If you run a SaaS business, you may have hit a wall where your network and initial traction aren’t enough to keep growing. Maybe you’re generating leads but struggling to convert them into long-term customers. Or worse — you’re bringing in new customers, but they don’t stick around.
This is where a strong B2B customer funnel comes in.
Many companies focus too much on lead generation without considering what happens after someone signs up. A good customer funnel helps at every stage, from first hearing about you to becoming loyal fans.Download Now: Free Customer Journey Map Templates
In this guide, I’ll break down the five key funnel stages, outline proven strategies for each stage, and share some examples to help you optimize your funnel and accelerate your growth.
Table of Contents
- What is the B2B customer funnel?
- Why the Customer Funnel Matters in Customer Service
- The B2B Customer Funnel Explained in 5 Stages
- How to Use the B2B Funnel in the Customer Journey
- B2B Customer Funnel Strategies
- How I Think About Customer Funnels
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Free Customer Journey Template
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- Buyer's Journey Template
- Future State Template
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- And more!
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What is the B2B customer funnel?
A B2B customer funnel is the journey a customer takes from learning about your business to becoming a long-term user.
It’s different from a sales funnel, which only focuses on getting new customers. The customer funnel goes further, making sure those customers:
- Stay engaged.
- Get value from your product.
- Recommend you to others.
P.S. You might also see terms like a marketing funnel and customer acquisition funnel. While these all share similarities, each will differ slightly by the end goal and what exact metrics you’re measuring for.
Key Differences Between the Sales and Customer Funnel
|
Sales Funnel |
Customer Funnel |
|
Focuses on lead generation and conversion |
Continues through the entire customer lifecycle |
|
Ends at the point of sale |
Focuses on retention, loyalty, and expansion |
|
Managed by sales and marketing teams |
Managed by customer success and support teams |
Why the Customer Funnel Matters in Customer Service
A well-structured B2B customer funnel improves customer satisfaction, reduces churn, and increases lifetime value.
What the data says:
- Better upsell & cross-sell opportunities. Companies focusing on post-sale engagement see up to 30% higher revenue per customer.
- Consumers are loyal. 95% of consumers say that customer service impacts their brand loyalty.
- Personalization is key. 78% of reps agree that customers expect more personalized experiences than ever before, and consumers are more loyal to brands that offer those experiences and value their opinions.
- Saves you money. Acquiring new customers is five times more expensive than retaining existing customers. Additionally, customer-centric companies are 60% more profitable than companies that aren’t.
Knowing your customer journey matters more than ever. Too often, I see startups that focus too much on acquisition alone and ignore the post-sale experience.
Pro tip: If you’re looking to improve your customer journey, start with a customer journey map. I recently wrote a guide on how you can use AI to level up your entire process. (It’s easier than you think!)
The B2B Customer Funnel Explained in 5 Stages
Every customer moves through five key stages:
- Awareness. They realize they have a problem.
- Consideration. They explore possible solutions.
- Onboarding. They buy your product and need help getting started.
- Retention. They actively use your product.
- Advocacy & Expansion. They tell others about your product.
Each stage requires tailored customer service strategies to keep users engaged and drive long-term success. What makes this successful, I’d argue, is being able to take a step back and look at the big picture. How do customers flow between each stage? Why do they take the next step, and what factors influenced them? All of these things will help you zero in your customer funnel.
Below, I’ll go over each stage in more detail so you can see examples in action.
How to Use the B2B Funnel in the Customer Journey
Meet AcmeTech, a fictional company that sells AI-powered customer support software.
Their problem? They get lots of leads, but many customers don’t stay long-term. Here’s how AcmeTech could use the customer funnel to solve this problem.
P.S. I used ChatGPT here to illustrate some of these examples!
Awareness
At this stage, your goal is to make potential customers aware of your brand and educate them about a problem they may not even realize they have. This means:
- Publishing high-quality SEO-driven blog content.
- Running targeted LinkedIn and Google ads.
- Partnering with industry influencers or guesting on podcasts.
- Offering free tools, templates, or research reports that attract potential buyers.
Business Example: AcmeTech’s Approach
AcmeTech realizes that many customer support teams don’t know how much time they waste on repetitive queries. To raise awareness, they create an interactive AI ROI Calculator that helps companies estimate how much money they could save by automating responses.
They also publish a thought leadership article titled:
👉 “The Hidden Cost of Slow Customer Support — And How AI Can Fix It.”
This educational-first approach positions them as a trusted expert rather than just another software company pushing a product.
Consideration
Once potential customers know about your solution, they start evaluating their options. This is where they compare vendors, request demos, and read case studies. At this stage, businesses should:
- Offer free trials or personalized demos.
- Provide case studies that show measurable success.
- Engage in conversational marketing (e.g., live chat, webinars).
- Address objections with comparison guides and FAQ pages.
Business Example: AcmeTech’s Approach
Since AcmeTech struggles to keep customers around long-term, leads may not fully understand AcmeTech’s value or how it stands out from competitors.
To solve this problem, AcmeTech decides to strengthen engagement by publishing a case study from one of their most successful clients. They begin to offer regular webinars and free trials for interested prospects. They also give the sales team sales enablement materials to effectively communicate ROI and success stories.
Free Customer Journey Template
Outline your company's customer journey and experience with these 7 free templates.
- Buyer's Journey Template
- Future State Template
- Day-in-the-Life Template
- And more!
Download Free
All fields are required.
Onboarding
Onboarding is where many B2B companies lose customers. A confusing setup, lack of training, or slow implementation can lead to frustration and high churn rates. A smooth onboarding experience should include:
- A structured onboarding sequence (checklists, welcome emails, guided walkthroughs).
- A dedicated customer success manager (CSM) for high-value accounts.
- Access to self-service resources (knowledge base, video tutorials).
- A kickoff call to define success metrics and usage goals.
In my experience, great onboarding is what separates my favorite tools from the rest and what makes me a long term customer. Make it extremely easy to get started, help me see the value of your product, and give me a “quick win” — it’s that simple.
As Patrick McKenzie, a strategic advisor for Stripe, says, “I can tell you with a fair degree of certainty that no matter how great your product is, 40-60% of your free trial users never see the product a second time. Which makes that first use of the software really, really freaking important."
Business Example: AcmeTech’s Approach
Optimizing the onboarding process is key for AcmeTech to retain their customers once they convert. They decide to revamp onboarding with hands-on training, personalized setup, and proactive support to ensure customers see immediate value.
- Gamified Tour. AcmeTech installs a guided tour with gamification features so new clients can learn how to use the software quickly.
- Access to Knowledge Base. They provide easier access within the software to their already-established wealth of self-service resources so customers can find an answer to any question.
- Milestone-Based Engagement. They start sending emails when users reach key actions (e.g., “You’ve handled 100 tickets with AI — see your impact!”).
- First 30-Day Health Score. AcmeTech starts tracking engagement metrics (logins, features used, response time improvements). If a customer isn’t engaged, they intervene early with personalized training.
Retention
Once a customer is onboarded, the next challenge is keeping them engaged so they renew their contract or expand their usage. This requires:
- Proactive support (regular check-ins, feature updates, success reviews).
- Exclusive training (invite-only webinars, advanced user groups).
- Community engagement (forums, Slack groups, networking events).
- Usage-based nudges (automated alerts when engagement drops).
Pro tip: If you want to learn more about retention fundamentals and best practices, check out HubSpot Academy’s course on the topic. It’s a great starting place to refine your strategies.
Business Example: AcmeTech’s Approach
AcmeTech already has a customer success team available for any questions their clients might have, but they decide to implement a more proactive approach by having reps reach out to clients on a regular basis.
They also integrate AI-driven insights to optimize clients’ use of the software and provide ongoing educational content that is delivered monthly to users’ inboxes.
Advocacy
Loyal customers can become your biggest growth channel — if you give them a reason to advocate for your brand. Key strategies include:
- Referral programs (offering discounts or perks for successful referrals).
- Customer spotlights (featuring them in blog posts, podcasts, or events).
- Co-branded content (partnering on whitepapers, webinars, or case studies).
- User-generated content (UGC) (testimonials, LinkedIn shoutouts, customer success stories).
Business Example: AcmeTech’s Approach
Because AcmeTech has been struggling with retention, they have few referrals and testimonials, but are missing out on this key part of the customer funnel.
They decide to go the classic route and create referral incentives. They further encourage satisfied customers to share reviews and case studies.
B2B Customer Funnel Strategies
To optimize each stage of the customer funnel, I recommend trying some of these key engagement strategies.
Awareness: Using Educational Content to Build Brand Authority
At the awareness stage, our goal is to educate and engage potential customers. Content marketing is a powerful way to do this, providing value upfront without asking for anything in return.
At HubSpot, that’s our secret sauce — and likely the reason you’ve arrived at this post.
We focus heavily on inbound marketing, using SEO-driven blog posts, free courses, and downloadable resources to attract potential customers. The HubSpot Academy, which offers free certifications in marketing, sales, and CRM management, helps people learn valuable skills while also introducing them to HubSpot’s ecosystem.
My takeaway: If you consistently provide high-value content, you create a natural inbound funnel where potential customers seek you out rather than being chased down. No matter what company or industry you’re in, you can easily replicate this playbook.
Consideration: Personalized Demos and AI Chat Support
When potential customers are in the consideration stage, they’re actively comparing solutions. A frictionless, personalized experience can be the difference between a sign-up and a lost lead.
Drift revolutionized B2B sales funnels by replacing static lead forms with AI-powered chatbots. Instead of asking customers to fill out a form and wait for a demo, Drift’s chatbot instantly connects them with a sales rep or provides an interactive, personalized demo experience based on their needs.
My takeaway: Using AI chatbots and real-time demos reduces friction and guides potential customers faster toward a purchase decision.
Onboarding: Structured Plans and Guided Walkthroughs
The onboarding process is where many potential users drop off if the experience is frustrating or overwhelming. A well-structured onboarding flow ensures users quickly see value from your product.
Asana, a platform I use almost daily for project management, provided a straightforward onboarding experience that helped me understand how to use it and start getting value from it immediately. I learned how to create projects from scratch or using a template. I can then break the project down into specific tasks with assignees and due dates.
My takeaway: Having a clear onboarding plan is vital for customer success. Use a template or make a plan with experts to ensure your customers succeed.
Retention: Proactive Customer Support and Exclusive Training
Customer retention is everything you do to keep existing customers coming back. Customer success and support teams play a significant role in customer retention as they continually nurture relationships and ensure the customer’s ongoing success with your brand.
According to our research, a 5% increase in customer retention can increase company revenue by 25-95% and ultimately grow your customers’ lifetime value (LTV).
When asked in a survey about what “customer loyalty” means, 74% of respondents said it’s about feeling appreciated and understood rather than receiving special offers. Additionally, 64% mentioned that they are willing to spend more on a brand that remembers them and offers a personalized experience.
My takeaway: Customer service software like Service Hub makes it easy to provide timely and proactive customer support that keeps track of all interactions in one place.
Advocacy: Leveraging Referral Programs and Community Engagement
Turning satisfied customers into brand advocates creates a powerful organic growth engine. One of the best ways to do this is through referral incentives and an engaged user community.
I can think of so many companies that have done referral programs really well — Dropbox, beehiiv, Morning Brew.
Referrals are an awesome approach for several reasons:
- They help build trust and social proof. Buyers trust peer recommendations more than marketing materials.
- They lead to higher close rates. Referred leads convert 3-5x more than cold outreach.
- They have a lower CAC. Referral-driven customers cost significantly less to acquire.
A great example of the power of referrals is Slack. Slack initially scaled by encouraging users to invite teammates, leveraging network effects. This organic approach helped them grow to $1M ARR within 8 months before layering in paid acquisition — and eventually became the fastest-growing business app of all time by relying on word-of-mouth.
My takeaway: If you make referrals easy and rewarding, your customers will sell for you, creating a cost-effective, scalable growth loop.
How I Think About Customer Funnels
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that customer acquisition is only half the battle. A steady stream of leads won’t get you far if those customers don’t see value, stay engaged, and ultimately advocate for your brand.
That’s why I always look at the full customer journey — not just the sale.
- If you focus only on awareness and lead generation, you’ll struggle with conversions.
- If you don’t invest in onboarding, customers will churn before they ever see value.
- If you neglect retention and advocacy, you’ll always be chasing new customers instead of growing through referrals and renewals.
I’ve seen time and time again that companies that prioritize the full funnel — especially retention and advocacy — outperform their competitors.
At HubSpot, we’ve built our entire strategy around this. Try Marketing Hub to get more leads and build your client acquisition, use Sales Hub to close more potential customers, and use Service Hub to earn loyalty and keep those valuable customers.
Free Customer Journey Template
Outline your company's customer journey and experience with these 7 free templates.
- Buyer's Journey Template
- Future State Template
- Day-in-the-Life Template
- And more!
Download Free
All fields are required.
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