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Lead & Opportunity Management

Document Type: Procedure
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: February 2026
Distribute To: Business Development, Estimators, Principals

Purpose​

Establish procedures for tracking leads, opportunities, and the bid pipeline to improve win rates and business development effectiveness.

Lead Management Overview​

Why Track Leads?​

Without tracking:

  • Opportunities fall through cracks
  • Follow-up inconsistent
  • Win rate unknown
  • Revenue unpredictable
  • Relationships neglected

With tracking:

  • No opportunities missed
  • Systematic follow-up
  • Data-driven decisions
  • Accurate forecasting
  • Relationship building

Lead Sources​

Where Leads Come From:​

SourceTypeAction
ReferralsWarmHigh priority follow-up
Existing clientsRepeatRelationship maintenance
Plan roomsColdQualification needed
Bid invitationsWarmRespond promptly
WebsiteCold/WarmQualify and respond
NetworkingWarmFollow-up system
Cold outreachColdNurture campaign

Track Lead Sources:​

  • Know where business comes from
  • Invest in best-performing sources
  • Measure marketing effectiveness

Lead Qualification​

Qualify Before Investing Time:​

BANT Framework:

  • Budget: Do they have money?
  • Authority: Decision maker?
  • Need: Real project, real need?
  • Timing: When will they decide?

Qualification Questions:​

QuestionWhy It Matters
What's the project?Scope fit
What's the budget?Size fit
When is bid due?Timing/capacity
Who's the decision maker?Relationship target
What's the timeline?Resource planning
Are you bidding to others?Competition level
What's driving the project?Urgency/motivation

Lead Scoring:​

FactorPoints
Referral+10
Repeat client+15
Budget matches sweet spot+10
Timeline aligns+5
Decision maker engaged+10
Limited competition+5

High score (35+): Prioritize Medium (20-34): Standard pursuit Low (under 20): Evaluate carefully

Pipeline Stages​

Construction Sales Pipeline:​

Lead → Qualified → Pursuing → Bid Submitted → 
Negotiating → Won/Lost → Project → Repeat

Stage Definitions:​

StageDefinitionNext Action
LeadOpportunity identifiedQualify
QualifiedMeets criteria, worth pursuingGo/No-Go decision
PursuingCommitted to bidPrepare estimate
Bid SubmittedBid deliveredFollow up
NegotiatingIn discussionsClose
WonContract awardedProject setup
LostDid not winDebrief

Pipeline Management​

Weekly Pipeline Review:​

Review Each Opportunity:

  • Stage accurate?
  • Next action clear?
  • Timeline on track?
  • Resources allocated?
  • Follow-up needed?

Pipeline Metrics:​

MetricFormulaBenchmark
Win RateWon ÷ Submitted20-35%
Hit RateWon ÷ Qualified10-20%
Average Deal SizeTotal Won ÷ # WonTrack trend
Sales CycleDays Lead → CloseTrack trend
Pipeline ValueSum of Pursuing × Win%Forecast

CRM Best Practices​

Every Opportunity Should Have:​

  • Project name
  • Client/contact
  • Estimated value
  • Bid date
  • Current stage
  • Next action
  • Owner (who's responsible)
  • Last activity date

Update Regularly:​

  • After every client interaction
  • When stage changes
  • When new information learned
  • Weekly at minimum

Software Integration:​

CRM.Construction:

  • Pipeline tracking
  • Bid calendar
  • Follow-up reminders
  • Win/loss analytics
  • Client relationship history
  • Proposal tracking

Follow-Up System​

After Initial Contact:​

  • Same day: Send thank you/recap
  • 2-3 days: Follow up if no response
  • 1 week: Check status
  • 2 weeks: Re-engage

After Bid Submission:​

  • Day 1: Confirm receipt
  • Week 1: Check for questions
  • Week 2: Status inquiry
  • Award date: Follow up

Cadence Examples:​

ScenarioFollow-up
Hot leadEvery 2-3 days
Active bidWeekly
Pending decision2x per week
Lost bid2 weeks (debrief), quarterly (relationship)
Won projectMonthly (satisfaction)

Win/Loss Analysis​

When You Win:​

  • What made us competitive?
  • What did client value?
  • How can we replicate?
  • Update CRM with lessons

When You Lose:​

Debrief Questions:

  • Who won?
  • What was winning price?
  • What was deciding factor?
  • What could we improve?
  • Relationship for future?

Track Win/Loss Reasons:​

ReasonTrack
PriceToo high, too low, competitive
RelationshipStrong, new, incumbent won
CapabilityRight fit, lacking experience
ScheduleMet needs, couldn't accommodate
ProposalStrong, weak, missing elements

Lead Tracking Log​

================================================================
              LEAD/OPPORTUNITY LOG
================================================================

Lead ID: ______________  Date: ____________

================================================================

PROJECT INFORMATION:
Project Name: ______________________________________________
Client: ___________________________________________________
Contact: ________________________  Phone: __________________
Email: ____________________________________________________
Estimated Value: $_________________________________________
Bid Due Date: _____________________________________________
Project Start: ____________________________________________

================================================================

QUALIFICATION:
☐ Budget confirmed
☐ Decision maker identified
☐ Timeline fits
☐ Within capabilities

Lead Score: _______ / 50

================================================================

PIPELINE STATUS:
☐ Lead  ☐ Qualified  ☐ Pursuing  ☐ Submitted  ☐ Won  ☐ Lost

================================================================

ACTIVITY LOG:
| Date | Activity | Next Action | Due |
|------|----------|-------------|-----|
|      |          |             |     |
|      |          |             |     |

================================================================

Assigned To: ______________________________________________

================================================================
  • Bid Pursuit (Go/No-Go)
  • Estimating Standards
  • Proposal Preparation
  • Client Relationship Management

Software Integration​

CRM.Construction:

  • Full pipeline management
  • Bid tracking
  • Follow-up automation
  • Win/loss analytics
  • Proposal tracking
  • Client database
  • Activity logging

Template provided by support.construction. Systematic lead management drives growth.