The Dark Funnel describes research and buying activities that are:

• A. Visible To Sales
• B. Hidden From Sales And Marketing Teams
• C. Shared With Executives
• D. Conducted In Public

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that a large portion of a buyer’s research and purchasing activity happens without leaving trackable signals for your marketing and sales tools. This hidden portion is what the term the dark funnel refers to—the activities that aren’t visible to sales and marketing teams in their dashboards and CRM.

These activities aren’t easily captured because they occur outside your standard data flows: anonymous website visits, content consumed in private channels or on private devices, word-of-mouth, and offline or private research that can’t be linked to a specific lead or account. That’s why the dark funnel is described as hidden from sales and marketing teams.

In contrast, things that are visible to sales, shared with executives, or conducted in public imply visibility or disclosure, which is not characteristic of the dark funnel.