When you think of the term Marketing Funnel, it brings to mind several variations of the words, like system, process, function, proposal, prospecting.  They can sometimes be used interchangeably, but the purpose and premise of a marketing funnel is the process of creating a list of opt-in subscribers in a way that duplicates your efforts and becomes automated so that you can change the variables and get new results, and also eventually work on different endeavors with your time and efforts.

I have a couple of excerpts here from two references about marketing funnels and they will enlighten you as a reader to bigger and different proposals than you've heard of before.  They work to not only stretch the imagination to accomplish our dreams, but they encourage individuality in the methods and means one uses to achieve success on the internet.  This is important because we are able to do more than what has already been accomplished and the avenues that have not been tried could be dreams come true for many people.

First, I want to refer to an article by Marlon Sanders called How A Home-Based Business Rockets From Scratch To $78 Million.  Marlon says that what's important about the skills of a marketer and how to build a funnel are not the sales ability.  In fact, you don't have to be a good sales person to be good at internet or network marketing.  Rather, he explains that duplication of the system is what's important about the system itself.  A duplicatable system will be much more successful than the best principles with no real idea of how to accomplish them.

He discusses the need for warm qualified leads rather than doing cold calling and hard selling.  First, you qualify the lead by targeting them and giving them some information, asking them some questions about their interests, and then they are able to communicate with you about copying or dupicating your system or model.  Targeting your market is a different idea altogether, so that will need to be in a different article.

Marlon's article is a good example of how a system works to build a marketing funnel and the things that are involved in marketing this way.  You can find his article on my blog at the link below.

Next, I'd like to refer to a piece of an article by Paul Birdsall called Developing Your Marketing Funnel.  He says it's not often taught at length and developed into a personal program, although it needs to be in his opinion.  Most internet marketers, says Paul, are trained sales people that sell products.  But the point Paul stresses here is that the skills of earning from home and having your own business need to be understood by each person, not just a part of the necessary skills, but how to repeatedly earn and grow your list, or build your marketing funnel over and over again.

Paul says, "When I got out of the 'box' and started seeing myself as my business...my business started to change....
    The point is, these are principles that almost no one is teaching network marketers how to do...and that has to STOP.
    It's time you learn how to be at the cutting edge of technology and use these strategies to build a real business."
   
That's a moving message and can be backed up and proven by experience also.  My general perception is that the avenues you can take have not all been tried yet, so keep trying and working through the processes and you will find the results you desire.  Through testing and trying the parts of the system and the general principles of marketing, you will find your personal success with each area.  Network marketing is a growing and changing aspect of internet marketing and how to reap the benefits and continue to grow with the changing economy and models we use takes time and effort.  Being successful at many levels because you understand the business ideas is a skill all of us would be very thankful to have.