Most marketing plans are a list of tactics with no theory of how they connect. This skill builds the funnel as a system: each stage has a definition, a metric, a conversion rate, and the tactics that move people to the next stage — so you can see where the funnel actually leaks and spend there, not everywhere.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:
- Product & motion — what's sold, to whom, and the motion (self-serve, sales-led, PLG hybrid).
- Current numbers — traffic, signups, activation, conversion, retention (whatever exists; estimates are fine).
- Goal — the business outcome and timeframe (e.g. 2× qualified pipeline this quarter).
- Constraints — budget, team, and channels already in play.
Output Format
Funnel Plan: [product]
1. Funnel map — a stage-by-stage table (the spine of the plan):
| Stage | Definition (entry → exit) | Metric | Current | Target | Primary channels/tactics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | reach / visits | ||||
| Acquisition | signups | ||||
| Activation | first value moment | ||||
| Revenue | paid conversion | ||||
| Retention | active / renewed | ||||
| Referral | invites / shares |
2. The biggest leak — the stage with the worst conversion vs. benchmark, and why fixing it beats adding top-of-funnel volume.
3. Channel strategy — which channels serve which stage, and the one or two channels to go deep on (not all of them).
4. Measurement — how each stage is tracked, attribution approach (and its limits), and the leading indicator you'll watch weekly.
5. 90-day focus — the 2–3 bets that move the biggest-leak stage, sequenced, with the success metric for each.
Quality Checks
- Every stage has a definition, a metric, and a numeric conversion target — not just a label
- The single biggest leak is identified and prioritised over adding more top-of-funnel
- The plan goes deep on 1–2 channels rather than spreading thin across many
- A weekly leading indicator is named for the focus stage
- The 90-day plan is sequenced bets, not an undifferentiated tactic list
Anti-Patterns
- Do not pour budget into the top of the funnel when the leak is mid-funnel — more visitors through a leaky funnel just wastes more money
- Do not list every channel — focus beats breadth; name the 1–2 that fit the motion
- Do not set tactics without a metric and target per stage — unmeasured tactics can't be cut
- Do not treat attribution as truth — state its limits and lean on leading indicators
- Do not ignore retention/referral — acquisition-only funnels buy growth they can't keep
Based On
Pirate Metrics (AARRR — Dave McClure) and full-funnel demand-generation practice.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Build a marketing funnel."
- "Map the customer journey to tactics."
- "Plan demand generation."
- "Diagnose where a funnel leaks."