The sales funnel that went to 💩 and how I fixed it

funnel optimization increasing revenue strategy

We had a 97% order bump success rate until we launched our low ticket offer.  Then it dropped to 0%. Here's what we missed.

(read this if you want to avoid our $10K mistake)

Everything was running smoothly. Our order bumps were converting at 97% (nearly every single customer was saying yes). We felt like we'd cracked the code.

So when we launched our low ticket offer, we expected the same results. We had the same checkout process, the same proven bump strategy, the same team executing flawlessly.

But then the numbers started rolling in: 0% bump conversion. Zero. 😫

I stared at the dashboard, refreshing it over and over. This has to be a tracking error.

But it wasn't. Hundreds of people were buying our core offer, and not a single person was adding the bump.

I remember calling an emergency team meeting, pulling up the analytics on the big screen. We'd just watched our most reliable revenue stream disappear overnight.

My first instinct was to blame everything else: the checkout software, the payment processor, even the customers themselves. Maybe this audience just doesn't buy bumps.

But then something clicked: what if the real problem wasn't our execution but our assumption?

That was the first time I realized we'd made a critical error.

What if the bump that worked for our high-ticket customers made zero sense for our low-ticket buyers?

This was our wake-up call, but it's the mistake I see so many others making, too.

  • If you've ever copied a successful funnel and wondered why it's not working…
  • If you've ever felt like your customers "should" want your upsell but they're not buying…
  • If you've ever launched something that worked elsewhere but flopped with your audience… this email is for you.

Understanding buyer psychology means matching your offers to where your customers actually are, not where you think they should be.

The result?

    ✅ Higher conversion rates

    ✅ More revenue per customer 

    ✅ Genuine value delivery

You can stop guessing what your audience wants and start giving them exactly what they need at the right moment.

After all, the best offer in the world won't convert if it's the wrong fit for your buyer.

When you align your bumps with your customer's actual journey, you transform random transactions into strategic revenue growth. That's the kind of optimization that changes everything.

And it's far simpler than you might think.

So let's dive into how you can not only fix your order bump strategy, but also finally understand what your customers actually want to buy.

 

The Difference: Product-Market Fit vs. Funnel-Market Fit

Before we dive into the fix, it's important to get clear on the real mistake we made.

This isn't just about tweaking your order bump copy - it's about changing your entire approach to how you think about upsells. Here's what that looks like in practice:

  1. Product-Market Fit: Your core offer solves a real problem for your audience. They buy it because they need it, want it, and it makes sense for where they are right now.
  2. Funnel-Market Fit: Your entire funnel - including every bump, upsell, and cross-sell - matches your customer's journey and mindset at the exact moment they're buying.

"The best offer in the world will fail if it's presented to the wrong person at the wrong time."  Russell Brunson

This mental shift is the first thing that needs to happen. The second is realizing you can't just copy what works for other audiences and expect it to work for yours. You need to understand where your specific customers are in their journey.

Here's what we discovered:

  • High-ticket buyers were already committed to transformation. They had budget, urgency, and were ready to invest in multiple solutions.
  • Low-ticket buyers were just testing the waters. They wanted to solve one specific problem with minimal risk before considering anything else.

We were offering advanced implementation tools to people who hadn't even decided if they wanted to implement yet.

It's like offering a $500 blender attachment to someone buying their first $20 smoothie mix. Wrong customer, wrong timing, wrong mindset.

The fix wasn't better copywriting or flashier graphics. It was understanding our buyer's actual psychology and meeting them where they were, not where we wanted them to be.

 

3 Ways to Fix Your Order Bump Strategy (And Actually Increase Revenue)

Ok - so if your order bumps are flopping or if you've been copying other people's funnels without success, don't panic. You don't need to scrap your entire checkout process to fix this. You can align your offers in a way that increases conversions, boosts revenue, and actually serves your customers better.

 I wanted to share with you five simple ways to match your bumps to your buyer's mindset. Read through these options and see which approach feels most aligned with your audience.

1. The "Next Logical Step" Bump Instead of offering advanced tools, offer the immediate next action they'll need to take. 👉 Think: "Implementation checklist for what you just bought" vs. "Advanced mastery course."

Your Next Steps:

  • Map out what someone does immediately after buying your core offer.
  • Create a simple resource that makes that next step easier (template, checklist, toolkit).
  • Price it as a low-risk addition (10-30% of your core offer price).
  • Position it as "grab this while you're here" convenience, not a separate purchase decision.

2. The "Remove Friction" Bump This addresses the biggest obstacle preventing them from succeeding with your main offer. Done-for-you elements, shortcuts, or time-savers work perfectly here.

Your Next Steps:

  • Identify the most common sticking point in your core offer (where people get stuck or give up).
  • Create a bump that eliminates that friction (done-for-you templates, plug-and-play systems, etc.).
  • Position it as insurance against failure, not an upgrade.
  • Test language like "Skip the setup" or "Get it done faster."

3. The "Confidence Booster" Bump For customers who are nervous about implementing alone, offer support that makes them feel less alone in the process.

Your Next Steps:

  • Think about what would make someone feel more confident using your core offer.
  • Create community access, bonus coaching calls, or "ask me anything" sessions.
  • Price it based on the peace of mind value, not the time investment.
  • Focus on outcomes like "Never feel stuck again" rather than features like "Monthly Q&A calls."
 

Final Summary

If you take one thing from this: stop assuming what worked for one audience will work for another.

Whether you're launching your first funnel or optimizing an existing one, there's always a next step you can take to move from copying strategies... to understanding your customer's actual journey.

It won't happen overnight, but it will never happen if you don't start. Pick one strategy from this email, audit your current bumps, and make a change, even if it's messy.

The people who create consistent revenue aren't the ones with perfect funnels. They're the ones who match their offers to their buyers.

So here's your next step: DM me on Instagram "BUMPFIX" and let's talk through your current funnel. I'll help you identify the disconnect that's costing you sales.

Until next time,

Joanne ⚡

 

3 New Accounts I'm Following This Week + 2 Amazing Book Reads

Speaking of staying ahead of the curve - this week's collection of social accounts + books should save your sanity (and your conversion rates).

Click their links to stalk all of them 😆

 

📌  Account #1 - Honestly I just love this lady and am flying to LA next week for a VIP day w/ her.  

📌 Account #2 -  I know you ladies will enjoy the boldness of this powerhouse baddie.

📌 Account #3-  If you have a podcast, this is the girl you need to discover.  

📌 Book #1 - Gotta have this business book on tap ya'll

📌 Book #2- Ok this one is just for fun

 

PS: Tired of Guessing What Your Customers Actually Want?

If today's email got you thinking differently about your funnels, your offers, and why copying other people's strategies isn't working and you're ready to build something that actually converts - The Messy Middle Mastermind is your next step.

 

This is my no-BS 5-month program where I help you build funnels that actually match your customer's brain - not just what worked for some guru's completely different audience. No more 0% order bumps, no more "why isn't this working?" panic attacks.

 

If you're done with copying outdated funnels that flop, throwing money at ads that don't convert, or wondering why your "proven" strategy isn't making you money... and you're ready to build offers that people actually want to buy?

 

👉 DM me on Instagram "BUMPFIX" and we'll chat to see if this is the right next step for you.

You don't have to keep playing funnel roulette. Let's build something that actually makes sense to your customers (and your bank account).

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