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Welcome to make more money without selling your soul. The podcast for bold entrepreneurs ready to simplify scale and reclaim their time. I’m Polly Lavarello, Evergreen scaling strategist and cushy business pioneer. Join me and my occasional guests as we explore the themes of wealth, selling and well-being, because building a business that works for you changes everything. Let’s dive in.

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Hello and welcome to the show. Today, we are talking about stop over complicating it the simple evergreen funnel that actually works. I’m so excited to be diving into this because, let’s be honest, entrepreneurs love to make things harder than they need to be. We tweak overthink and add 27 unnecessary steps to something that could be simple. Today, we’re cutting through the fluff and giving you the one evergreen funnel you need to run your business without stress, burnout or constant launching. And if you’ve been making marketing way harder than it should be, this episode is for you. Now. I love to share the personal prompt behind why I record these episodes, because everything I share with you is very true and real and from the heart, and sometimes the learnings I share with you are those that have been made via my clients. I have a mastermind of six figure business owners, some of whom are multi six figure business owners. And I also have an accelerator of clients who are early on in their business journey, but building foundations for their six figure business. So there’s always quite a few stories to be diving into, but on to on today’s episode, on this occasion, I’m going to be sharing with you, actually, my own story and a little mistake I made. Because, yes, you and I can make mistakes.

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I’m laughing because obviously I make mistakes. We’re human. I mean, I think actually one of the key parts to being an entrepreneur is failing and failing fast. And actually, I’d say that this is one area where I did not fail fast. I’ve been failing kind of slowly. But anyway, let’s get into it. And why am I talking about this? One of the things I did recently was I moved my platform over to circle. Now this is not bashing circle. I love circle. I got really excited about how circle can work as a funnel, and so I kind of set it up so that it acts like a sweetie shop to anyone that comes into my world. And if you’re listening and you haven’t yet discovered my cushy HQ, as I call it, you can go in there entirely for free and network with over 100 business owners who are already in there already, and they’re all fabulous human beings doing amazing things now, as you are a podcast listener, and I hope you’ve listened to me a few times by now, you’ll probably hear that invitation and actually feel some level of motivation to want to go in there, because when I tell you there are free resources in there that will help you find even more clarity built upon what you learn in these episodes there really is. But the problem is, I use this funnel as an ADS funnel. So I was bringing people who didn’t know me from Adam through a funnel into circle, and I wanted them to take the time to work through my sweet shop of goodies. It’s a bit like someone arriving at a party and before they’ve had the chance to kind of settle in, pour themselves a drink, grab themselves a handful of nuts. You’re already enthusiastically, wildly, passionately, running around the entire house with them, trying to give them a house tour when they’re still thirsty from the drive on the way over. Like it’s just not a way to do things. And as is always the case, whenever I think about funnels, I do try to think of real life analogies. Because as soon as I think of it that way, I think, okay, good intentions and all that. It’s good that you’re excited. You want to show them all the good stuff. And at the same time, this person’s only walked through the door, they still don’t even know who you are. They do not want to see your master bedroom or your living room or your garden, just yet they just want to, you know, make themselves at home. So that is where I had been going wrong. I was over complicating things, because number one, this is where things can go wrong, shiny object syndrome, I talk about it a lot, so I’m not going to go too in depth, but you know, I am undiagnosed ADHD, and even I can succumb to the shiny object syndrome. I was very excited by circle. I was very excited by everything it could do, and I was more interested in the platform and the geekery and the funness I could have there than actually taking a step back and zooming out and thinking about the experience of the person on the other side. And I share this because I know that I see this in my clients very often, too. We can often be so closely connected to the wonderful things we want to share with our ideal client that we often forget about the really valuable, you know, psychology behind where somebody is at when they have just come into your world and how they are thinking and.

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How they are feeling, and how we can help them easily glide into our world in a way that feels good for them, where it’s invitation, not shoving it down their throat or forcing them into something that they weren’t expecting. You know, one bit of feedback I got from my funnel was I wasn’t expecting to have to join a community to get your freebie now, that’s not great, is it? You want people to to not be getting a false impression from your marketing. That’s already going to leave a bad taste, right? And don’t worry, guys, if you’re listening to this thinking, why is Polly sharing all of this and still running this funnel? That’s exactly what I’m working on this week, my friend. So hopefully, by the time this episode goes live and you click the link, you will have deliciously superior experience to what it was previously and still the opportunity, by the way, to dive into circle if you want to. So it’s still there, but it’s hidden in plain sight, where you can proactively decide to join my community and still get access to my valuable everyday sales guide without needing to join the community. Now, what’s the other reason why people over complicate things? Number two is perfectionism. So number one is shiny object syndrome. The other one is perfectionism, thinking everything has to be custom, fancy or just right before launching. You know, it’s like, I talk about webinar funnels for people, and they’re like, oh, I need to use, have a webinar. I need to use some kind of expensive software. And yes, I have supported clients using that kind of software. And yes, it does work very well, but I’ve equally supported clients who simply had a Vimeo or YouTube video embedded in a lead page, thank you, page which has equally made them a lot of money. So you really don’t need to spend or do everything, kind of just like you see your competitors doing it to make a lot of money, you definitely want to validate things before you start investing in software or, you know, investing in someone building out a beautiful, shiny funnel, before you know that people actually want it. You know, number three, another reason why entrepreneurs over complicate things is fear of simplicity, feeling like it can’t be that easy, so we pile on extra unnecessary steps. I see this in so many different ways. It’s a bit like, Oh, I’ve only got one call today. I’m gonna have to busy myself by, I don’t know, creating some really over the top B roll footage for my reel, rather than shock horror, going for a walk on the beach in the afternoon or doing something nice for yourself. We can be really uncomfortable with comfort.

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We can be really uncomfortable with it. Can’t be that easy. And when I share some of the most successful funnels I’ve ever worked on or supported my clients with, usually the main bit of feedback I get from somebody who’s new to Funnels is, wow, that doesn’t look that complicated. And I’m like, that’s because it isn’t. It really isn’t. And actually, some of the most complicated funnels you see in the online space are those that convert the most poorly, because people are time poor. They are attention poor, and they don’t want to go down some swirly, whirly, flashy kind of funnel. They want it to be simple and they want it to be easy. And the other reason why entrepreneurs complicate things is they believe that more is better spoil your alert. It really isn’t okay. You don’t need to have 10 different funnels. What you really need is one funnel that you are constantly monitoring and refining until you get it to where you need it to be, and even that monitoring and refining, like, you know, a lot of evergreen funnels I’ve worked on, we’ve dipped in for maybe an hour a week, tweaked a few things here and there, with the ads or the funnel, and it hasn’t actually required that many hours per week on keeping it doing what it needs to be doing. Once you get it, you know, once you’ve got through the testing phase, it’s amazing how much it can do, pretty much by itself. Okay, so the really important reframe I want you to have in this moment, after learning, hearing and learning, learning, apparently that you know, the reason why entrepreneurs over complicate things is shiny object syndrome, perfectionism, fear of simplicity and false beliefs, and that false belief being more is better. The reframe I’d like you to have on the other side of that is the most successful businesses run on repeatable, simple systems. Complexity kills profits. It really, really does. And I say this particularly as someone who’s undiagnosed autistic. ADHD, I know I can definitely have the tendency to want to over complicate things, and sometimes, having worked in the marketing space for so long, I’m like, That’s too easy, that’s too predictable, that’s not imaginative enough. The inner maverick in me wants to go wild and do something slightly different. And yet, time and time again, when I look at people who are making seven figures and eight figures, when I support my clients to scale from six to multi six, it’s not because we’re doing something crazily clever. Actually, it’s usually so simple, it’s almost too obvious, and it works. Okay. I mean, I’m wondering if you identify with any of those pieces, and if you do, and you’re thinking, okay, so if I have been over complicating it, how do I make it simple? Well, friend, this part of the part.

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Podcast episode is for you, a simple evergreen funnel. Is a set it and tweak it system that consistently generates leads and sales without needing daily hands on attention. Now, I do think it’s important to say that some people have come back to me, like, three years after running the Evergreen funnel, and they’re like, oh, it’s not working quite the same. And in that scenario, I think it’s important to say it’s not a set it and leave and never come back to it. You know, if you set it and leave and don’t touch it for a long time, you are getting a you do want to be temperature checking it. You do want to be monitoring. Is your ads targeting working? Is your ad you know, does your ad campaign need updating? I mean, it inevitably always will. Ads change all the time. What’s working changes all the time. So advertising is usually one of the most time intensive elements to running an evergreen funnel. But in the world where you are making enough money from the Evergreen funnel, there’s no reason why you need to be the one who’s doing those tweaks on your ads if you don’t desire to. But beyond that, the actual funnel, in and as of itself, can pretty much stay the same when you get when you stick with the really simple formula that actually I share inside the cushy HQ freebie vault. But anyway, let’s get into it. I’m going to share with you what you need to know here. So it’s a really basic framework, and it’s a funnel that works 24/7, and it starts with one you need a traffic source, free or paid. Usually, what I recommend is allocating a very small part of your revenue to advertising, and as you make money from advertising, reinvesting a percentage until you are gradually scaling your advertising spend so that paid ads eventually play a solid role in how you are growing your business. Because unless you are a social media guru, which a lot of people aren’t, social media won’t necessarily do all the heavy lifting. SEO can obviously play a huge role. I’ve got some clients who literally are attracting 1000s of new people to their mailing list every month just off the back of SEO. They are in a very, very strong niche. So that definitely helps is in like a category of one which is very much in demand right now. So that very much helps. But SEO can play a really strong role. Partnerships and affiliate marketing can also play a really strong role. But you do need that traffic source, and usually, well, I’ll share more about what you want to do with that traffic source later, beyond the traffic so you’ve got the volume, then you actually need the funnel. The beginning of the funnel will usually be a lead magnet, and that’s something irresistible to them, and that will usually be a free guide or a free workshop, or a checklist or a quiz, sometimes a mini course, like any of those things can work. Then on the other side of that, you have your simple email nurture sequence, what I like to refer to as your trust building machine, which is automated emails that guide your lead to your offer. And then finally, you’ve got your offer, the moneymaker, a product, a service or a program that solves a problem. And the way I like to support my clients is supporting them to create evergreen, limitlessly scalable programs that allow people to enroll at any time, so that when someone is motivated to work with you, they can jump right in. And then, really importantly, and this is a bit that so many people miss you, then finally, need your follow up, your secret weapon, retargeting, live touch points or additional offers, so that you are, you know, nurturing those leads beyond your funnel, but also adding, ideally, some kind of personal touch point, whether that’s you dropping in and doing a live kind of

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workshop where they get a flavor of what it’s like to work with you, or whether that’s you having somebody in your DMS reaching out to find out how people have gotten along with your freebie, this makes a huge difference. So the secret is to keep this lean one offer, one lead magnet and one traffic source. When you do it that way, you are managing less things. Can you imagine? It’s a bit like juggling. You’ve got three balls in your hand. You’re going to ultimately get very good at juggling all three balls. You’ll know which ones to look at. And you’re essentially looking at traffic offer sales, like traffic, kind of freebie sales. And when you’re monitoring, you know, have you got a good traffic source? Is it consistent when you’re monitoring the conversion rate in your funnel and seeing, is it consistent when you’re looking at your sales processes and seeing, are they converting consistently when you have all those three pieces working for you, your business is going to feel like a dream, and yes, a bit like juggling. The first few times you do it, you might be like, This feels impossible. I keep on dropping the ball. How does that person over there make it look so easy? And you know it’s possible, because you’ve seen people juggling, but to begin with, it may feel a little bit overwhelming. It may feel a bit like, Will I ever get there? But when you do get there, you’re suddenly making it look easy, like other people, right? But the challenge is, if you start throwing in other balls, which is essentially other funnels, you suddenly are looking at way more things at the same time juggling way more things. And the number of people who can juggle three bulls is probably quite high. The number of people who can juggle five, I would imagine, is lower right now, of course, there is always a unicorn that can do that, and so we may look at them and go but they make it looking easy. But this is where we have to be really careful in online business. So.

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Yeah. And I would also like want to add here that actually, when you look at nearly any successful seven figure coach out there, they all have their one core offer, and they tend to have one core funnel that they bring the majority of their sales through. So this is not rocket science. This is not, you know, something brand new. And at the same time, people seem to think there is a safety in volume of what it is that they’re doing, and that’s really not true. All my clients who’ve seen success the soonest have trusted and gone all in on their one core funnel. So I’m going to finally talk to you about the mistakes that kill evergreen funnels. One is over complicating the nurture process. Your leads don’t need 50 different emails before you can sell to them. Okay? They need clarity and a direct path to the solution. You also don’t need to be everywhere all at once. You don’t need to have loads of traffic sources similar to the analogy I just shared about juggling. If you are trying to master YouTube ads, LinkedIn ads and Facebook ads all at the same time. Chances are you won’t be doing any of them well. So what I really recommend is mastering one traffic source, for example, getting your Facebook ads working really well. Once they are working, you can take the learnings from those and apply those to you know, if you’ve got some hooks that are done particularly well, you can then, you know, use that to really elevate your success and fast track your success with something like Google ads, because you’ve got the data from Facebook ads. So, you know, stick with one and master it first, and then the other thing that can really kill an evergreen funnel is skipping the follow up. Okay, 80% of sales happen after the first offer is presented. So stay visible and keep the conversation going that looks like, you know, do not have people come through your evergreen funnel and then not send a regular newsletter. It’s in those regular newsletters where you are re engaging people and giving them another opportunity to jump into your world and work with you. It’s really important. So a quick fix of this is to simplify, test, automate, and then optimize.

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So simple, so simple. So the mindset shift you need with Evergreen is that it should feel easy. It should feel cushy, because scaling happens when you simplify, not when you add more. Okay. And if you’re feeling like, Oh, I’ve had this a million times, you’re probably listening to this because you need to listen. Because I don’t think I ever speak to any business owner, and I probably could include myself in this, who is doing things as simply as they can do. It’s a really valuable thing to sit down and audit. You know, if you if you’re listening to this on an afternoon or a morning, if you’re in a coffee shop, having a coffee or a cup of tea, taking a moment to look at your sales funnel and ask yourself the question, Where does this get to be more simple is a really valuable exercise to do. The other mindset shift I’d really like you to have is that a lean business is a profitable business. More is not more. And finally, systems give you freedom. Complexity gives you stress. If you cannot explain to me the sales funnel into your core offer in three simple steps, then it’s probably too many. Okay, so do think about that.

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So friend, here’s your challenge. Look at your business right now and ask yourself, Where am I over complicating things? Where can I simplify? Where can I add automation and let my funnel do the work? If today’s episode hit home, please share it. Tag me on social and let’s keep the conversation going. And if you need me to help you with setting up your evergreen funnel the right way, then simply click on the link in the show notes that will get you the link to my everyday sales guide, where you will learn the exact process you need to create a funnel that will attract everyday sales into your business. And it really is, I mean, it literally builds upon everything I’ve just shared in this episode. So if you don’t already have it, get your hands on it, because it’s really gonna make huge difference for your business. Well, I hope you found that episode illuminating. I will be back in your ears next week with another guest talking about the role of quizzes in your business. I cannot wait for you to hear it. I’ll be in your ears next week.