Construction
Contractors and construction firms where enquiries vary from small works to tender-scale opportunities.
Construction sales teams juggle reactive small works, negotiated refurbishments, and formal tenders with different timelines and documentation needs. Treating a £2,000 repair like a £200,000 tender wastes estimator time; treating a tender like a phone quote loses credibility. Workflow design here is about matching enquiry type to the right response path and keeping long-cycle opportunities warm without manual chasing.
Common lead sources
- Website project enquiry and contact forms
- Architect, QS, and trade partner referrals
- Tender portals, email RFQs, and framework invitations
- Direct phone calls and site visit requests from existing clients
- LinkedIn and industry network introductions
- Repeat maintenance and defect enquiries from completed projects
Common operational problems
- Small works and tender enquiries enter the same sales process with identical response-time targets.
- Estimators follow up on sent pricing inconsistently across project managers.
- Drawings, specs, and client briefs sit in email threads, not on the opportunity record.
- Six-month decision cycles go quiet with no structured touchpoints.
- Site teams on active projects cannot respond to new enquiries for days.
- Subcontractor availability is not checked before promising start dates.
Typical qualification criteria
- Project type: new build, refurbishment, maintenance, or remedial
- Estimated value band and location
- Planning stage: concept, tender, or ready to start
- Decision-maker role: client, architect, main contractor, or FM
- Competitive tender versus negotiated direct enquiry
- CDM, insurance, and accreditation requirements for the contract
- Realistic programme and access dates
Recommended workflows
- Initial triage form before estimator time is allocated
- Document checklist: drawings, spec, photos, existing reports
- Quote ageing alerts with different cadence for tenders versus small works
- Long-cycle nurture: monthly check-ins with useful content, not generic blasts
- Tender outcome logging (won, lost, withdrawn) for sales process learning
- Reactivation of lapsed enquiries when planning permission or funding lands
Communication channels
- Email for tender documents, clarifications, and formal pricing
- Phone for relationship-led enquiries and complex scope discussions
- Portal uploads where clients use document-sharing platforms
- SMS sparingly for appointment confirmations on site visits only
Reporting focus
- Enquiry to qualified opportunity rate by project size band
- Quote sent to instruction ratio by estimator and source
- Average days in each sales process stage (triage, estimating, sent, negotiating)
- Tender win rate where outcomes are recorded
- Estimator utilisation: qualified opps per week versus quotes issued
Examples reflect common construction sales patterns. Final workflows are customised to your contract types, accreditations, and compliance requirements. We do not claim specialist construction consultancy status.
Relevant services
Find out what your business is losing
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