Lead to cash

The journey at a glance

1. Stage 1LeadEnquiry captured
2. Stage 2VisitRep meets the buyer
3. Stage 3OpportunityDeal in the pipeline
4. Stage 4QuoteRight price, first time
5. Stage 5ApprovalDiscounts signed off
6. Stage 6OrderQuote becomes order
7. Stage 7DeliveryStock out, challan made
8. Stage 8InvoiceBilled from the order
9. Stage 9CollectionMoney received

Stage by stage

1. 1 Lead

   Without software Enquiries sit in phones, emails and notebooks.

   With AIMS Every lead is logged with its source and owner.

   Customer records and activity

2. 2 Visit

   Without software Visits are remembered, not recorded.

   With AIMS Visits are planned and logged from the rep's phone.

   Mobile app

3. 3 Opportunity

   Without software Nobody knows which deals are close.

   With AIMS Deals are tracked by stage, value and close date.

   Pipeline

4. 4 Quote

   Without software Prices are copied from old quotes.

   With AIMS Each customer's agreed prices fill the quote.

   Customer-specific pricing

5. 5 Approval

   Without software Thin-margin deals slip out unnoticed.

   With AIMS Discounts below your limit go for approval first.

   Quotes and approvals

6. 6 Order

   Without software The order is retyped from the quote.

   With AIMS The accepted quote becomes the order.

   Quotes and approvals

7. 7 Delivery

   Without software Stock and deliveries are checked by phone.

   With AIMS Stock is reserved and delivered against the order.

   Inventory across locations

8. 8 Invoice

   Without software Invoices are made separately and miss items.

   With AIMS The invoice is made from the order.

   Invoicing and payments

9. 9 Collection

   Without software Outstanding payments are chased from a spreadsheet.

   With AIMS Payments are recorded against invoices, by customer.

   Collections

What builds up over time

• Every customer's history, prices and payments in one place, so each new quote is faster.
• A pipeline you can trust, because deals move only when the work is done.
• Margin protected on every quote, not checked after the month ends.

Guides on this topic

• Lead to cash, and where deals leak on the way

  The handoffs where B2B deals lose time and money between lead, quote, order, invoice and payment, and how to close each gap.

  2 min read
• Margin approvals: stop thin deals before they ship

  Why discount and margin approvals belong before the quote goes out, how to set limits that keep deals moving, and what to record.

  2 min read
• What to look for in quoting software for B2B sales

  A buyer's checklist for quoting software when you sell to other businesses, with agreed prices, approvals, versions and a clean handover to the order.

  2 min read
• Quoted vs installed: stopping material variance

  Why solar jobs use more material than quoted, where the margin goes, and how to check the site before stock leaves the store.

  2 min read

Questions you may have