket sales coach. 
  • Building a strong pipeline takes time and persistence, so stay committed and continuously refine your approach to achieve your sales goals.