Author: Alexis Long

An old business adage says, “Sales is a numbers game.” In other words, the more potential buyers you face, the better your chances of making sales. This isn’t completely true, of course; success also depends on execution. Nonetheless, when a company builds a pipeline to funnel prospects to its sales team, it will increase the opportunities for these staff members to strike and close deals. Here are some ways to undertake construction.

Do your research

First, establish a profile of the organizations that are the best candidates for your products or services. Criteria should include:

• Location
• Number of employees
• Sales volume
• Industry
• Specific needs

Next, think lead generation

The two best sources for generating leads are companywide marketing activities and individual salesperson initiatives, both of which create name recognition and educate prospects on the benefits of your products or services. Although you may find one method works better for you than the other, try not to be too dependent on either.

Three ways to reach out

Once you identify prospects, your sales team has got to reach out.

Here are three ways to consider:

1.  Cold calls. Every salesperson has done traditional cold calling — assembling a list of prospects that fit into your established customer profile and then calling or visiting them. Cold calling requires many attempts, and the percentage of interested parties tends to be small. Encourage your sales staff to personalize their message to each prospect so the calls don’t have a “canned” feel.
2. Researched cold calling. Select a subset of the most desirable candidates from your prospect list and do deeper research into these organizations to discover some need that your product or service would satisfy. Work with your sales team to write customized letters to the appropriate decision-makers, highlighting your company’s skills in meeting their needs. If possible, quote an existing customer and quantify the benefits. The letter should come from the sales rep and state that he or she will be following up with a phone call. Often, after sending such a letter, getting in the door is a little easier.
3. Referrals. Research potential referral sources just as you study up on sales prospects themselves. Your goal is to develop and maintain a referral network of satisfied customers and other professionals who interact with your prospects. When you get referrals, be sure to send thank-you notes to the sources and keep them informed of your progress.

Go with the flow

Does your business regularly find itself hitting dry spells in which sales prospects seem to evaporate into thin air? If so, it may be because you lack a solid pipeline to keep the identities of those potential buyers flowing in.

Looking for the perfect bookkeeper is something like looking for an ideal mate. You’ll want to think hard about your organization’s needs before you start searching for, and commit to, the person who’ll handle your day-to-day accounting functions. Define the role Before advertising the position, define the role. Crafting a detailed job description that outlines responsibilities will help you attract qualified candidates and give you a consistent yardstick with which to measure them. Common bookkeeper responsibilities include: • Preparing and recording accounts payable, accounts receivable and cash receipts,• Tracking expenses, • Reconciling bank statements, • Posting accounts to the general ledger, and • Preparing for year-end financial audits. If you’ll be relying on your bookkeeper to send donor acknowledgments, order supplies or handle any other clerical duties, spell out those duties in the job description. Ensure a good fit Not-for-profits have special bookkeeping challenges that for-profit businesses don’t. At the very least, you want a bookkeeper who understands there are differences, such as accounting for pledges, donated goods and services, and restricted donations. Candidates also must be: • Knowledgeable about accounting basics, • Willing to learn your organization’s accounting specifics, • Attentive to details, • Deadline-oriented, and • Computer-literate. Finally, because your bookkeeper will handle cash, financial records and proprietary information, potential hires must be trustworthy and above reproach. Conduct thorough background and credit checks on anyone you’re seriously considering, including following up on any references. Get what you need Many organizations hire a bookkeeper because other staff members don’t have the necessary accounting skills. If you’re in that situation, you may wonder how you can judge the accounting acumen of bookkeeper candidates. We can help you define the role and provide advice on hiring the bookkeeper that meets your needs. © 2018