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When you’re a sales administrator or business manager at a service company, it’s not always easy to handle day-to-day tasks. An overwhelming amount of information, tight deadlines for invoicing, difficulty gathering data, communication issues with other departments… You have a lot on your plate. And we get it!
Here is a collection of real-life situations experienced by travel agents that you may find familiar. If so, don’t waste a minute—quickly implement our best practices to get your head above water.
CASE 1: I have lots of documents for this client!
A framework agreement, a K-bis form, a purchase order, a signed sales proposal, a document outlining billing terms, emails with instructions for this project, a change in the company name …
Risks:
- Do not file away this valuable information or put it in the wrong place.
- Do not inform your colleagues about the existence of these documents.
- In the event of an audit by the independent auditor, beunable to provide proof of the order.
Best Practices:
- Save all documents in the customer record in your ERP/CRM system. By keeping everything in one place, you make it easier for your colleagues to save and view them. Want to restrict access? No problem—access to these documents can be granted based on your application’s security levels.
- Attach the contract documents directly to the relevant cases. This will help ensure accuracy!
- Configure the types of documents expected from customers and prospects, then follow up with those who are behind schedule to ensure a high-quality process.
CASE 2 – I’m under pressure to confirm an order
The consultants are asking me to create a case to track their time, but… I don’t have the signed quote. I don’t have the client’s purchase order. AndI’m also missing the required notification…
Risks:
- Billing an incorrect amount or omitting a required reference
- Failing to follow up with sales representatives to obtain the contract documents
- Failure to comply with the rules set by the auditor or the client
- Paying a sales rep who doesn’t have the order…
Best Practices:
- Train sales representatives on the required contract details and how to link them to the customer account in your software.
- Create a provisional approval process by linking the consultant’s profile but without specifying a signature date, so that you are notified when the invoice is issued.
- Notify colleagues internally using the built-in chat feature and through the report on unsigned cases …
CASE 3 – I have a lot of information to keep track of in order to bill correctly
Each monthly service must be assigned a unique receipt number by the consultant, which must be included on the invoice. The client has a digital platform where I must upload the invoices using specific login credentials. I have to attach the consultant’s timesheet signed by the client. The invoice must include certain specific details… My head is about to explode!
Risks:
- Rejection of the invoice by the customer,
- A Negative Image of Your Company
- Extension of the payment deadline
- Immediate impact on cash flow
- Lack of cross-functional information sharing
Best Practices:
- Attach the documented process to the client file and create a note detailing the specific billing terms.
- Keep the list of email recipients for invoices up to date.
- In the case file, provide instructions to consultants directly in their activity reports. Add detailed notes for the preliminary invoice.
- Link each milestone in the package to the requirement to collect a specific document provided by the project manager (acceptance report, final acceptance report, training attendance sheet, etc.).
- Customize the display of your pro forma invoice table to show all these reminders.
CASE 4 – I get stressed out thinking about the consultants’ activity reports
It’s almost the end of the month, and I’m kicking off the closing process with the first step: collecting all the activity reports that have been 100% approved by managers—for both internal and external consultants! It’s a real obstacle course…
Risks:
- Start billing late and negatively impact cash flow.
- View certain invoices that were rejected because the gap between the invoice date and the date the customer received the invoice was too long.
- Dealing with internal tensions and wearing yourself out unnecessarily.
Best Practices:
- Set up message templates that align with internal communication guidelines, and detail the consequences of a delay as well as the procedures to follow if questions arise.
- Set up automatic reminders and/or send bulk manual reminders with a single click.
- Ensure thatconsultants receive comprehensive training during theonboarding process.
- Report habitual latecomers based on the objective evidence provided by the timestamps on activity reports.
CASE 5 – I only have 3 days to bill as much as possible
It’s the 1st of M+1, and all activity reports have been approved! I need to issue as many invoices as possible in the shortest amount of time: by billing the right customer, at the right time, for the right amount, following the right process!
Risks:
- Withstand the pressure and get around the checks.
- Wasting time on a specific case.
- Making billing errors that affect cash flow and the company’s reputation.
Best Practices:
- Announce the monthly billing cutoff schedule in advance . Remind staff of the deadlines for submitting and approving reports, as well as for providing client approvals.
- Set aside time in your calendar for billing. Manage your availability status to stay focused on your tasks without being interrupted.
- Start by handling the simple invoices first: time-and-material invoices that don’t require client approval, subscriptions, fixed-rate invoices with set due dates, etc. …
- Use your software’s chat feature to follow up with sales reps and project managers about missing documents.
- Establish an escalation process in case certain important invoices cannot be issued, in order to limit accrued revenue.
Stay calm and invoice with Veryswing solutions!
Implementing an ERP system tailored to your business and industry can truly be a game-changer for sales administration. Discover all the key benefits and features of an ERP system to optimize your sales administration here.
At Veryswing, we work with our clients to help sales and administrative staff improve their efficiency and customer relationship management. The billing modules included in our VSActivity and VSPortage software packages offer all the features necessary for seamless business management:
- Fast Billing module to prepare your invoices very quickly and without errors;
- CRM included to centralize data and access sales documents associated with each customer record;
- Automatic alerts and notificationsso you don’t forget anything;
- Built-in chat for easy communication with other departments;
- Invoicing Reports for Clarity: reports, charts, and metrics for tracking invoicing, outstanding Deferred Revenue/Accrued revenue balances, payment terms, and more…
Does that sound too good to be true?
Come on, take the plunge and try our solutions. It’s free and there’s no obligation. As they say, “100% of winners took a chance!”
