New Lead Intake for General Contracting

Document every way a lead can arrive: website forms, generic sales email, individual sales email addresses, main office phone line, direct mobile calls, walk-ins, social media messages, and bid platforms. Make sure you have access to monitor each of these channels or know who does.

Assign specific people to watch each channel (for example, a sales coordinator monitors shared inboxes and web form alerts, reception monitors the main phone, and salespeople monitor their direct lines). Define how often each channel must be checked during business hours (for example, at least every hour).

For web forms and shared inboxes, set up email or system notifications when a new inquiry arrives. For bid platforms, ensure you are subscribed to the appropriate opportunity alerts. Test notifications to confirm they go to the right people.

For each channel, write a short checklist of what to do when a new inquiry appears (for example, “log in CRM, confirm contact details, send receipt email”). This keeps intake consistent even if different staff handle it on different days.

During the day, check each assigned channel at the agreed frequency. As soon as you see a new inquiry, note down the basic details or leave the message open so you can move immediately to lead record creation in the next task.

If an inquiry is clearly urgent (tight bid deadline, client says “need a price this week”), flag it as high priority and, in addition to normal intake steps, notify the appropriate sales or estimating leader right away by phone or direct message.

Log into the agreed system where all leads are tracked. Navigate to the “New Lead” or equivalent screen. Confirm you are in the correct environment (production, not a test area) and that you have permissions to create records.

Fill in the top-level fields such as lead name, company name, contact person, phone number, email address, and how the lead arrived (for example, “website form” or “phone call”). Use proper capitalization and check spelling, especially for company names.

Review the original message or notes from the call and paste or type in any project name, site location, rough timing, and any stated budget or urgency. If the lead came in by phone, type your call notes directly into the lead description field while details are fresh.

If your system uses tags or categories (for example, “new client prospect,” “existing client new project,” or sector tags like “healthcare”), select the most accurate options based on what you know so far. Do not guess about sectors you are unsure of; leave them blank for now if necessary.

Save the new lead record and confirm it appears in the correct lead list or view. Open the lead once more to ensure all required fields are filled, and that nothing important was left in a scratch pad or notebook instead of the system.

If the inquiry lives in email or a web submission, attach the email to the lead record or add a link to the source where your tools allow it. This makes it easy for others to see the original wording and any attachments.

Before finalizing the new lead, use the CRM search to look for the company name using common variations (for example, “ABC Development,” “ABC Dev,” “ABC Development, Inc.”). Pay attention to spelling differences and punctuation that might hide existing records.

Search by the contact’s email address and last name to see if they are already in the system. If a contact record exists, open it to confirm this is the same person and not someone with a similar name at another company.

If existing account and contact records match the new lead, link the new lead to those records instead of creating new ones. If you are unsure whether two records are the same entity, check with the salesperson or business development manager who owns that account.

If you discover clearly duplicated contact or account records, follow your company’s merge procedure to combine them. Keep the most complete, up-to-date information during the merge. If you are not authorized to merge, flag the duplicates for the CRM administrator.

Once you know which account and contact records are correct, update the new lead to point to those records. Remove any temporary or mistaken records you might have created when first entering data.

If you cleaned up duplicates or made a judgment call about which record to use, add a short note in the lead or account record explaining what you did. This helps future users understand why records are linked the way they are.

Double-check the spelling of the person’s first and last name and the company name against the original inquiry, email signature, or business card. Correct any typos in the CRM so future messages look professional.

Fill in all available fields such as direct phone number, mobile number, email address, and mailing address if provided. If information is missing, leave fields blank rather than guessing or using placeholders.

If the contact mentions a preferred contact channel or time (for example, “email is best,” or “call after 3 p.m.”), record this in the designated field or in a clear note on the contact record. This helps whoever follows up choose the right method.

If the contact indicates any special communication needs (for example, they prefer written communication due to hearing issues), make a brief note in a visible part of the record so the follow-up person is aware and can respond appropriately.

Check that the email address is in a valid format and that phone numbers include the correct area code and country code if relevant. Correct obvious mistakes, and if you are unsure, plan to confirm during the first call.

Save your changes and ensure the contact record is correctly linked to the lead. Confirm that anyone opening the lead will see the full contact details without having to search elsewhere.

Re-read the original email, web form, or call notes and highlight any details about the project site, building type, size, and timing. Pay attention to attachments such as preliminary drawings or requests for proposal that may contain key information.

In the lead record, fill in the project city, state or province, and specific site address if known. If the contact only knows the general area (for example, “north side of town”), record that description so it can be refined later.

Use available fields or notes to indicate what type of work is being discussed (for example, ground-up construction, tenant improvement, renovation, addition) and the type of facility (office, warehouse, medical, retail). If you are unsure, write the description exactly as the client stated it.

If the client provides square footage, number of floors, or a rough budget range, record those details. If they do not, leave those fields blank rather than guessing. A later qualification step can estimate size based on additional discussion.

Record any stated timing such as “need pricing by [date],” “hoping to start construction in [month],” or “planning for next year.” Note any formal deadlines for proposal submission that appear in attached documents.

If the inquiry includes plans, sketches, or a formal request for proposal, attach these files to the lead or store them in the correct project folder and link from the lead. This ensures the sales and estimating teams can find them quickly.

Look at the origin of the inquiry: which email address it came to, which form was used, who made the introduction, or which event or platform generated it. Use this concrete information to select the appropriate lead source.

In the lead record, choose the most accurate lead source option from the predefined list (for example, “Website,” “Existing Client,” “Referral – Architect,” “Trade Show or Event,” “Bid Platform”). Avoid using “Other” unless none of the options truly fit.

If someone introduced the lead (for example, a past client, architect, or trade partner), record their name and company in the referrer fields or a clearly labeled note. This allows you to track and later thank people who send work your way.

If the lead clearly came from a specific marketing campaign (for example, a named email campaign or event), select the appropriate campaign in the CRM or note it in the lead. Use standard campaign names so reporting is accurate.

Before moving on, confirm that both lead source and, where relevant, campaign fields are not blank. Correct any obvious mismatches (for example, a website form submission marked as “Phone Inquiry”).

Save the lead and, if possible, preview a lead source report or view to confirm that the new record appears under the correct category. This helps you catch source errors early.

Locate the original inquiry email, any replies, attached documents, and separate files the contact may have sent. If notes were taken during a phone call, gather those notes as well.

Using your email integration or manual upload, attach key emails to the lead record. At minimum, attach the initial inquiry and any email that includes important project details or attachments. Ensure attachments remain accessible and readable.

Store drawings, requests for proposal, and other documents in the standard project or opportunity folder structure your company uses. Name files in a consistent way that includes the company name, project name, and date.

In the lead record, add links or references to the folder where documents are stored if the system does not store files directly. This helps the sales and estimating teams get to the information quickly.

Add a short note listing what documents are available (for example, “Attached: preliminary floor plan and request for proposal with due date [date]”). This saves others from hunting through files to understand what is there.

Open a sample of attached files and emails from within the lead record to confirm they open without errors and are not corrupted. Fix any broken links or missing attachments before moving on.

Based on your company’s rules, decide who should own the lead. This might be based on client relationship, sector expertise, geography, or workload. If you are unsure, ask the sales manager or business development manager to assign an owner.

In the lead record, set the “Owner” field to the chosen person. Confirm that they have access to the record and that any automatic notifications will go to them. Avoid leaving leads with a generic or unassigned owner.

If your system allows, add relevant project executives, estimators, or marketing staff as followers or team members on the lead. This ensures they can see updates and contribute when needed.

Send a short message to the lead owner summarizing the inquiry, highlighting any deadlines or unusual details. Include a link to the lead record so they can review full information quickly.

Make sure that the lead appears in any shared lead lists, pipeline views, or boards that the sales team uses in their regular meetings. This keeps everyone aligned on new opportunities in the pipeline.

For large, strategic, or unusual leads, confirm directly with the sales manager or business development manager that the right owner has been assigned and that they understand the potential importance of the opportunity.

Decide whether to respond by email or phone based on how the lead came in and any stated preferences. For web forms and emails, a reply email is usually appropriate. For phone-only inquiries, a brief follow-up email after the call can be helpful if you have the address.

Start from a standard confirmation message that includes a thank-you, a brief restatement of what they asked about, and a timeline for when someone will contact them. Customize details to reflect their specific project or question.

Before sending, check that the contact’s name, company name, and any referenced project details are correct. Make sure you are not promising a response timeline that the sales team cannot realistically meet.

Aim to send the confirmation within the same business day, and sooner if the inquiry is time-sensitive. Timely acknowledgment can set you apart from competitors who are slower to respond.

Note in the lead record that the confirmation was sent, including the date and method (for example, “confirmation email sent on [date]”). If possible, attach a copy of the message or store it in the email integration.

If the content of the inquiry suggests a tight deadline or critical need, clearly mark this in the lead record and mention it in your note to the lead owner so they know a faster response is expected.

Decide what the first real step should be for the lead owner. Common next actions might be to schedule a discovery call, request missing information, review attached documents, or determine whether the lead should move into formal qualification.

Within the lead record, create a task that clearly states the action (for example, “Call to schedule discovery call,” or “Review request for proposal and confirm bid intent”). Link the task to the lead so it appears in that owner’s task list.

Set the task owner to the same person who owns the lead. Avoid assigning follow-up tasks to generic roles or leaving them unassigned; this leads to confusion and missed actions.

Choose a due date that matches the urgency of the inquiry and your company’s standard response times. For routine inquiries, this might be within one to two business days. For time-sensitive leads with known deadlines, set the due date sooner.

Include brief notes that will help the lead owner handle the follow-up efficiently, such as “client prefers email,” “mention past project X,” or “tight bid deadline on [date].” This saves them from re-reading all notes just to understand the context.

Before ending your intake shift or day, quickly review the list of new lead follow-up tasks created. Confirm that each new lead has at least one clear next action assigned and that there are no leads left with no task and no owner.