Understanding the Sales Funnel
Learn how the sales funnel helps you track sponsor relationships and the likelihood of securing sponsorships.
Key Concept
The sales funnel tracks where each Sponsor Partner stands in the process of committing to a sponsorship. Each stage represents a likelihood percentage that helps you prioritize your outreach efforts.
Sales Funnel Stages
The sales funnel represents the journey a Sponsor Partner takes from initial contact to committed sponsorship.
Each stage has a likelihood percentage (0% to 100%) that indicates how likely the sponsor is to commit. Higher percentages mean the sponsor is closer to committing.
Project-Specific Tracking
Sales funnel status is tracked per Project, so the same Sponsor Partner can be at different stages for different Projects.
This allows you to see that a sponsor might be "Committed" for your gala but still a "Prospect" for your grant application, reflecting the reality that sponsorships are project-specific.
Default Funnel Stages
Memml includes default funnel stages that represent common points in the sponsorship process. These stages progress from initial contact to committed sponsorship:
Prospect (0%)
A potential sponsor you've identified but haven't contacted yet.
This is the starting point - sponsors you're considering reaching out to but haven't made contact with yet.
Contacted (5%)
You've reached out to the sponsor but haven't received a response yet.
You've sent an email, made a call, or otherwise initiated contact, but you're waiting to hear back.
Responded (10%)
The sponsor has responded to your outreach, showing initial interest.
They've replied to your message or call, indicating they're at least somewhat interested in learning more.
Interested (25%)
The sponsor has expressed genuine interest and is considering the opportunity.
They're actively considering your sponsorship proposal and asking questions or requesting more information.
Proposal Sent (50%)
You've sent a formal sponsorship proposal or agreement.
You've provided detailed information about the sponsorship opportunity and are waiting for their decision.
Tentative Yes (75%)
The sponsor has verbally committed but hasn't finalized the agreement yet.
They've said yes, but you're still working out details, waiting for signatures, or finalizing the arrangement.
Committed (90%)
The sponsor has committed and the agreement is finalized.
The sponsorship is confirmed - agreements are signed, details are finalized, and you can count on this sponsorship.
Paid (100%)
The sponsor has completed payment for their sponsorship.
Payment has been received. This is the final stage - the sponsorship is complete from a financial perspective.
0% Likelihood Statuses
Sometimes sponsors don't move forward with a sponsorship opportunity, or communication stops. These statuses all reflect 0% likelihood of commitment:
Declined (0%)
The sponsor has explicitly decided not to proceed with the sponsorship for this Project.
When a sponsor declines, you can mark them as "Declined" and optionally record a reason. This helps you understand why sponsors aren't moving forward and learn for future outreach.
Declined sponsors are still visible in your funnel, but they're clearly marked so you know not to continue pursuing them for this Project.
Unresponsive (0%)
The sponsor hasn't responded to your outreach after a period of time.
Use "Unresponsive" when you've reached out to a sponsor but haven't heard back after a while. This helps you track sponsors who may have lost interest or are simply not responding.
You can always move an unresponsive sponsor back to an active stage if they do respond later. This status helps you prioritize your time on sponsors who are actively engaging.
Bounced (0%)
Your outreach to the sponsor bounced back or was undeliverable.
Use "Bounced" when emails bounce back, phone numbers are disconnected, or your outreach cannot be delivered. This indicates a problem with the contact information rather than a decision by the sponsor.
Bounced sponsors may need updated contact information before you can continue pursuing them. This status helps you identify and fix contact information issues.
Tip
Don't be discouraged by these statuses - they're a normal part of the sponsorship process. Use them to learn and improve your outreach, and remember that you can always move sponsors back to active stages if circumstances change.
Customizing Funnel Stages
While Memml provides default funnel stages, you can customize them to match your organization's process:
Project-Specific Customization
Each Project can have its own set of funnel stages, allowing you to adapt to different types of fundraising initiatives.
For example, a grant application might have different stages than a gala sponsorship. You can create stages that make sense for each type of Project.
If you don't customize the stages, the default stages will be used, which work well for most sponsorship scenarios.
Using the Sales Funnel
The sales funnel helps you prioritize your work and see where each sponsor stands:
- Focus on high-likelihood sponsors: Sponsors at 75% or higher are close to committing - make sure you're following up regularly.
- Nurture mid-stage sponsors: Sponsors at 10-50% need continued engagement to move them forward.
- Expand your pipeline: Keep adding new prospects (0%) to ensure you have enough opportunities in the funnel.
- Track progress: Move sponsors through stages as your relationship develops and they get closer to committing.
Common Scenarios
Scenario: Gala Sponsorship
Tracking a corporate sponsor through the funnel.
Start: Add "ABC Corporation" as a Prospect (0%) when you identify them as a potential sponsor.
Contact: Send them a sponsorship package and move them to Contacted (5%).
Response: When they reply showing interest, move to Responded (10%).
Progress: As they ask questions and show more interest, move to Interested (25%), then Proposal Sent (50%).
Commitment: When they verbally agree, move to Tentative Yes (75%), then Committed (90%) when finalized, and finally Paid (100%) when payment is received.
Important Note
The sales funnel is a tool to help you track and prioritize your sponsor relationships. The percentages are guidelines - use them in a way that makes sense for your organization's process.