Enter the 2015 the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition

Northern Ireland entrepreneurs could get a huge cash boost for their business, thanks to a total prize fund of €280,000 being offered by the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition 2015, which is now open for entries.  For further details visit www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn.  The deadline for submissions is 29 May 2015.

More than just a competition

With a cash prize fund of €280,000 up for grabs, Seedcorn provides a great opportunity for early stage and new start companies in Northern Ireland.  However, entrants can get so much more out of the experience, such as invaluable guidance, tips and advice from experts, investors and other entrepreneurs.  They will get guidance on how to improve their business plan and investment pitch as well as how best to demonstrate to investors that their business is worth investing in.

The importance of becoming investor ready

Seedcorn encourages and assists the best start-ups on the island to become investor ready.  The purpose of business plans and slide decks as part of the competition is to make the investment case for a prospective investor – how might their investment today multiply in value in the next 3-5 years?  The Seedcorn process is designed to help great start-ups develop those compelling investment cases.

Seedcorn

InterTradeIreland has supported more than 2,150 enterprising companies through the Seedcorn process in previous years, with former finalists going on to secure more than €187m worth of new equity. Past winners from Northern Ireland include Catagen and Sophia Search from Belfast, who were overall winners and Jenarron Therapeutics, Dunmurray; See. Sense, Newtownards and Cirdan Imaging, Lisburn, who were regional winners.

Businesses can enter in one of the two categories; new start or early stage and there are four regions; Northern Ireland, Dublin (City & County), Munster, and Connacht & Leinster (including counties Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan).

The process

Companies submit their application along with a visual representation of the business idea. Shortlisted companies are invited to submit a full business plan and, if successful, are invited to deliver an investment pitch in front of the judging panel comprising of venture capitalists, business angels and some of the island’s leading industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Throughout each stage of the competition, companies will be judged on various criteria including financial performance, company milestones and achievements, future strategy for the business, the management team in place, and indeed the quality of the pitch to the judging panel. Feedback is provided to companies at each stage of the competition process.

Free workshops

InterTradeIreland is hosting a series of free workshops designed to guide those considering entering this year’s competition, including providing advice on preparation of video clips, presentation slide decks and business plans.  Workshops are planned for Belfast on 22 April at Ulster University and NISP and in Derry~Londonderry on 30 April at NISP. More information on the workshops can be found on the InterTradeIreland website www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn

Follow the action

You can follow all the action throughout the 2015 competition by searching for and using #seedcorn and following @iti_seedcorn

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[Event] The Impact Series – Building an Inclusive Recovery

Social Entrepreneurs Ireland are delighted to invite you to join us for the next event in our exciting speaker series which will focus on the theme “Building an Inclusive Recovery”.

Date: Tuesday 28th April | Venue: Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 8 |
Doors open: 6.30pm, First speaker: 6.45pm

As Ireland moves towards recovery, are we in danger of leaving behind the most vulnerable members of society? How can we ensure we build an inclusive society for all?

This Impact Series shines a light on leading visionaries who are pioneering innovative solutions to build a more inclusive society – a society which supports people on the margins and ensures they receive very opportunity to reach their greatest potential.

Each of the speakers below will use their unique experience to inspire and challenge us all to think differently about how we might build an inclusive recovery. By sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience, and most importantly their vision, they will demonstrate how their individual projects and experiences are having a lasting impact on the lives of those they support.

Speakers:

  • Welcome Address: Kevin Humphreys, T.D., Minister of State at Department of Social Protection
  • Graham Jones, Founder, Solas Project and SEI Elevator Awardee 2013
  • Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, Visionary and Social Innovator, Founder of Focus Ireland
  • Elizabeth Waters, Founder Virtual Community College and SEI Impact Awardee 2014
  • Lynn Ruane, Graduate of An Cosán & President-elect of Trinity College Students’ Union

Ticket price is a donation of your choice when you book online (or €15 on the door). All ticket proceeds will go towards The Minnovation Fund which will be given to one high potential start-up social entrepreneur on the night. Further details on how to apply to pitch are provided below.

For further information and to register for tickets click here: http://theimpactseries6.eventbrite.ie

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Deko Foods – Ethnic Food Producer to Create 20 Jobs in Meath

Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English TD welcomed the announcement that a UK-based company will establish operations in Meath, creating 20 jobs.

The jobs being created are with white-label ethnic food producers Deko Foods Ltd.

The company was introduced to Ireland through ConnectIreland, the company responsible for delivering the Government’s Succeed in Ireland initiative, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, in association with IDA Ireland. Enterprise Ireland has also been instrumental in helping the company to establish in Ireland.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister Damien English, T.D., said; “I am delighted that Deko Foods has decided to establish a base in Kells.  This adds to a growing number of companies who have chosen Meath to set up their business.

ConnectIreland Project

“This announcement is another ConnectIreland project that is being supported by the enterprise agencies and is a great example of how local communities can work to win valuable new jobs for Ireland and, in particular, regional areas throughout Ireland.”

Deko Foods Ltd is a specialist white-label manufacturer catering for the Afro-Caribbean and South-American segments of the worldwide ethnic foods market. In order to meet international demand for their food and drink products, Deko Foods will establish a processing plant in Kells Business Park.

The company, which will focus on manufacturing dry, non-perishable food items at the Kells base before expanding, hopes to hire 20 employees in the coming three years. Recruitment is already underway for a number of junior positions, including full and part-time warehousing staff and administration.

CEO of Deko Foods

Yomi Aiyegbusi, Founder and CEO of Deko Foods, said: “We chose Kells, due to its close proximity to both Dublin’s seaport and airport, and also because we found a suitable premises there, ideal for our type of operation. Another incentive was the level of government support and funding provided to new businesses choosing to locate in the Kells area; it’s exceptionally higher than other regions.

“I was also introduced to several other food producers and packagers in the area, all of whom assured me that Kells and its neighbouring towns could provide the necessary resources my business requires, like the right staff. I currently need to recruit an office manager, receptionist, warehouse clerk, forklift operator and four production staff.

“Ireland is perfect for us as it has a rich agricultural heritage and because of its proximity to the UK, where we have an established consumer base. Aside from its English speaking, highly literate population and its attractive tax system, another attraction was the many incentives Ireland provides to new and foreign businesses, especially those that are export-driven or invest heavily in R&D.

“As most of our revenue is generated from export sales and we invest heavily in R&D and NPD, these were significant deciding factors for us. But the ultimate deciding factor was not only Ireland’s hospitable and relaxed nature but also because Ireland is a progressive EU nation that encourages entrepreneurship and is slowly becoming a cosmopolitan hub for not only European but world business. We wished to be part of that progress.”

The company was introduced to ConnectIreland by local Meath man Hugh Morris. Hugh previously introduced Luxembourg-based company Mafic to ConnectIreland, and the subsequently located in Kells. Simply by striking up a conversation and asking companies to consider Ireland, Hugh has now been instrumental in securing 110 jobs for his local area.

DekoJobsAnnouncement3

Kevin Stewart, Meath County Council; Joanna Murphy, COO ConnectIreland; Minister for Skills, Damien English TD; Yomi Aiyegbusi, Deko Foods; Hugh Morris, Connector; and Nick Marmion from Enterprise Ireland celebrate the announcement of 20 jobs for Kells

 

Michael McLoughlin CEO of ConnectIreland commented: “Securing companies like Deko Foods for regional areas is testament to the great work being done by connectors right across the globe. Simply by asking the question ‘have you considered Ireland’, people like Hugh are helping to create job opportunities in their own counties. This company was considering locating in Spain until Hugh introduced them to ConnectIreland.”

This announcement brings the number of projects created in Meath by ConnectIreland under the Succeed in Ireland initiative to five, creating a total of 160 jobs in the region. Four firms have located in Kells, a fifth in Gibbstown.

Michael Cantwell, Divisional Director with Enterprise Ireland added: “This is great news for Meath and EI congratulate ConnectIreland and warmly welcome this food Foreign Direct Investment from Deko Foods. Enterprise Ireland’s Food Division will continue to work with the management as they build their manufacturing operations in Ireland.”

Register as a connector and you could earn a reward of up to €1,500 per job created (maximum 100 jobs).

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Trade Show Tips

Trade shows are a great opportunity to make yourself known. You may provide a great product or service, but it won’t do anyone any good – including you – if nobody knows you’re out there. At a trade show, the time you spend interacting with potential customers is very limited, and you have to make it count.   Here are a few things that can help you jumpstart your very own ad campaign and grow your customer network.

Leave a Good Impression

Nothing can make or break you like your first point of contact with potential clients. You should be friendly and informative while also explaining the benefit of your product or service. Is your end goal a sale? Probably. But you don’t want to look like you’re desperately giving a sales pitch. Good first impressions turn into good leads. Be your best self when you interact with possible customers and let the game come to you. Which brings me to my next point…

Leave Something Behind

Put something in the hands of those you meet. Consider a custom business card or some other tangible item someone can hold onto – the nicer, the better. If you show that you care about your enterprise, it’s more likely that you’ll be taken seriously.

Press Onward

Don’t waste all of your time talking to one individual or entity. Give them something to chew on and move to the next person. A potential customer will appreciate the fact that you make an effort to talk to everyone – this shows how dedicated you are, even in a scenario where you may be rushed and overwhelmed. Keep track of the people you talk to so you can follow up at the appropriate time.

Leaving a memorable, positive impression at a trade show can do wonders for your business. It can net results that even massive advertising campaigns would be jealous of. So, whenever you go put yourself on display, remember these tips so you can let everybody know how awesome you are.

Chris Ford enjoys science fiction, writing, and hot wings. He writes for Basler Co., Inc., makers of custom Post-It products.

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Web Hosting – Unlimited Doesn’t Exist!

You may hear people often talking about unlimited web hosting. This could either be unlimited disk space, bandwidth or both.

The truth is – it doesn’t exist.

It’s a marketing technique that has been used successfully over a number of years to lure people into paying money for something which will eventually stop working for them over time.

Imagine your website as a computer. You can only fill a computer with a certain amount of data before it starts to fill up and become slow. Your website is the exactly the same.

We all know that there’s no such thing as unlimited hard drives, or unlimited bandwidth. These are finite resources that have limits. Regardless of the size of your web host, they will probably have some sort of limit along the line.

It’s all in the fine print.

Let’s be honest, have we ever fully read the fine print? We merely just click accept and continue with whatever we were doing. This is where you will get caught out.

If your website is running a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, and you suddenly get a large burst of traffic then it’s very likely that your account would be suspended, rending your website unavailable. This could mean you lose customers and could hurt your SEO efforts too.

Moving away from the ‘unlimited web hosting lie’.

There’s a vast number of web hosting services available to choose from, all offering different prices for their services. However, picking one may be difficult.

HostNinja offer managed hosting solutions (they handle all the hard work) for a respectable price, and even offer solutions for those who are running sites with WordPress. They have 100% uptime, which means your site will always be online.

Quote SBC100 to get 100% off your first 2 months, and a free migration from your old host. Visit HostNinja by visiting www.host.ninja or by emailing them at hello@host.ninja.

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Why Website Experience is Critical to Business Success

Marketers have long postulated that “your website is your best salesperson,” and this statement is probably the best way to describe the importance of having a neat and informative company website that interacts with the audience. Considering the number of internet users who browse the web to find products and services they need, it’s clear why your website needs to provide seamless user experience.

Moreover, user experience can even determine the way people perceive a brand, which is another reason why webmasters should adopt a user-centric approach to building a website. Namely, as confirmed in an earlier research by PEER 1 Hosting, 76% of ecommerce decision makers claim website experience and brand perception are directly related.

Mobile is the next conversion platform

Few years ago, building a mobile-friendly website was rather optional, while today it is an imperative for businesses large and small. Even Google is preparing to roll out a new algorithm that is supposed to affect around 50% of search results according to some estimates. This means that half of the websites out there are still not optimized for mobile display, which translates into lost visits and potential purchases from mobile devices.

Given that today web users increasingly make purchases or calls from smartphones and tablets, mobile website is one of the critical aspects of user experience that needs to be considered. In a survey mentioned above, 35% of respondents pointed that mobile device compatibility contributed to overall business, which clearly points to the importance of this.

Overall design encourages people to complete actions

Once you ensure a visitor can actually land on your website, you need to make it easy for them to navigate across your pages. Here, simplicity is the key because it enables even the first time visitors to easily understand what your website is about and how to get to the specific pages they have been looking for.

Again, different studies on user behavior reveal that if a visitor doesn’t see what he or she has been searching for immediately on the page, they are likely to leave – frustrated. This is why a well-designed company website needs to display information in readable format and ensure every call-to-action or internal link is transparent. Coupled with graphic and textual elements that successfully communicate messages relevant to user’s query, such pages are more likely to drive conversions.

Speed is critical for user retention

Slow loading pages have always been seen as a major negative user experience trigger and are the most important aspect of your website you need to optimize. As reported by Kissmetrics, 47% of users are likely to leave a website if it takes longer than 2 seconds to load, while the research by Ensighten previously proved that this also negatively affects conversion rates.

Therefore, improving page load time is critical to website success and it should be done by writing a clean code, optimizing images for faster load and minimizing HTTP requests. Furthermore, the choice of a local web hosting provider and a scalable plan that supports your growth can be another way to overcome this issue. For example, if you’re running a local business in Sydney, choosing a web hosting provider that uses Australian servers would guarantee faster page load time. The same goes for businesses in Switzerland or any other region.

These are again rather technical aspects that you need to handle, but whose overall impact may well be worth your time and effort. By making the right decisions about everything from a web hosting package to the design and development team, you can ensure the best performance of your pages and, therefore, a greater number of satisfied users.

Conclusions

Considering the extent to which people nowadays rely on the internet search, it’s unsurprising that they’re increasingly expecting seamless experience on company websites. For website owners, this means that if a website fails to load properly on different devices, your prospects are likely to abandon it and try to find relevant information elsewhere. Obviously, this may translate into a lost revenue, which is certainly a scenario every business wants to avoid.

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Common Big Problems You Have To Deal With As A Startup Owner

Opening a small business is definitely a huge achievement for a lot of people but the really big challenge is maintaining it. We are faced with various standard challenges like hiring good staff, brand building and much more. However, those that are really complicated to deal with are the ones that you need to be extremely careful with since you will need to get over them in order to grow your firm.

Client Dependence

In the event that you have one major client that is bringing in a huge part of the income, the business is more like being an independent contractor. It is vital that you diversify a client base in order to grow your company. That is difficult if you have a really large client that does pay on time and does pay really well. Most small business owners believe that having this type of client is tremendous but on the long term, this is a huge problem.

Improper Money Management

You never know when an unexpected expense appears and if you do not have the necessary funds to pay bills, you end up bankrupt. Money management is incredibly important and too many individuals out there do not actually have the necessary skills for this. You have to be 100% sure that you build up cash reserves. While you can always deal with unexpected problems by selling a property or getting a loan, the most important thing is always being sure that you do have access to backups.

Getting Tired

Being a startup manager is something that takes up a lot of time. You have to work a lot and the hours that you are about to put in will bring in a lot of pressure. There are way too many business owners that are stuck working a lot of hours, usually a lot more than employees. The manager rarely takes time off. You have to do all that you can in order to relax. If you end up tired, you lose time, money and can end up bankrupt without realizing it.

Being Dependent On The Owner

Think about one thing: if something bad happens to you and you cannot work for 1 month, will the business still bring in the same income? If a company cannot operate properly without the founder, it is obvious that the business has an upcoming deadline. Founder dependence is really bad, especially as the business gets more clients. Compromises have to be made and that is tough for some owners.

The Balance Between Growth And Quality

The last thing we should highlight is that business growth is definitely something that an owner wants. However, managing that growth is not at all easy. Any business needs to make compromises in order to grow. In many situations you are faced with the personal engagement level that goes down with services and products. Small business owners are tied to various habits that are highly detrimental to overall growth. Scaling should always be done while maintaining brand values, which is really important.

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7 Accounting Blunders Every Small Business Needs to Avoid

Starting your own business can be an exciting as well as a nerve-wracking time. Exciting because you have this commercial entity that is all yours and you can mold it to suit your dreams. And nerve-wracking because any mistake you make, even a minor one, can come back to haunt you.

Irrespective of the stage your business is in, the accounting function is going to be an integral and complex part of it. Several small businesses bite the dust because of their failure to handle accounts well.

No business is immune to accounting errors. Mentioned ahead are a few common accounting mistakes that all small business owners should make a note of to keep their business safeguarded.

1. A Lack of Effective Accounting Processes

Several times, entrepreneurs forget to instruct their employees and/or contractors about the systems and procedures of their business. Having rules and processes in black and white can ensure that everyone associated with the business knows about them and reduces the chances of non-adherence to important regulations.

hen setting accounting procedures, include everything –  from accepting and making payments, depositing them, documenting important papers, dealing with routine tasks like payroll and GST, and all that comes in between. This should help you stay abreast of every transaction that your business makes and result in systematic and error-free procedures.

2. Mixing Business and Personal Finances

Mingling business and personal finances can spell doom for a business. Without boundaries, your finances can get out of hand very quickly. It also makes it extremely difficult to figure out how much money you’re making and spending.

Combining the two will create difficulties at the time of filing your taxes and audits as well because all the transactions will reflect on the same statement. It can also be tricky to pick out the individual deductions for your business. With this problem, it is easy to miss out on several deductions that were actually owed to you.

3. Working Without a Budget

Want to know for sure where your business stands currently and where it could after a particular duration? Make a concrete budget instead of just “watching” over your finances. If you thought making one is complicated, think again!

Start by looking at the bills and the deposits of the last few months and add other elements to it later.

Working without a budget is a serious mistake as it leads loss of control over expenditures, and missing out on investment opportunities in case of a surplus that you’re not aware of.

4. Losing Track of Account Receivables

Every time you make a sale, be sure to bill your customers for it. When you issue an invoice, you create a receivable, which needs to be recorded. Whether you sell items for cash, or provide cash for unwanted gold, do record every detail.

Having a detailed report of accounts receivables which includes client’s information as well as all late/outstanding payments is extremely essential to be able to follow up with delinquent ones and convert your sales to cash as well as blacklist such clients.

5. Not Keeping Tabs on Expenses

It is crucial to track all your expenses as it is a fundamental part of bookkeeping. An easy and effective way of doing so is to have a dedicated bank card or credit card for making business expenditures. You can also use apps which allow you to upload transaction receipts and enter information real time for accounting purposes.

6. Not Distinguishing Between Cash Flows and Profits

In order to avoid accounting errors, it is important that you understand the difference between cash flows and profits. Your business can have positive short-term cash flow and yet not be profitable. It can also have a negative cash flow in the short term, but be profitable in the long term.

To have the exact picture of your business’s financial condition at all times, it is important to create financial statements or at least a profit & loss statement on a monthly basis.

7. Failure to Integrate Bank Accounts

It is necessary to integrate your business’s books of accounts with your business bank account on a monthly basis. Account reconciliation is quite easy. Simply compare your books with your bank statement and make sure there are no inconsistencies.  If there are, get in touch with your bank to get them resolved. Doing this helps identify and correct accounting errors before they result in major financial problems.

Conclusion

By being aware of the above mentioned accounting gaffes in your business operations, you can look forward to removing them and enabling more accurate accounting and spend less time trying to sort out the mess that these blunders leave behind.

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Japanese Electronics Company Brings European Expansion to Dublin

SMK Corporation, a multinational electro-mechanical component manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo Japan is to establish a new European Headquarters in Dublin.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD today (Thursday, April 9) announced that the Japanese company will create 11 jobs over three years.

SMK designs and produces a wide range of products for the electronics sector including connectors and switches, remote control units and touch screens. Demand for SMK products is driven by the requirements of a new generation of communications devices such as smart phones and tablets, as well as a proliferation of Pay TV Services and ever-increasing Electronic content in vehicles. The company works closely with clients in new product development and boasts many household name clients in these sectors.

SMK Electronics (Europe) Limited in Ireland will co-ordinate the activities of the company’s sales and design operations in Europe and will employ seven people initially.  The new European HQ will be located at Northwood Business Park and will be overseen by Mr. Paul Evans, Corporate Executive VP.

Originally from Dublin, Mr. Evans is a 30-year veteran of SMK and in 2006 was appointed SMK’s first non-Japanese Vice President.

SMK was introduced to Ireland through ConnectIreland, the company responsible for delivering the Government’s Succeed in Ireland initiative, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, in association with IDA Ireland.

SMK1

Michael McLoughlin, CEO, ConnectIreland; Emer Cusack, Project Manager, Growth Markets Team, IDA Ireland; Minister for Jobs, Richard Bruton TD; and Paul Evans, Corporate Executive VP, SMK Corporation at the announcement that SMK will establish a European base in Dublin

 

Welcoming the announcement, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said:  “I am delighted that SMK has chosen Ireland as the location for its new European Headquarters.  The availability of talent was a key consideration for the company and once again highlights the attractiveness of Ireland’s well educated workforce to foreign direct investment.  The announcement is another ConnectIreland project supported by my Department through IDA Ireland and is another example of how companies leading in their field are establishing in Ireland.  I wish SMK every success for the future. 

Paul Evans, Corporate Executive VP, SMK Corporation said:  “We considered a number of locations for our new European Headquarters including Germany, England and the Netherlands.  We chose Ireland because of the availability of highly skilled professionals and the business friendly environment.  ConnectIreland’s support enabled us to establish our new European HQ in Dublin far more quickly than we could have in any other location we considered.   

“We expect to create seven jobs in Dublin and given the rapid growth of our business in Europe, we expect our Dublin HQ to play a central role in our expansion over the next 10 years.  As our business in Europe grows, Dublin can expect to benefit from that growth”.

SMK2

Michael McLoughlin, ConnectIreland CEO, said: “We are delighted that as SMK Corporation celebrate 90 years in business this year that they have chosen Ireland as a strategic centre for their next phase of growth in Europe.  The creation of seven financial and general management positions in the coming 12 months is very welcome and brings to over 1,100 the number of jobs created in Ireland through the Government’s Succeed in Ireland initiative. We are delighted to have worked with SMK and wish them every success in Ireland as they continue to expand their workforce to 11 over the coming three years.”

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3 Solid Steps for Defining Your Sales Process

There are three major steps for defining your sales process. First, there’s the type of contact. Second, there’s the milestones reached. Finally, there are helpful tools you can use to improve the sales process and optimize the sales cycle.

Type Of Contact

There are many types of contacts out there.

The Suspect
The suspect is a person’s name only. This is not really a hot prospect but rather someone who might be interested in listening to what you have to offer if they don’t have anything better to do. They might be interested in your product or service, but you’ve no idea and they’ve expressed no interest, so it’s anyone’s guess.

The Prospect
A prospect is a suspect that has engaged with you in one way or another. You might have handed them a business card. They might have called in about information about your service. Maybe you took them out to lunch, or maybe they know you through a friend or associate. At this stage, your job is to qualify them to see if it makes sense to do business with them.

The Lead
The lead is when a prospect becomes an actual lead – someone you could sell to. There’s a definite need there, but he or she hasn’t made a commitment yet for whatever reason. Maybe the person doesn’t have the money right now, or they have to wait until the spring or fall for additional funds to clear up.

The Customer
A customer is someone who has already bought something from you.

Milestones In The Sales Process

Milestones are stages in the sales process that are significant.

Engage
This is where you reach out to them and send them information about your company, your product or service, and your personal contact information. Provide them something of value during this stage so that you can qualify them.

Qualify
Qualification is nothing more than figuring out whether this person is a high-probability sale. A high-probability sale is one that won’t require too much effort to close and the person has the money, the interest, and the need for your product or service.

Assess
Assess whether you can really meet the person’s objectives and needs. Make sure you understand the key factors driving their decision. Are you speaking with the decision-maker? Do they really understand your value proposition, and are they looking at the competition and, if so, who?

Propose
Make a proposal. This is your offer for a sale. It includes quotes, and a formal offer to sell.

Close

If you’ve qualified the prospect properly, you shouldn’t have too much work to do in the close. Leads naturally want to buy from you when they have an immediate interest, and the money, to buy what you’re selling.

Helpful Tools

Some of the most helpful tools that will make your job easier include sales lead management tools, like this mortgage software. Basically, you want tools that will help you capture leads, followup with them, remind you to contact them, and store precious information about where the lead is in the sales cycle.

You also want your tools to simplify, rather than complicate, your life. Use that as the standard by which you judge them. Some tools won’t be worth the money, even when they cost thousands of dollars. Sometimes, free tools are your most valuable lead management asset.

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