Once a contractor has chosen their core markets, the next thing to do is define the basic stages of developing work in those markets. This funnel is the beginning of defining the whole process including:
- Workflows: All tasks and decisions required to win a project.
- Procedures: Specific how-to instructions for key tasks and decisions.
- Tools: Used to accomplish the tasks and decisions including things like software such as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management), checklists, go/no-go evaluation forms, proposal templates, etc.
- Job Roles & Responsibilities: Defining who is involved in which tasks - a responsibility matrix.
Like the funnels for change orders or recruiting talent, or the model of a contracting business, the sales funnel is just a higher level viewpoint of the different stages for winning construction projects. It will need to be adjusted for where your business is at currently, and even for specific markets. These example stages assume a contractor is playing the "Middle Game", and possibly the "Early Game" when it comes to winning projects.
- Networking
- Leads
- Opportunities - Go or No-Go?
- Sales Strategy
- Proposals & Presentation
- Win or Lose?
Self-Evaluation and Team Discussion Questions
- What do the stages in your sales funnel look like?
- What are the metrics at the top of the funnel that must be true in order to see enough good opportunities?
- How would you evaluate each stage of your sales funnel? Evaluate each stage 0-10 for the dimensions of both quality and quantity including the primary reason for your answer.
- What would a '10' look like at each stage in terms of both quality and quantity?
- If you could improve only one score at one stage that would have the biggest impact on outcomes, what would it be and why?
