Recently, some 4,000 strangers from around the world converged at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. But why were they there? Funnel Hacking Live (FHL). The conference is akin to Comic-Con for Internet marketers. These “funnel hackers” were participating in what can only be described as a marketing phenomenon: ClickFunnels, an online marketing and sales tool that is seeing rapid high-return success. In the online space people no longer wait for a breakthrough; they seek them out, and the digital space is filled with financial opportunities. The Zuckerberg generation has watched the rise and fall of dotcoms, witnessed the birth and “glow up” of Amazon, and experienced life through the watchful gaze of social media. Seeing is believing, and we have from a distance seen young entrepreneurs earn optimal wealth in short periods of time. But recently, a group of Jamaican businesswomen got to see this type of movement up close, through the successes of local dentist Dr Anissa Holmes.

Dr Holmes has managed to achieve significant direct sales conversion from social media marketing. Furthermore, she has become an international guru in dental marketing, with dentists across the world seeking her advice. All of this has come through a maturing sales technology platform known as ClickFunnels, and it has implications for all sectors including high-impact international advertising. The most impressive part about Holmes’s success is that she has had the foresight to see how this tool can aid in the strengthening of local ventures, and has therefore shared her knowledge. In the words of Naomi Garrick, CEO of Garrick Communications, “It was such an amazing experience to be around women, all with different talents, goals and ambitions but sharing a common thread for success and impact to inspire and transform the lives of those we serve. I am so grateful to be able to learn from Anissa and all the women who participated in this event.”

Online earning has opened barriers for many groups which would previously have had limited access based on geography or resources. The full breadth of e-commerce has yet to be realised in the local market, but the ClickFunnels platform is very promising for the Jamaican business arena. And it is this that saw 12 enterprising businesswomen across several fields being introduced to the sales system. With the distinct purpose of raising the level of their brands they attended the conference to gain expertise in this game-changing technology. For local entrepreneurs, but even more so for larger corporate entities, ClickFunnels technology can potentially be the game-changer for marketing-based ROI. The software takes consumers through a progressive series of online pages, with each click presenting an opportunity for new products or more value.

FHL is the Super Bowl of sales funnels, the perfect balance of business inspiration and hard sales techniques. The event itself is a four-day comprehensive training exercise, not just in the use of the tech, but also in new, high-impact sales and management techniques from speakers including Brendon Burchard (the world’s leading high performance coach), Dean Graziosi (author of Millionaire Success Habits) and Myron Golden (creator of the 4 Levels of Value growth model). Participants were coached in building the right foundation, getting high-volume and meaningful traffic to your site, building impact and creating a legacy. Key takeaways included a charge to take forceful, massive action and a call to practising excellence as a habit.

Author and attorney Rochelle Gapere noted that the experience was powerful, saying, “It was my first time being exposed to ClickFunnels and I left the conference each day with a sense of curiosity and awe! ClickFunnels is a powerful platform with far-reaching opportunities. It has transformed the way I think about sales and marketing, and ultimately my business.”

As local industry continues to make forays into the digital space, sales funnel technology, including the ClickFunnels platform, is an accessible, easy-to-use method of increasing revenues within a concentrated period of time. Noted local marketer Catherine Goodall, business development executive, GraceKennedy, noted, “FHL was an excellent marketing conference with a heavy sales focus. The event teaches businesses how to directly target their ideal customers on their global platform through targeted Internet marketing. I look forward to implementing these strategies at GraceKennedy.”

“The process takes a very forceful learn-as-you-go tack, and is a must-have tool in the advertising arsenal,” Nicole McLaren Campbell, founder and CEO of Aim Educational Services, noted, “You don’t know what you don’t know, until you know. Then you know that you didn’t know it. I felt my reality shift and opportunities open up!”

Kimala Bennett is co-founder and CEO of The LAB, a full-service advertising agency and production house representing GraceKennedy, NCB, Digicel and JPS, among others. The Jamaica FHL cohort included:

Dr Anissa Holmes dentist & founder/CEO Deliveringwow.com

Rachel Christian logistics manager, Carimed Ltd and health coach, Lean Clean

Naomi Garrick lead PR Chick, Garrick Communications and personal branding coach

Lisandra Rickards CEO, Branson Centre Caribbean

Catherine Goodall business development executive, GraceKennedy

Andrea Blackwood Harriott, PhD,

certified transformational coach and facilitator. ReshapingYourShape.com

Rochelle Gapere Amazon best-selling author, happiness coach & attorney-at-law

Nicole Campbell author, and founder/CEO, AIM Educational Services

Stacey Hines group strategic planner, ICD Group Holdings Ltd

Shawnie Fitt director of marketing, Delivering Wow

Tanaka Roberts digital marketing strategist, ICD Group