Opportunity Setup for General Contracting

Locate the lead that has been approved for pursuit. Confirm that its status shows it has passed qualification and that there are clear notes from discovery and any site visits.

If your system supports conversion, use the built-in function so that contact, account, and basic information are automatically copied into a new opportunity record. If not, create a new opportunity manually and link it back to the lead.

Check that the opportunity is linked to the correct client organization and primary contact. If multiple contacts are involved, identify the main decision-maker and set them as the primary contact on the opportunity.

Make sure project description, location, sector, and any critical notes from the lead are visible on the opportunity. Adjust wording if needed so that the description is clear to people who were not part of earlier conversations.

Update the lead status to show it has been converted to an opportunity, according to your company’s process. Add a note with a link to the new opportunity so future users can follow the history.

Save the new opportunity and confirm it appears in your opportunity list or pipeline view. Open it once more to ensure all key fields and linkages look correct before moving on.

Name the opportunity using your standard pattern, such as “Client – Location – Project Type” (for example, “ABC Properties – 5th Avenue – Office Renovation”). Avoid vague names like “New Project” or “Build-Out.”

Choose the correct opportunity type (for example, new construction, renovation, tenant improvement, maintenance) and the sector or market (healthcare, industrial, office, retail). Use the predefined options in the system rather than inventing new labels.

Indicate whether this opportunity is for general contracting, construction management, design-build, or another defined service. This field will help operations and estimating understand expectations later.

Choose the pipeline stage that matches where this opportunity sits now (for example, “Early Pursuit,” “Budgeting,” or “Proposal Development”) based on your company’s stage definitions. Avoid skipping stages just to move it forward.

Set the opportunity owner to the correct salesperson or business development lead. Add any key operations or estimating contacts as team members or followers so they can view and update the record as needed.

After saving, compare the new opportunity to a few existing opportunities in the system. Confirm that the naming and basic attributes follow the same pattern and adjust if needed for consistency.

Look at your notes from discovery calls and site visits for any hints about square footage, scope, budget range, and desired timing. Use this information as the starting point for your estimates.

Based on project type, size, and similar past projects, enter a preliminary contract value or value range in the opportunity. Clearly mark this as an estimate and avoid presenting it as a quote to the client.

Enter expected dates such as proposal due date, anticipated award date, and desired construction start. If dates are not yet known, use your best estimate based on client comments and industry norms, and note that they are provisional.

Estimate the construction duration in weeks or months based on scope, phasing, and similar projects. Enter this duration or an expected completion date in the appropriate field.

In the opportunity notes, write a short explanation of what assumptions you used for value and schedule (for example, “budget based on 25,000 square foot office renovation with standard finishes”). This helps others interpret the numbers.

Mark a reminder to revisit these values once you have more detailed plans, drawings, or client direction. Update the opportunity whenever you receive significantly better information.

Revisit your qualification notes, including client relationship strength, fit, competition, and how the client plans to select a contractor. Consider how these factors combine to influence your chances.

Use your company’s guidelines for setting probability at early stages (for example, 10–20 percent for early pursuit, 30–50 percent for shortlisted opportunities). Choose a number within the recommended range that reflects current information.

Decide whether this opportunity should be treated as high, medium, or low priority based on strategic importance, potential revenue, and timing. Consider whether it is an anchor project, a good filler, or something you will handle only if capacity allows.

In the notes, briefly explain why you chose this probability and priority (for example, “repeat client, negotiated opportunity, strong fit,” or “cold lead, competitive bid with unknown competitors”). This explanation will be useful in reviews.

For larger or more strategic pursuits, quickly review your proposed probability and priority with a sales or business development leader. Adjust them based on their input and experience with similar clients.

Set a reminder to revisit these values at major milestones, such as after a site visit, after submitting a proposal, or after an interview. Keep the opportunity record aligned with reality over time.

In your shared drive or document management system, create a folder using the same naming convention as the opportunity (for example, “ABC Properties – 5th Avenue – Office Renovation”). Place it in the correct year or sector directory.

Add standard subfolders such as “Client Documents,” “Internal Notes,” “Site Visit,” “Estimates,” “Drawings,” “Proposals,” and “Contracts.” Use the same structure your company uses for other opportunities so people know where to look.

Transfer any client documents, discovery notes, site visit notes, and preliminary sketches that currently live in ad-hoc locations into the appropriate subfolders. Avoid leaving key files only in email inboxes.

Assign access rights based on who needs to work on the opportunity, such as sales, estimating, and operations leads. Ensure permissions protect sensitive information while allowing the right people to collaborate.

Add a link to the root opportunity folder in the customer relationship management system so anyone viewing the opportunity can quickly access the files.

Send a short message to the people involved in the opportunity, sharing the folder link and asking them to save all new opportunity-related documents in this structure going forward.

From discovery and site visits, list everyone on the client side who has been involved so far, including owners, facility managers, user representatives, and consultants such as architects or project managers.

For each contact, decide whether they are a decision-maker, an influencer, or an end user. If you are unsure, use notes from the discovery call and ask clarifying questions in future conversations.

In the opportunity record, add each stakeholder with their role and relationship to the project (for example, “facility director – prioritizes keeping building operational,” or “finance – concerned with budget and risk”).

Note what each person has expressed as important, such as schedule, disruption, budget, design quality, or safety. These details will help you address their concerns in proposals and meetings.

If you become aware of internal dynamics (for example, tension between departments, past contractor issues), write a brief, factual note in a place that internal staff can see but that is not shared externally.

As you interact with the client and their partners, add any new stakeholders to the opportunity record and update roles and concerns as you learn more.

Look at your notes on client drivers, constraints, and frustrations with past projects or contractors. Use these points as the foundation for your positioning.

List the two or three strengths that matter most here, such as experience in that facility type, success with occupied renovations, or strong local trade partners. Avoid generic strengths that could apply to any firm.

Think about which other firms the client may be considering and what they are known for. Note where they might be stronger or weaker so you can plan how to stand out.

Draft two or three sentences that express why your firm is a good fit for this project and client, using specific, concrete reasons. This statement will guide proposal and presentation messaging later.

Enter your strategy notes and “why us” statement into the opportunity record in a clearly labeled section. Make the language clear so others can understand it without extra explanation.

For significant opportunities, share your initial strategy summary with a sales or business development leader and adjust based on their own experience with similar clients.

Check that the opportunity has the correct lead source set, matching the original lead. If it is missing or incorrect, update it to match how the client first engaged with your company.

If this opportunity came from a specific campaign, event, or referral program, select that campaign in the appropriate field or record it clearly in the notes using the standard naming convention.

If a client, architect, trade partner, or employee referred this opportunity, make sure their name and company are recorded in the referral fields. This will support proper recognition later.

Compare the opportunity’s source and campaign fields to the lead record. Correct any mismatches so reports do not show conflicting information for the same pursuit.

If this opportunity is part of a broader relationship expansion with the client, write a brief note in the opportunity explaining how it fits into the overall account strategy.

After updating, quickly run or refresh a simple report or dashboard that shows opportunities by lead source or campaign. Confirm that this opportunity appears where expected.

Based on project size, complexity, and company policy, determine whether this opportunity requires a formal review meeting or a lighter, informal handoff. Larger or higher-risk jobs usually need a more structured review.

List who should attend the review, such as the salesperson, estimating lead, potential project manager, and an operations or preconstruction leader. Include finance or leadership for very large or strategic pursuits.

Create a one-page or slide summary that includes client name, project description, location, estimated value, timing, decision process, and your initial strategy notes. This summary will keep the meeting focused.

Send a calendar invitation with a clear title (for example, “Opportunity Review – ABC 5th Avenue Office Renovation”) and attach the summary and a link to the opportunity folder. Choose a time that allows enough lead time before any proposal or budget deadlines.

In the invite description, outline the agenda: review opportunity facts, confirm fit and capacity, discuss pursuit strategy, and agree on next steps and owners. This prevents the meeting from becoming a loose discussion.

In the opportunity record, note the date and time of the review and who will attend. After the meeting takes place, you will later add decisions and action items as part of your ongoing sales process.