Intertidal Construction — Internal Operations

The Sales Process

How every project moves from first contact to signed contract — and who is responsible at each step.

This document defines our standard sales workflow. Every lead that comes in should move through these stages in sequence, with clear ownership at each step. Nothing should fall through the cracks. When the process is followed consistently, clients get a better experience, we close more deals, and we build the institutional knowledge that makes the company scalable.
1

Roles in the Sales Process

Who owns what — and why it matters

AC
Admin / Job Coordinator
Lead intake & pipeline management

First responder when a lead comes in. Sets appointments, creates Jobtread records, executes the follow-up sequence, sends review requests after completed jobs, and tracks all lead outcomes. The connective tissue of the sales operation.

ES
Estimator / Salesperson
Consultations, proposals & closing

Attends in-home consultations, enters scope descriptions into the estimation system, walks the proposal through the review process, delivers proposals to clients, owns the follow-up sequence, and closes deals.

PM
Project Manager
Financial review & budget approval

Reviews every estimate before it reaches a client — cost assumptions, scope completeness, benchmark reasonableness, and whether the total range is an appropriate signal for this client. One of two required approvals before any proposal is released.

CS
Construction Specifier
Methods review & scope validation

Reviews construction methods, assembly selections, sequencing, and anything flagged by the estimation system's dimensional validation. Their approval signals that the how of the project has been field-validated. The second required approval before any proposal is released.

2

The Sales Workflow — 8 Stages

Every deal follows this sequence, in order, with no skipped steps

1
Lead Intake Admin / Coordinator

Lead comes in via any channel. Admin responds same day — call or email. A Jobtread record is created immediately with: source, project type, contact info, and status set to New. Appointment is scheduled.

Non-negotiable: Every lead gets a Jobtread record the day it comes in. No exceptions. This is how we know our close rate, our average deal cycle, and where we're losing business.
2
In-Home Consultation Estimator / Salesperson

Salesperson attends the appointment. Listens to what the client wants — no forms, no structured intake during the meeting. Conversation is natural. After the meeting, opens the estimation system and types a plain-language project description. Jobtread status updated to Consulted.

3
Estimation Estimator + System

The AI-assisted estimation system takes the plain-language description and generates a structured scope with construction assemblies. The salesperson walks a short decision interview to confirm the scope, then selects the appropriate budget level (L1, L2, or L3 — see Section 3). Scope is locked on completion.

4
Dual Expert Review PM + Construction Specifier

Before anything goes to the client, the scope and budget are reviewed in parallel by two people: the Project Manager reviews the financial side; the Construction Specifier reviews the methods and scope. Both approvals are required. Either reviewer can flag items for revision, which loops back to the appropriate stage. No proposal leaves without both sign-offs.

5
Proposal Delivery Estimator / Salesperson

Once both reviews are approved, the system generates the client-facing proposal package: Project Roadmap (timeline), Scope Summary (narrative of what's being built), Budget (at the appropriate level), and Selections Worksheet (every finish decision the client needs to make). Salesperson presents or sends the proposal. Jobtread status updated to Proposal Sent.

6
Follow-Up Sequence Estimator / Salesperson

A structured 5-touch follow-up sequence begins the moment the proposal is sent. Every touchpoint is logged in Jobtread. See Section 4 for the full sequence. Jobtread status updated to Follow-Up.

This is the biggest gap in most remodeling businesses. One call after a proposal is not a sales process. At our price point, clients are evaluating multiple contractors. Consistent, confident follow-up is how we win.
7
Close or Loss Estimator / Salesperson

If approved: Jobtread status → Closed — Won. Advance to contract. If lost: Jobtread status → Closed — Lost with a reason code (Price / Timing / Competitor / Scope Changed / Unresponsive). If negotiating: budget concerns loop to Stage 3; scope concerns loop to Stage 2. Full history preserved on the project record.

8
Post-Project — Referral & Review Admin / Coordinator

The day after job completion, Admin sends a personal note thanking the client, includes a direct Google review link, and asks for one referral with an incentive for any referred client who signs a contract. Referral source tracked in Jobtread. This step compounds over time — referral leads close at 2–3× the rate of paid leads.

3

The Three Budget Levels

Every estimate has a level — and every level means something specific

L1
Conceptual Budget
Accuracy: ±25–40%
Issued at the first meeting or immediately after. Answers one question: is this project worth pursuing at this price range? It is a go/no-go signal — not a number to plan a budget around.
L2
Plan-Based Allowance
Accuracy: ±10–20%
Issued when the client has decided to move forward and drawings or detailed measurements are available. This is the number a client can begin planning their financing around. Reviewed by both PM and Construction Specifier before delivery.
L3
Fully Specified Quote
Accuracy: ±3–5%
Issued when all finish selections are finalized. This is the contract number. Every line item is confirmed by both reviewers. At this stage, the number the client sees is the number they pay.
4

The 5-Touch Follow-Up Sequence

What happens between "proposal sent" and "signed contract"

Timing Action Purpose
Day 1 Confirmation call "Did you receive the proposal? Do you have any initial questions?" Confirm they have everything they need to review it.
Day 3 Value-add check-in Share something useful — a photo of a similar completed project, a relevant article, or a specific insight about their project. This touchpoint is about demonstrating expertise, not pushing for a decision.
Day 7 Formal follow-up "Where are you in your decision process? Is there anything in the proposal I can clarify?" This is the primary closing conversation.
Day 14 Last-chance outreach "We'd love to work with you — we're still available for your timeline." Express genuine interest without pressure.
Day 21 Graceful archive "We're keeping the door open whenever you're ready to move forward." Mark the deal as inactive in Jobtread with a reason code. Leave on good terms.
Every touchpoint must be logged in Jobtread with a date and brief note. If a client responds at any point and negotiates, loop back to the appropriate workflow stage. A lost deal with a recorded reason is still valuable — it tells us where to improve.
5

The Jobtread Pipeline

Every lead has a status. Every status means something specific.

New
Lead received, appointment not yet set
Consulted
Appointment done, estimation in progress
Proposal Sent
Dual review complete, proposal delivered
Follow-Up
In the 5-touch sequence
Closed — Won
Contract signed, advance to production
Closed — Lost
Record reason code before archiving
On Hold
Client pausing — note follow-up date
The rule: A lead's status in Jobtread must reflect where it actually stands — not where you think it is, and not where you left it last week. If you touched it, update it. The pipeline is only useful if it's accurate.