Learning goal
After this lesson you can assign every open task to one of four phases, adjust the order with four corrections and derive a weekly list that starts with the tasks closest to your next payment received – without neglecting new business.
The four phases
There are varying numbers of steps between a task and money in the account. The model ranks tasks by these steps – from back to front:
- Collect
- The money is earned but not there yet: invoices due, billable work, unclear payment paths. One step to payment received.
- Close
- The customer is there, the decision is missing: open quotes, interested contacts with no next step. Two to three steps.
- Expand
- The customer knows you, the need hasn't been discussed yet: existing customers, renewals, reactivations. Several steps, but with a head start on trust.
- Win
- Nobody knows you yet: build demand, answer inquiries and qualify them. The most steps – and the longest-lasting effect.
The order doesn't mean “winning doesn't matter.” It means: if you have an hour today, collecting brings in money fastest. Winning needs its fixed time, but it doesn't displace collecting just because it's more exciting.
Four adjustments
The phase is the first sorting key. Four corrections can move a task forward or back:
- Time window: Does the task expire? A renewal that runs out next week moves ahead of an invoice that falls due next month.
- Amount: In the same phase, the larger amount first, if it's realistic.
- Chance: How likely is the outcome? A quote with an active customer comes before one that has been silent for weeks.
- Effort: A task that takes ten minutes can move ahead of one that needs a day of preparation.
An example
On Monday, an agency owner has six open items: (a) an overdue invoice for €3,200, (b) a quote for €18,000 that has gone unanswered for five weeks, (c) a maintenance contract worth €6,000 per year that expires in nine days, (d) an existing customer who asked for a conversation about next year, (e) three new inquiries from yesterday, and (f) the idea for a LinkedIn series.
By phase: a (Collect), b (Close), c and d (Expand), e and f (Win). After adjustments: c moves to first place because of the time window, a follows (short call, low effort), e moves ahead of b because new inquiries lose chance with every day of waiting, while b has a low chance after five weeks of silence – b gets a clear decision question, but not a whole morning. d gets scheduled. f gets its fixed weekly slot on Thursday afternoon and is not cut.
Exercise
- 01List ten open tasks that relate to revenue or money.
- 02Assign each one to a phase: Collect, Close, Expand, Win.
- 03For each task, note the time window, amount, chance (high/medium/low) and effort (minutes/hours/days).
- 04Sort by phase, then adjust. Write down the new order.
- 05Schedule the first five into the week – with day and time. Also reserve a fixed time for Win.
Reflection aid
- Is there a task from “Collect” behind one from “Win” in your list? Then check whether an adjustment justifies that – or whether only attractiveness decided.
- Does every task have an amount? If you don’t know it, you can’t prioritize it.
- Is your Win time blocked in your calendar? If not, it will be gone in two weeks.
The next lesson shows how to make the “Close” phase steerable: with stage criteria, next step, owner, and date.
