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A recent study revealed that only 32% of general contractors use a customer relationship management (CRM) system for sales management, project management, or internal communication. That’s surprisingly low compared to other industries, such as real estate, with adoption rates as high as 72%. 

 

This article will explain why CRM tools are essential and how effective CRM implementation can fix many of the daily issues your construction business faces. 

 

The Construction Industry’s Need for CRM Implementation

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the failure rate for construction companies is incredibly high—96% fail within 10 years, and 83% are gone within 20 years. What’s the reason behind these statistics? 

 

  • Prospecting: many construction companies lack a formal prospecting system, so they rely on lead services (e.g., HomeAdvisor), Google Ads, local SEO, and word of mouth. Most of these leads aren’t ready to start their projects, resulting in their inquiries being overlooked in favor of those looking to start immediately.
  • Cash Flow: this is a complex problem related to struggles with generating leads and sales. Other common issues include low profits due to underbidding on projects and poor cash flow management (i.e., expenses exceeding income).
  • Organization: some construction companies don’t have the necessary procedures in place. They can be disorganized and often lack the data they need to make good decisions (e.g., which projects to accept or reject) or train their teams. This increases the cost of every project. Forget about making profits; breaking even becomes a challenge when construction companies lack proper organization.
  • Leadership: leaders who know the business but struggle to lead others often make matters worse. They’re known to choose unprofitable projects, hire inexperienced employees and subcontractors, and implement incorrect systems and procedures.
  • Supply Chain Dysfunction: it’s common for material prices to fluctuate. In an economic downturn, those price fluctuations tend to be more extreme. That’s challenging for construction companies with thin margins and inadequate systems.
  • Not Following Up: what happens once the sale is finished? What upselling or cross-selling opportunities are available? Do customers need your help with other projects? Are they willing to refer your company to other interested prospects? If your construction company battles with these questions, adopting sales CRM software can help you refine your sales pipeline management.

 

What Do These Issues Have to Do With CRM Software?

 

CRM software and its proper implementation help construction companies address each one of these issues. Here’s a brief look at the benefits of sales CRM software in construction: 

 

  • Better Lead and Opportunity Management: if you’re prospecting, implementing a CRM system helps you identify your best-converting lead sources and shows you which sales and marketing channels generate revenue.
  • Better Cash Flow Management: not generating the cash flow you need to cover your bills? With pipeline management, you can see which deals are set to close and tally the total revenue. If you’re using CRM for sales management, it should show you whether you’re on target (or not) with precise dollar amounts you can use for resource planning and forecasting revenue.
  • Precise communication with teams: Pipeline management is simple when you have a great CRM in place. Everyone gets real-time updates and consistent communication. Turf wars and information silos fade away—all company information is kept in a single platform, and everyone has (appropriate) access to the same data.
  • Use company resources efficiently: With a CRM system in place and used properly, you’ll know how to spend your resources intelligently. Top performers, money pits, and unprofitable projects will all rise to the top. Have a salesperson who’s closing 2x more deals? Now, you can assign them more resources. Lost money on the last six government projects you bid on? You’ll know why you need to reject their RFP.
  • If leadership struggles with organization, your team will struggle as well. If you’re using your CRM for construction projects, you should have a bird’s eye view of the work being done on each project, showing you who’s doing what, when, and where.
  • Your CRM should integrate with your supply chain database, giving your team the critical pricing information they need to build better estimates and eliminate supply chain dysfunction. This enables you to communicate clearly with each team member—estimators, sales reps, project managers, etc.
  • Consistent Follow-Up Via Automation in Your CRM. Your sales CRM tools should give sales reps critical next steps, sales collateral and the documentation (e.g., proposals, estimates, contracts) needed to close more deals. If you’re using your CRM properly, everything should be at your sales rep’s fingertips. 

 

Now that we’ve highlighted the benefits of having a CRM system in the construction industry, you might be ready to implement a CRM for your construction business. Let’s discuss the best practices you need to follow to ensure your team succeeds. 

 

The 7 Best Practices for Implementing Sales CRM Tools in Construction

 

Preparation is essential when it comes to CRM implementation. The more upfront preparation you do, the better. Let’s look at some important best practices you can follow during your CRM implementation.

 

     1. Setting Goals and Defining Your Objectives: 

 

Good goals are clear, precise, and objective. Great goals provoke a strong emotional response. They pick fights, stimulate intense debate, and shake things up.

 

  • Good: increasing sales revenue by 56%. 
  • Great: we’ll increase sales revenue by 56% in Q1 – Q3 to regain our #1 spot in the market; Smith Contractors poached 17% of our customers, and we want to surpass them.

You’ll want to choose the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics that are important to you at the start so you know what success looks like internally and externally.

 

     2. Verify That the CRM you Want Matches Your Goals:

 

Are you looking to increase sales revenue? Manage projects more efficiently? Do you want to improve internal communication with your team? You’ll want to define your goals and objectives in clear, measurable language.

 

As a general rule:

 

  •  Operational CRMs are focused on increasing revenue. 
  • Analytical CRMs are used to inspect and analyze key areas of your construction business. 
  • Collaborative CRMs are primarily focused on internal and external communication. 
  • Strategic CRMs offer leadership a 10,000 ft view of the business, focusing on overall performance.

 

     3. Clean and Prep Your Data:

 

You’ll want to make sure that the data you transfer from your current system to your CRM is clean, accurate, and free from duplicates. Create a plan to safely and completely transfer all your data to the new CRM safely and completely.

 

     4. Get Your Team’s Buy-In Ahead of Time:

 

If you don’t give your team a chance to weigh in, you won’t be able to earn their buy-in. When you ask for your team’s opinion, you provide them with an opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings, and objections. It does not mean you’re seeking their approval or agreement. You’re not looking for consensus; you’re allowing everyone to clear the air.

 

     5. Rally Your Team Behind The Objectives:

 

 If you’re clear on your goals and objectives and have earned their buy-in, you’ll find getting your team to commit to them much easier.

 

If you’ve done this right, you should see:

 

  • More engaged employees
  • Team members who are more willing to use your CRM tools
  • Follow construction CRM best practices.

 

You can also consider using incentives on the backend to motivate and reward your team for using the CRM as intended.

 

     6. Measure CRM Performance:

 

Use your KPIs to measure your sales statistics before and after the CRM software implementation.

 

Are you seeing consistent growth and improvements in the areas that matter most to your construction company? Do you have an administrator responsible for the maintenance, troubleshooting, and updates needed to keep things running smoothly?

 

     7. Follow CRM Best Practices Consistently:

 

These CRM best practices are simple.

 

  • First, choose the right CRM and customize it for your needs. 
  • Second, onboard and train your team appropriately. 
  • Third, identify any bottlenecks in your processes that prevent you from using your CRM as intended. 
  • Finally, take the time to integrate your CRM with the tools you’re already using and automate repetitive tasks.

Now that we know what the best practices for implementing CRM software for sales management are, we can move on to why it’s so important for construction companies to follow these best practices. 

 

Why Your Business Should Follow Best Practices for CRM Implementation

 

Many companies that attempt to adopt a CRM system fail.

 

According to CIO magazine, analysts estimated that 18% to 69% of company projects fail. This happens for various reasons—low user adoption, cost overruns, data integrity issues, technology limitations, etc. 

 

However, Scott Edinger from Harvard Business Review states that the confirmed failure rate is closer to 90%

 

He outlines why most CRM projects fail to help the companies using them: 

 

“The primary reason they miss the mark in helping companies increase revenue is that CRM systems are too often used for inspection — to report on progress, improve the accuracy of forecasts, provide visibility, predict project delivery dates, and provide a range of other business intelligence—rather than creating improvement in the sales process.

 

Improving the sales process and helping your sales team succeed should be your primary goal when implementing CRM for construction companies.  This goal is also why following best practices in your CRM implementation is so important. 


There is another issue when it comes to implementing sales CRM software in the construction industry. Many employees and subcontractors in this environment aren’t naturally tech-savvy.

 

CRM Implementation With a Tech-challenged Team

 

If you want your CRM implementation to be successful, you’ll need your team’s buy-in. But if your team is tech-challenged, they’re much more likely to fight you. 

 

How can you earn their cooperation? 

 

First thing first: address all of the elephants in the room. Be kind, helpful, and respectful by acknowledging the facts: You’re asking them to do something they don’t know how or don’t want to do, and it’s necessary to get the results you need.

 

Here’s how you can make this transition as smooth as possible for them. 

 

  • Choose a User-friendly CRM: 

 

Choose a CRM that’s tailored to the construction industry, making it simple, easy to use, and intuitive. Most people aren’t as tech-challenged as they believe. They have smartphones, tablets, and computers, so they have a lot of unconscious knowledge.  

 

  • Begin With the Basics: 

 

Don’t flood your team with a laundry list of tasks and to-dos. Instead, start with a list of critical tasks—adding contacts, sending an email, how to follow-up, etc. Focus your attention on building habits around your CRM first. 

 

  • Give Guidance and Support:

 

Provide your team with the onboarding, education, guidance, and support they need. Make requesting help a simple, easy, and reliable process. The easier it is to get help, the faster they’ll adapt to the changes you’re asking them to make. 

 

  • Accept Automation: 

 

Great CRMs provide you with a level of automation—they learn from you, telling you what to do next. They automate repetitive tasks, taking busy work off your hands and keeping you focused on high-profit activities. As always, keep it simple. Start with one or two automation, and then work up from there. 

 

  • Rely on Relevance: 

 

Many CRMs allow you to customize your dashboards and reports. Give your team simple, need-to-know information. Avoid flooding them with unnecessary data, charts, and reports. Simplifying their message makes it easier for them to focus on the details that matter most. 

 

  • Reward Your Rainmakers: 

 

Use the carrot-and-stick approach to incentivize performance. If you’re working with employees who are outperforming their peers, reward them publicly. If you’re dealing with poor performers, work with them privately.

 

Add as many benefits and rewards as possible to those who have bought in and are entirely on board. 

 

Pipeline CRM: a Leading CRM for Construction Companies

 

As we’ve seen, implementing a high-quality CRM can fix many of the issues your construction company struggles with daily. With the right approach, a robust implementation plan, and the right sales CRM software, you can give your business a fighting chance and the framework it needs to win. 

 

Consider trying Pipeline CRM, the leading construction CRM designed for builders and contractors. This user-friendly system is highly customizable and can be easily adopted by your sales team thanks to its intuitive interface and our exceptional customer support. We’re dedicated to assisting your team with software implementation every step of the way.

 

Sign up for Pipeline CRM software to get started.

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Pipedrive vs Salesforce for Construction: Which Sales CRM Should You Choose? https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/pipedrive-vs-salesforce-for-construction-crm/ Wed, 20 Nov 2024 11:31:03 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=3875 Continue reading Pipedrive vs Salesforce for Construction: Which Sales CRM Should You Choose?]]> If you manage a construction company and are considering CRM options, you’re in luck. Today, we’re comparing two heavyweights: Pipedrive vs. Salesforce. We’re taking a closer look at two of the most popular CRM products on the market.

 

We’ll compare details like features, offerings, pricing, and support. By the end of this post, you should clearly understand what you’re getting into.

 

What is Pipedrive CRM?

 

Screenshot of Pipedrive's sales CRM dashboard showcasing tools for tracking sales pipelines, optimizing leads, and automating sales processes.

 

Pipedrive is a sales CRM focused on revenue teams (e.g., sales, marketing, and customer service). It’s a well-established and highly-rated tool. Although it’s not their primary focus, Pipedrive works well for those looking for a project management or collaboration CRM. If you’re looking for a CRM that you can use for internal communication, this tool is effective.

 

Pipedrive is specifically designed for small teams.

 

Founded in 2012, Pipedrive is a stable company based in Estonia. This company has 1,000 employees, eight offices worldwide, and serves over 100,000 customers.

 

Pipedrive’s Best Features

 

  • Generate More Leads with Lead Booster: Lead Booster is an add-on for your Pipedrive CRM plan for an additional $32.50 per mo. It helps you to source leads from a database of 400 million profiles, includes a chatbot and live chat, and comes with embeddable web forms you can place on various web pages.
  • Customize Your Deal Stages: add deals, calculate their value, win probability, and expected close date. Organize and track them by your pipeline stages. Adjust these stages to suit your sales cycle, create team pipelines, and filter results by team member or stage.
  • Qualify and Score Leads with Email and Communication Tracking: get live notifications whenever prospects open and click on your emails. With internal chat integration, you can accept and route live chat requests on your website to the right sales rep.
  • Customize Pipedrive for Your Construction Company: create customizable pipelines, fields, and stages—support multiple products, currencies, and languages (e.g., Hmong, Español).
  • Switch Off Features for Efficiency: make Pipedrive your own by removing unnecessary features from your CRM platform. This minimizes clutter, keeping your team focused on the feature set that improves performance.
  • Send trackable quotes, proposals, and contracts from within Pipedrive with Smart Docs and get notified when your prospect opens them. This way, you’ll know when to request eSignatures to close deals faster. This add-on is available for an additional $32.50 per mo. If you upgrade to an eligible plan, SmartDocs are included at no charge.

 

Pipedrive: Pros and Cons

 

Pipedrive is a mature and reliable CRM. Their platform has existed for 14 years, and their product is known for its effectiveness.  Pipedrive has all the standard CRM features you’d expect, but they also lean heavily into AI and automations. Their workflow automation tools are ahead of many of their competitors, and they offer a significant degree of control over the customization that’s available to users.

 

The good news is that their platform is designed to help you sell more. However, the downside is that this focus on sales comes with a significant cost, and many of their plans have limitations.

 

They don’t offer a free plan, but they do provide a free trial, which is relatively standard. However, you might find that many of the features you want or need are either available only as add-ons (requiring an upgrade or additional spending) or are simply unavailable.

 

With their entry-level plans, customer service is limited, as are product features and reporting capabilities. There’s no phone support, so for these basic plans, you must upgrade to access anything beyond a chatbot and its knowledge base. Setting up integrations can be challenging, and there is a steep learning curve for new users, which may be problematic if your employees are not technically inclined. If you want to create and send customizable email campaigns with pre-made templates, that’s an extra $13.33 per company per mo. To upload and store your documents in your CRM account, you can use their Smart Docs as an add-on for an additional $32.50 per month.

 

Pipedrive Support

 

Pipedrive offers tiered support. You’ll need a more expensive plan to speak to someone on the phone or via live chat. If you’re running a small company or have an office full of tech-savvy do-it-yourselfers, this match is made in heaven.

If your employees and subcontractors struggle with technology, their support plans could be problematic. If live or one-on-one support is a must-have for your business, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher tier. Here’s what a user had to say about Pipedrive support in their review.

 

“Signed up for a trial as I was interested in switching away from Hubspot. However when I signed up for a trial I was hoping to speak with someone over live chat to answer a few questions. They promote the live chat throughout their site, however their live chat is completely fake. It’s just a looping answer tree with an AI bot that does not allow you to speak to a real person. Spent 20 minutes trying different answers to see if I could actually speak with someone to answer my questions and had no luck.”

 

If you look at their pricing page, you can see that their Advanced plan offers live chat, and their Power plan offers 24/7 live chat support.

 

Pipedrive Pricing Plans

 

Essential: $24 per user/mo.

Advanced: $44 per user/mo.

Professional: $64 per user/mo.

Power: $79 per user/mo.

Enterprise:  $129 per user/mo.

What is Salesforce CRM? A CRM Best for Enterprise Construction Companies

 

Screenshot of Salesforce's homepage highlighting its scalable CRM platform for connecting data, teams, and processes with AI-driven tools

 

Salesforce started as a CRM company.

 

Today, they offer CRM software and apps for analytics, AI, application development, automation, customer service, ecommerce, marketing, and sales. Their SaaS platform has become an ecosystem companies can use over the long term. If you’re looking for a platform that will grow with you and you need enterprise-level power and support behind you, Salesforce is where it’s at.

 

Founded in 1999, Salesforce is a publicly traded company and the world’s largest enterprise software company.

 

Salesforce offers more than 4,500 apps via its AppExchange. Its software ecosystem integrates with a wide variety of tools and resources across all major industries, including construction.

 

The Salesforce Ecosystem

Diagram showcasing Salesforce's product ecosystem, including core CRM, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and integration tools like Tableau and Slack.

Source: ascendix.com

 

Salesforce’s Best Features

 

  • Create Quotes and Estimates Automatically: create, customize, track, update, and report on leads automatically. Automatically account for key aspects—discounts, pricing, terms, etc.
  • Salesforce Einstein Helps you Make Better Decisions Faster: Salesforce Einstein is an integrated set of AI tools and resources that makes their platform smarter. Einstein uses data to amplify your predictive power, enabling you to make accurate decisions in less time.
  • Automated Lead Qualification and Routing: prospect data is collected and forwarded to Salesforce CRM using web capture forms. From there, each lead is scored and qualified based on the predefined criteria you set. Leads routed to your team are Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) and ready to go.
  • Salesforce’s App Ecosystem Helps Enterprises Grow Quickly: the Salesforce platform offers A to Z support for revenue teams. It’s extensive and expensive, but they’re the market leader for a reason.
  • Omni-channel Support: Salesforce offers customer support across its app ecosystem, ensuring consistent communication. If you take advantage of their apps and services, the product and support fit seamlessly together.
  • Field service management: This feature uses AI to optimize scheduling and dispatch management. Manage teams and assets in the field efficiently and provide them with the answers they need with On-site Knowledge Search.

 

Salesforce: Pros and Cons

 

Salesforce is the market leader for a reason.

 

Its scalable platform offers significant customization and provides teams with everything they need to manage projects and collaborate. It also comes with all the workflow automation and AI tools you expect from a market leader.

 

Salesforce Einstein is their AI product. With Einstein, your Construction Company can make incredibly accurate predictions based on prospect behavior.

 

Using Einstein, you can make smarter predictions about:

 

  • The prospects you pursue
  • How you approach them
  • The resources you use to close a deal.

 

Instead of wasting time on deals that are unlikely to close, Einstein helps you focus on prospects eager to spend.

 

The obvious downside with Salesforce is cost.

 

Their CRM platform and the apps in their ecosystem are all (much) more expensive than their competitors. Their implementation costs are high, which is troubling because it takes a while to see results from using Salesforce. Their platform is excellent, but the high price means you won’t see a return on investment for a long time.

 

If you’re in it for the long haul, you’re okay with that, and you have the budget, Salesforce could be a good fit for your construction company. Like Pipedrive, many advanced features require an upgrade or additional purchase.

 

Support

 

Salesforce makes support easy for users and customers. You can contact them using the channel that works best for you—live chat, email, phone, or social media. You can request callbacks, peruse their knowledge base, and work through Salesforce University and Trailhead.

 

But there’s a limit.

 

If you need extensive support, Salesforce offers support plans that start at $25 per user per month for basic support. Pricing can vary significantly depending on your company’s needs and the features you’re looking for. If you’re looking for expedited support, escalating levels of access, and access to specialized teams, expect to pay significantly more for the help you need.

 

It’s not uncommon for premium support plans to cost hundreds of dollars per user per month.

Salesforce Pricing Plans

 

  • Starter Suite: $25 per user/mo.
  • Pro Suite: $100 per user/mo.
  • Enterprise Suite: $165 per user/mo.
  • Unlimited suite: $330 per user/mo.
  • Einstein 1 Sales: $500 per user/mo.

 

Pipedrive CRM vs. Salesforce CRM: Sales CRM Features

 

Here’s our head-to-head sales CRM comparison of Pipedrive and Salesforce.

 

Pipedrive Salesforce
Multiple Pipelines Yes No (workaround available)
Custom Fields Yes Yes
Advanced Data Safeguards Yes (policy) Yes (defense in depth)
Lead Scoring Built-in Requires upgrade
Sales Automation Included Included
Team Activity Reporting Included Included
Email Drip Campaigns Requires upgrade Included
Mass Emails Requires upgrade Included
Email Tracking Requires upgrade Included (learn more)
Calling and SMS Requires integrations Limited/Requires integrations
Mobile CRM App Included Included
Quotes and Invoices Upgrade required, Pipedrive adds watermarks to your docs. Included
Popular Integration Options Quickbooks, DocuSign, Google Apps, Slack, Zapier, Outlook, Twilio 9,000+ via AppExchange

 

Our Features Verdict:

 

Salesforce is the clear winner in this matchup. If you’re managing a medium-to-large enterprise and you have the budget, team, and processes needed to operate a complex ecosystem like Salesforce, it’s probably a better fit. However, if you’re a small-to-medium company with a flexible budget, Pipedrive is a better fit. Pipedrive allows you to remove the features you don’t need and add the extras you want. You have a significant degree of control over the way your CRM operates. Just be aware that this degree of customization comes at a steep price.

 

Pipedrive CRM vs. Salesforce CRM: Which is the Better Choice?

 

If you’re a small-to-medium company looking for a reliable CRM from a market leader, Pipedrive is the better fit. Their pricing isn’t out of reach for established companies, but you should still expect to pay extra for advanced features, services, and support.

 

If you’re an enterprise or medium-sized construction company working with large amounts of data, Salesforce is the better option. Larger companies can dedicate more resources to implementation. Bigger construction companies have developers, support teams, IT, and various other specialists at their disposal. They can hire the team they need to create, migrate, and manage their data.

 

Pipeline CRM: The Best CRM for Construction Sales Pipeline Management

 

Screenshot of Pipeline CRM's homepage emphasizing its features for contractors and builders, including bid management and sales optimization.

 

Pipeline CRM is created by, built for, and run by salespeople.

 

You understand the challenges the construction industry is facing right now, and you’re under a significant amount of pressure.

 

You need to generate leads and sales in a soft market and convince clients who are also feeling the pinch financially that working with your company is the right move. On top of that, you’re doing your best to find, attract, and keep the right people in your company.

 

If your business is going to survive our current economic climate, it needs cash flow, the right people, and systems and procedures that help your company grow.

 

Pipeline CRM is optimized around one thing. Closing sales.

 

Pipeline CRM is the best construction CRM for contractors and builders. It is an easy-to-use, customizable lead management and construction sales CRM. The customer relationship management tool helps you organize and manage all job-specific data from one place—increasing your chances of winning more deals. Whether you’re in the office, on the road, or at a job site, you can take your business up a notch wherever you are.

 

Pipeline CRM is perfect for construction companies for a few simple reasons.

 

  1. Our Features Generate Revenue for You: we automate your lead, pipeline, and opportunity management. Our AI and automation handle repetitive tasks for you. You get third-party integrations and customizations that connect with the software and tools you’re already using. Create custom reports to track your team’s performance and make cash flow projections.
  2. Help When You Need It: At Pipeline CRM, earning your business is a big deal for us. Unlimited support comes standard.
  3. Our Success Depends on Yours: as a small company, we recognize that if our software doesn’t meet your needs and we can’t provide the support you require, it will reflect on us. We are dedicated to ensuring that you achieve your goals with our solutions.
  4. Your Feedback Improves Pipeline CRM: we’re hungry for your feedback, and our size means we can incorporate it into the product much faster than other CRM systems for construction companies.

 

If your construction company needs to close deals, manage follow-up, and win clients, Pipeline is a great fit. Need a precise way to manage your bids, projects, client details, and client follow-up in a centralized dashboard? Pipeline CRM is a great CRM alternative.

 

Pipeline’s Best Features

 

  • Make It Easy to Close Deals: manage leads and bids through proposals and beyond. Track all prospect and customer interactions, as well as project documents like estimates, building permits, contractor reports, contracts, and more, all in one place.
  • Customize Your Pipeline and Deal Flow: make Pipeline yours; customize your deal stages to track multiple revenue streams, like residential versus commercial deals. Create up to 25 custom fields automatically appearing on every deal page, such as primary contact, job site, or post-bid follow-up date.
  • Automate Your Sales Process: Pipeline CRM will alert you when a prospect has viewed an estimate so you can follow up with them immediately. Automations instantly notify sales managers and other team members when deals are closed and milestones are reached.
  • Get Automated Alerts for Important Events: close more deals by creating automated alerts. These alerts notify you of critical tasks, important communications, and completed milestones, requirements, and more.
  • Get to the Job Site Fast with Quick Maps​: if your team is always on the go, our geolocator can help. With one-click mapping, you can plan your route quicker and smarter, especially if multiple teams work at separate job sites.
  • Project-Specific Notes and Document Storage​: add notes to a bid while out on a job. Plus, signed contracts and invoices, contact details, pictures of the property, and anything you need to remember next time you’re at this job site for quick reference.

 

Pipeline: Pros and Cons

 

As far as CRMs go, Pipeline is scalable yet very affordable. Our CRM grows with you, providing you with the sales management automation, tools, reports, and resources you need to run your construction business efficiently. Pipeline CRM is ideal for sales-driven companies of all sizes—small, medium, or large—as it can effectively manage the workload.

 

On the other hand, that may be why it’s not the right fit for you. Since Pipeline CRM is sales-driven, it may not be the best choice if you require a different type of CRM:

 

  • Analytical CRMs focus on inspecting and analyzing key areas of your construction business.
  • Collaborative CRMs focus on internal and external communication.
  • Strategic CRMs give managers and executives a high-level view of their company.

 

If you’re looking for a CRM that shines with agile project management and internal team collaboration, Pipeline isn’t for you. We have those features (most CRMs do), but our primary focus is helping your construction business close deals and generate revenue.

 

Pipeline Support

 

We offer best-in-class customer support, as all of our plans include Unlimited Chat and Email Support for everyone. You don’t have to upgrade your plan to get help from a real person. There are no special support packages or add-ons you have to purchase and no extended Service License Agreements (SLAs) forcing you to spend more money to get help with the program you’re already paying for.

 

When you need our help, we’re ready to help you, as it should be.

 

Pipeline CRM Pricing Plans

 

  • Start plan: $25 per user per month
  • Develop plan: $33 per user per month
  • Grow plan: $49 per user per month
  • Enterprise plan: Custom

 

Pipeline CRM offers four paid plans, including a custom option for enterprise-level businesses. Pricing starts at $25, $33, and $49 per seat per month when billed annually. You can explore its powerful and simple features with a 14-day free trial before committing.

 

This means you get the same powerful features offered by Pipedrive and Salesforce at a fraction of the price.

Pipeline CRM: The Best Sales CRM Alternative to Pipedrive CRM and Salesforce CRM

 

What’s the best part about Pipeline CRM for construction companies?

 

We help you close deals.

 

You get all of the powerful features and add-ons Pipedrive and Salesforce offer, including Generative AI, workflow automation, advanced customization, lead and opportunity management, pipeline management, custom and ad hoc reporting, as well as all the core CRM features your construction company needs to thrive.

 

We’re offering nearly all the same services at a flat, low rate. We’re not adding hidden fees to increase our profits. You’ll have unlimited support from real people and unlimited file and document storage.

 

Why are we doing this?

 

We aim to earn your business by providing you with value. The more successful deals we help you close, the more likely you are to continue working with us. When you win, we win.

 

Pipedrive CRM vs. Salesforce CRM – FAQs

 

Here are some answers to common questions about Pipedrive, Salesforce, and Pipeline CRM.

 

What Should I Consider When Shopping for a CRM for Small to Medium Businesses?

 

Here are several factors you’ll want to consider. Use this list as a helpful starting point.

 

  • The Type of CRM You Need: analytical CRMs are used for reporting and inspection. Collaborative CRMs are used for internal and external communication. Operational CRMs increase revenue. Strategic CRMs give executives a high-level view of performance.
  • Total Cost of Ownership: you’ll need to research and identify the total cost of your CRM project. With SaaS platforms like Pipeline CRM, there are no hidden costs; what you see is what you get. When factoring in the total cost of ownership, you’ll want to assess factors such as monthly software costs, implementation, maintenance, training and support.
  • Identify Training and Support Needs: will your employees need onboarding and training? Do you have the necessary policies, procedures, and people in place? Are you okay with spending more money on support and training? Pipedrive and Salesforce offer support for a price. Are you comfortable with help at a price?

 

What’s the Best Alternative to Pipedrive?

 

Pipeline CRM is the best construction CRM for small to medium-sized businesses. In a head-to-head sales CRM comparison, Pipeline CRM offers everything you get with Pipedrive (and more) for less. There are no forced upgrades and no add-on avalanche. Unlimited support and all of the same features and tools you want.

 

Looking for a Sales CRM for Construction?

 

Pipedrive and Salesforce are market leaders for a reason. They’re mature tools that are used by thousands of customers.

 

If you own or manage a construction company and are evaluating your CRM options, each of these options could be an excellent choice, depending on your needs.

 

Pipedrive is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses, and Salesforce is perfect for enterprises—large construction companies with the resources, training, team, procedures, and time needed to generate a return on investment.

 

Pipeline CRM is best for small to medium-sized companies that need a construction CRM and unlimited support; it’s the perfect platform for companies that need to close deals and generate revenue today. It’s a comprehensive and affordable solution that combines powerful features without compromising quality.

 

Explore Pipeline CRM’s full range of features, or book a demo with us today.

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Top Sales KPIs Per Industry (Including Calculations) https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/industry-sales-kpis/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 09:45:37 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=3676 Continue reading Top Sales KPIs Per Industry (Including Calculations)]]>

Every industry faces unique sales challenges. Relying solely on generic sales KPIs, such as conversion rate and customer lifetime value (CLV), might obscure critical insights that can drive your business forward.

 

This article dives into 12 industry-specific sales KPIs for construction, logistics and transportation, professional services, and real estate. Plus, we’ll show you how to easily track and generate sales reports using Pipeline CRM software, helping you to streamline sales data collection and analyze its performance.

 

Sales Metrics for the Construction Industry

 

Sales Metrics for the Construction Industry

 

This includes tracking the sales performance of construction companies as well as painting, plumbing, and landscape contractors.

 

1. Cost Variance (CV)

 

Cost variance (CV) refers to the difference between the projected cost and the actual cost incurred in a construction project. Knowing this sales metric lets you identify potential cost overruns and closely track the overall project cost. Here’s how to calculate cost variance:

 

Cost Variance = Estimated Cost – Actual Cost

 

  • Estimated cost: the budgeted cost based on the project’s initial planning.
  • Actual cost: the real cost incurred for the project to complete.
  • A positive cost variance indicates that the project is under budget, while a negative cost variance means it’s over budget.

 

Related: Learn about 10 key sales metrics every sales representative should track.

 

2. Account Receivable Turnover and Accounts Payable Turnover

 

Accounts receivable turnover (ART) measures how often a construction company collects payments from clients, while accounts payable turnover (APT) indicates how efficiently it pays its suppliers. Understanding both ART and APT is crucial for effective cash flow management. By optimizing these metrics, construction businesses can improve financial health, strengthen supplier relationships, and create a more stable financial foundation.

 

Here’s how to calculate account receivable turnover:

 

Account Receivable Turnover (ART) = Net Credit Sales / [(Beginning AR Balance + Ending AR Balance) / 2]

 

  • Beginning account receivable (AR) balance: the money clients owe at the start of a specific accounting period.
  • Ending account receivable (AR) balance: the money clients owe at the end of a specific accounting period.
  • A high account receivable turnover (ART) indicates faster collections and strong cash flow.

 

For example:

 

  • A construction company generates $1,000,000 in credit sales during a year.
  • The beginning AR balance is $100,000, and the ending AR balance is $150,000.
  • Account receivable turnover = $1,000,000 / [($100,000 + $150,000) / 2] = $1,000,000 / $125,000 = 8 times. This means the construction company collected its payment from the client 8 times during the year.

 

Here’s how to calculate account payable turnover:

 

Account Payable Turnover (APT) = Total Purchases / [(Beginning AP Balance + Ending AP Balance) / 2]

 

  • Total purchases: the total money spent on a project.
  • Beginning account receivable (AR) balance: the money owed to suppliers at the start of a specific accounting period.
  • Ending account receivable (AR) balance: the money owed to suppliers at the end of a specific accounting period.
  • A high APT indicates an ability to pay bills quickly, and a low APT indicates potential financial problems.

 

For example: 

 

  • A construction company makes $1,000,000 in purchases on credit during a year.
  • The beginning AP balance is $100,000, and the ending AP balance is $80,000.
  • Account payable turnover = $1,000,000 / [($100,000 + $80,000) / 2] = $1,000,000 / $90,000 = 11.11 times. This means the construction company paid its suppliers 11.12 times during the year.

 

3. Working Capital Ratio

 

Construction businesses often face short-term expenses like material purchases and payroll. To assess their ability to cover these costs, calculating the working capital ratio is crucial. Here’s how to calculate it:

 

Working Capital Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

 

  • Current assets: including cash, accounts receivable, and other inventory that can be converted into cash (usually within a year).
  • Current liabilities: including accounts payable, loans, accrued expenses, and other debts (usually within a year).
  • An ideal working capital ratio is 1.5 or higher. A ratio below 1 indicates potential liquidity problems. 
    • For example, if the result is 1.57, your construction business has $1.57 in current assets for every $1 of current liabilities.

 

Related: Confused by sales jargon? Our A-Z glossary of sales terminology provides clear definitions for common sales terms.

 

Sales KPIs for the Logistics and Transportation Companies

 

Sales KPIs for the Logistics and Transportation Companies

 

4. Lanes Won 

 

In the logistics and transportation industries, “lanes” refer to the shipment routes between two locations. This means that “lanes won” refers to the routes a company has successfully secured to transport goods for a defined period.

 

Lanes Won = Total Number of Unique Lanes Secured

 

To get a more in-depth understanding of the metric, you can break the calculation further based on the following:

 

  • Transportation mode: truckload, air, or sea, etc.
  • Industry segmentation: food and beverage, ecommerce, or manufacturing industry.
  • Density: the number of shipments per lane to examine the profitability and utilization.

 

For example, your logistics business secures the following number of lanes in a month:

 

  • 30 truckload lanes
  • 10 air freight lanes
  • 15 sea freight lanes
  • Total lanes won = 30 + 10 + 15 = 55 lanes

 

5. Revenue Per Load

 

Revenue per load measures the average income generated from each logistics shipment. It helps assess the efficiency of operations and the effectiveness of pricing strategies in relation to overall profitability. Here’s how to calculate revenue per load:

 

Revenue Per Load (RPL) = Total Revenue / Total Number of Loads

 

  • Total revenue: all the generated revenue from shipments within a certain period.
  • Total number of loads: the total number of shipments completed within a certain period.

 

It’s difficult to set the benchmark as the ideal revenue per load differs depending on the mode of transportation, distance, weight, location, and other factors.

 

That said, here’s an example of its calculation:

 

  • Total revenue: $1,200,000
  • Total number of loads: 400 loads
  • Revenue per load = $1,200,000 / 400 loads = $3,000 per load

 

6. Sales Activity Index

 

Measuring the sales activity index allows you to assess the relationship between your logistics sales effort and sales results. In other words, how effective your sales reps are in generating paying customers.

 

There’s no standardized formula to calculate the sales activity index, as it is based on the specific sales metrics and activities you want to track. However, the common approach is as follows:

 

Sales Activity Index = Number of Sales / Number of Sales Activities

 

  • Number of sales: including the generated revenue, number of signed contracts, or new clients acquired.
  • Number of sales activities: including sales outreach (emails, calls, and texts) and the number of proposals sent.

 

It’s important to note that not all leads or sales activities contribute equally to revenue. To accurately measure sales efficiency, consider assigning different weights to different types of sales. For example, securing large contracts or acquiring new clients should be valued more highly than smaller contracts or recurring revenue.

 

Sales Metrics for Professional Services

 

Sales Metrics for Professional Services

 

This includes tracking the sales performance of agencies or consulting firms (operations, HR, management, strategy, IT, marketing, etc).

 

7. Sales Pipeline Value and Coverage

 

Sales pipeline value refers to the total expected revenue from all the active leads and opportunities in the pipeline. On the other hand, sales pipeline coverage is the ratio of the total pipeline value to the sales target or quota. Knowing your income potential helps you predict future revenue and manage resource allocation, such as marketing expenses and task prioritization.

 

Here’s how to calculate the sales pipeline coverage:

 

Sales Pipeline Coverage = Total Pipeline Value / Revenue Target

 

  • Total pipeline value: the sum of the estimated value of all the active leads in the pipeline.
  • Revenue target: the desired sales revenue for a specific period.

 

The ideal pipeline coverage is generally between 3 and 5. However, a high pipeline coverage doesn’t necessarily guarantee sales; the quality of opportunities also matters. This guide will show you how to measure lead quality.

 

For example:

 

  • Total pipeline value: $500,000
  • Revenue target (quarterly): $200,000
  • Sales pipeline coverage = $500,000 / $200,000 = 2.5.
  • This indicates that the agency has 2.5 times the required revenue in its pipeline in this specific quarter.

 

8. Billable Hours

 

Billable hours refer to the time spent working on client projects that can be charged or billed within a specific period (usually on a weekly or monthly basis). Here’s how to calculate billable hours:

 

Total Billable Hours = Total of Hours x Hourly Rate

 

Keep in mind that not all project-related activities are billable. To understand which actions are billable, here are some examples of billable hours for an advertising agency:

 

  • Creative development: project brainstorming, designing, and copywriting.
  • Account management: client meetings, project reporting, and performance analysis.
  • Social media and SEO management: content creation, email marketing, SEO optimization.

 

Here are some examples of non-billable hours:

 

  • Training and skill development, e.g., watching online courses.
  • Attending networking events.
  • Internal team meetings that don’t involve client work, e.g., dividing the workload.

 

9. Forecasted Revenue Recognition

 

Forecasting revenue recognition involves a prediction of when a company will earn income based on sales pipeline and project timelines. This is crucial for agencies to plan finances, allocate resources, and manage cash flow. The timing of revenue recognition is directly linked to how clients are charged, whether it’s by project completion, retainers, subscriptions, or performance.

 

Here’s an example of how to calculate the forecasted revenue for an advertising agency:

 

  • Project: social media campaign
  • Contract value: $100,000
  • Duration: 3 months
  • Revenue recognition method: percentage of completion
    • Phase 1 is 30%, phase 2 is 40%, phase 3 is 20%, and phase 4 is 10%.

 

Forecasted Revenue Recognition:

 

  • Month 1: $25,000 (Phase 1 completion)
  • Month 2: $40,000 (Phase 2 completion)
  • Month 3: $35,000 (Phases 3 and 4 completion)

 

Please note that this is a simplified example. When calculating the forecasted revenue recognition, you should consider dynamic factors such as project scope, delays, or early termination, which can impact the revenue recognition results.

 

Sales Metrics for the Real Estate Industry

 

Sales Metrics for the Real Estate Industry

 

This includes tracking the sales performance of real estate agents, property managers, or property developers.

 

10. Sales Volume

 

Sales volume refers to the total value of properties sold within a definite period. This sales metric helps to assess the real estate firm’s market position, agent productivity, and overall business health. Here’s how to calculate sales volume in the real estate industry:

 

Sales Volume = Property 1 Price + Property 2 Price + … + Property N Price

 

If you own a large real estate company with ​​multiple agents or offices, you can calculate sales volume per agent, per office, or by property type to get more detailed insights.

 

11. Listing-to-Meeting Ratio

 

The listing-to-meeting ratio measures how effectively a real estate agent converts initial meetings with potential clients into actual property listings. Here’s how to calculate the listing-to-meeting ratio:

 

Listing to Meeting Ration = (Number of Listing Secured / Number of Meetings Held) x 100%

 

  • Number of listings secured: the number of properties an agent or firm has successfully listed for sale.
  • Number of meetings held: the number of initial meetings or consultations held with potential sellers.

 

For example:

 

  • An agent held 16 meetings with potential sellers in a month and secured 8 listings.
  • Listing to meeting ratio = (16 / 8) x 100% = 20%

 

This means that the agent was able to convert 20% of their meetings with potential sellers into actual listings.

 

12. Commission Rate Per Sale

 

The commission rate per sale refers to the percentage of the property’s sale price given to the real estate agent as payment for their services. Here’s how to calculate the commission rate per sale:

 

Commission Rate = (Total Commission Earned / Sale Price of the Property) x 100%

 

Real estate commission rates can vary significantly based on location, market conditions, and the specific agreement between the agent and client. While the traditional commission rate often ranges from 5% to 6% of the sale price, there are alternative structures:

 

  • Commission split: this is one of the most common arrangements, where the commission is typically divided equally (50/50) between the buyer’s and seller’s agents.
  • Negotiated rates: agents and clients may agree on a custom commission rate based on the property’s value, market conditions, or the services provided.
  • Flat fees: instead of a percentage, agents may charge a fixed fee, which can be converted into an equivalent commission rate for comparison purposes.

 

For example:

 

  • The sale price is $500,000, and the total commission earned is $30,000 this quarter.
  • Commission rate = ($30,000 / $500,000) x 100% = 6%.
  • This means this real estate agent earned a 6% commission for this quarter.

 

How Pipeline CRM Reporting Keeps Your Sales KPIs Right On Track

 

One of the key benefits of using sales CRM software is the ability to easily generate reports that closely monitor your sales growth and team performance. However, most CRM systems are limited in that they can only display a few sales metrics in a single view. If you want to check additional metrics, you often have to replace the previous reports.

 

With Pipeline CRM’s new and improved reporting capabilities, you can view multiple reports in a single window. You can also adjust the size of each view (e.g., from half to full-width screen) and drag and drop the most important metrics to the top of the list.

 

How Pipeline CRM Reporting Keeps Your Sales KPIs Right On Track

 

To analyze sales performance over time, simply select a predefined time range or create a custom one. All reports in the list view will automatically adjust to the chosen timeframe. Additionally, the displayed data is dynamic, so deals no longer meeting the specified criteria will be excluded from relevant reports. For example, a deal with a status of ‘won’ will no longer appear in the ‘deals on progress’ report.

 

How Pipeline CRM Reporting Keeps Your Sales KPIs Right On Track Example 2

 

Furthermore, to analyze the sales report more deeply, simply apply the relevant filters. For instance, you can change the value measurement method from ‘sum’ to ‘average’ and display the data based on ‘project type,’ ‘owner,’ or ‘deal status.’

 

How Pipeline CRM Reporting Keeps Your Sales KPIs Right On Track Example 3

 

Other handy sales reporting features of Pipeline CRM include:

 

  • Various default report views, such as deals won, deals by stage, and activity report.
  • Create, save, and share new report views with your team.
  • Download the reports as PNGs or PDFs and schedule them to be automatically sent to your inbox based on the chosen time (e.g., every Friday morning).

 

Streamline Your Sales KPIs Reporting Process with Pipeline CRM

 

By incorporating these industry-specific sales metrics into your tracking strategy, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your business’s performance and identify areas for improvement. This empowers you to optimize your sales strategies and drive sustainable growth.

 

To simplify sales data collection and analysis, consider adopting Pipeline CRM. Our CRM software lets you easily gather and track all relevant sales metrics, delve into detailed results, and share insights with your sales team.

 

Sign up for Pipeline CRM today and experience the power of our robust sales reporting solution.

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How 3 Construction Companies Use Pipeline Sales CRM https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/construction-companies-use-cases/ Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:57:03 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=3501 Continue reading How 3 Construction Companies Use Pipeline Sales CRM]]> Every construction company owner knows how challenging it is to attract and retain customers. Since you don’t have a tangible product to convince customers, your company’s reputation is everything. 

 

So, how do you build a positive name and credibility in the construction industry? By offering quality service and building trustworthy customer relationships. Achieving these is much easier if you use a custom sales CRM for construction, like Pipeline CRM.

 

As one of the best CRMs for construction companies, Pipeline CRM has proven to improve the sales performance of three construction businesses. Who are they and how exactly does Pipeline CRM’s sales solution grow their businesses exponentially? Read on to find out. 

 

1. Reno Renovations

 

Founded in 2011, Reno Renovations specializes in preservation, restoration, and general construction. In just 13 years, it has already established itself as a trusted construction company in Chicago.

 

Challenges They Faced

 

As their operations scaled, Reno Renovations had to handle large amounts of sales data, multiple project timelines, and complex construction projects. Tackling these challenges requires efficient communication between all the stakeholders to ensure no important data slips through the cracks. 

 

Reno Renovations first went the traditional way. They tried to maintain one massive Excel spreadsheet for their sales pipeline, organized by Open, Pending Payment, and Paid deals. However, as the business grew, the system kept getting increasingly chaotic. 

 

Office Manager Jillian Shuttleworth recalled, “It was really crazy. Sometimes we’d accidentally delete things or put them in the wrong field. We couldn’t run reports.” 

 

They desperately needed a scalable construction lead management solution to organize project data and offer ample collaboration tools.

 

Features They Used

 

Reno Renovations loves Pipeline CRM’s customization: data fields, deal stages, and even dashboard colors can all be tailored to their business. Shuttleworth finds the single data source in the lead management system invaluable, allowing her to provide on-site crews with instant information.

 

“When our guys in the field call me, I can give them answers instantly. What’s the access code for this lockbox? What’s the number for that plumber we worked with last year? When is the carpet going to be delivered? There it is!”

 

Furthermore, Pipeline CRM goes beyond deal management for Reno Renovations. It empowers them to stay on top of their entire business. Every morning, as Shuttleworth describes, she starts her day by reviewing the Pipeline CRM dashboard, gaining a clear view of where each deal stands. The sales team management feature allows her to create custom to-do lists and follow up with team members to ensure timely completion of tasks.

 

This comprehensive system doesn’t stop there. Pipeline CRM’s robust sales pipeline tracker lets them visualize every deal, organize timelines, and track the progress of each bid. This empowers Reno Renovations to handle day-to-day operations efficiently while maintaining strong, long-term client relationships.

 

The Results

 

Reno Renovations trusted Pipeline’s custom CRM solution, and it paid off. Made by salespeople for salespeople, Pipeline CRM drove 10% growth for the construction company each year for the last two years. 

 

Construction company office manager Shuttleworth's comment on Pipeline CRM

 

Shuttleworth also mentioned how they effectively improved client relationships, particularly thanks to our sales pipeline tracker, “Pipeline CRM has made my life so much easier. Clients feel like we’re really on top of things, and we feel confident that we’re on top of all our deals.”

 

2. Bay Area Underpinning

 

Bay Area Underpinning is a construction company that provides foundational settlement and repair solutions to North Carolina homeowners. For the last 19 years, the organization has delivered excellent building repair services and gained their community’s trust. 

 

Challenges They Faced 

 

Bay Area Underpinning needed something more than a client database, They wanted a solution that helped them maintain seamless exchange of information between the crew and the client. For that, they had to find a CRM that integrates with Excel and other Microsoft Office tools and offers quick access to the relevant client data. 

 

Features They Used

 

In their quest for the perfect custom sales CRM for construction, the company stumbled upon Pipeline CRM and gave it a go. 

 

One of the features Bay Area Underpinning loves most is our sales pipeline management. It acts as a centralized repository for all past client interactions, notes, and documents related to each construction project. With everything readily accessible from any device, the team has all the necessary information at their fingertips. This empowers them to effortlessly guide on-site crews and ensure services perfectly align with each customer’s specific expectations.

 

Pipeline CRM also boosts team collaboration with smart task management. The office manager can schedule Estimator appointments and share key customer notes. This seamless flow lets Estimators adjust schedules, create references, and update customer details. Easy-to-view reports further empower Bay Area Underpinning to generate forecasts and manage pipelines efficiently.

 

Additionally, Pipeline CRM also fosters healthy competition with sales goal leaderboards, motivating individual sales rep performance. Automated email follow-ups ensure timely communication and eliminate guesswork about estimate delivery. This frees Bay Area Underpinning to focus on its expertise: exceptional construction services.

 

The Results

 

Thanks to our custom sales CRM for construction, Bay Area Underpinning saw a sales growth of 15 to 20%. Pipeline has also helped them strengthen their team, demonstrate top-notch work quality, and build meaningful client relationships.

 

3. A David Creation

 

Three generations of painting contractors run deep in David Chism’s family. This rich legacy fuels his marketing and consultancy firm, “A David Creation,” which specializes in helping painting contractors thrive.

 

Challenges They Faced

 

David’s mission was clear: streamline both in-office and on-site services for his construction clients, minimizing manual data entry and simplifying their lives. He knew one thing for sure – contractors craved a custom CRM built for construction. It had to be simple, easy to learn, and cater to the specific needs of painting contractors.

 

Features They Used

 

Keeping all his requirements in view, Pipeline CRM was David’s “first choice from the start.” He explained how painting contractors need only the simple and necessary features and Pipeline CRM offered them exactly that with affordable plans. 

 

A David Creation uses the lead management feature to create custom deal stages and follow the lead from start to finish. The company also improved productivity with Pipeline’s automated email campaigns CRM and project management tools. 

 

Additionally, David especially appreciates the ease of report generation on Pipeline CRM. Compared to the “super challenging” process he experienced with Salesforce, creating reports on our platform is a breeze. “I use Pipeline CRM a lot for my customers. I get in there as much as they do to run reports myself. It takes no time at all!” 

 

The Results

 

Integrating Pipeline’s custom CRM solution in its operations lets A David Creation expand its clientele and build positive customer relationships. Since 2009, Chism built a diverse client base that includes small companies with $500,000 in annual revenue as well as big names generating $20 million in revenue. In fact, 75% of David’s clients now use Pipeline CRM for their own operations. 

 

Owner of construction company A David Creation's comment on Pipeline CRM

 

An Overview of Pipeline’s Custom CRM for Construction

 

An Overview of Pipeline’s Custom CRM for Construction

 

The three construction company success stories above prove what makes Pipeline CRM the best CRM for construction companies. Here are details of our uniquely designed CRM features for construction businesses. 

 

Pipeline CRM Features

 

  • A CRM that integrates with Excel, phone dialers, and popular productivity tools
  • Sales performance tracking with multiple sales pipeline capabilities
  • Automated sales task allocation and real-time status update
  • Automated email drip campaigns
  • Task prioritization and next-step suggestions
  • Unlimited storage to save notes and documents
  • Smart mobile CRM app with geolocation and talk-to-text recording features 

 

Pipeline CRM Pricing

 

  • Start plan: $25 per user per month
  • Develop plan: $33 per user per month
  • Grow plan: $49 per user per month

 

Pipeline CRM Ratings

 

 

Unleash Your Full Potential  With Pipeline’s Custom Sales CRM for Construction

 

Follow the lead of these three construction companies and opt for Pipeline CRM’s construction lead management solution to: 

 

  • Automate sales workflow 
  • Stay on top of every client deal and customize workflow as required
  • Track individual performance and ensure everyone is on the same page
  • Improve customer relationships and grow revenue

 

From Excel spreadsheet integration to custom deal stages, Pipeline CRM is everything a construction company needs to become a trusted name in the industry. 

 

Become the best in the construction business with Pipeline CRM. Sign up for free today!

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5 Pipeline CRM Integrations to Enhance Construction Efficiency for Sales Teams https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/pipeline-crm-integrations-for-construction-companies/ Wed, 08 May 2024 13:49:45 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=3298 Continue reading 5 Pipeline CRM Integrations to Enhance Construction Efficiency for Sales Teams]]> Recent Statista reports show the global construction market was valued at $6.4 trillion in 2020 and is projected to grow to $14.4 trillion in 2030. So, if you have a construction company and you’re looking for an opportunity to scale sales and operations, this is it. 

Running a construction business isn’t a walk in the park. Let alone scaling it. Fortunately, using the best CRM for construction already cuts down manual tasks and streamlines sales-related tasks, but without proper integrations, you’re still wasting time on productivity. Going back and forth between your tools is time-consuming. 

To build a seamless workflow, you need a CRM with the right integrations, and that’s what you get with Pipeline. In this article, we will break down Pipeline’s CRM integrations for construction companies and how they can help you tackle certain tasks.

 

Importance of a Custom CRM with Multiple Integrations

 

While the industry is the same, every construction company has unique business challenges (or needs), and a generic CRM isn’t enough to accommodate them all. 

 

Here are some notable ones:

  • Project Delays: McKinsey found that 77% of construction businesses are at least 40% late delivering projects. Besides uncontrollable elements like weather, repetitive tasks, and lack of organization, they waste time and result in stagnant productivity.
  • Inadequate Communication: Maintaining seamless communication between on-site and internal teams becomes a hassle for many construction companies. It can cause problems like unrealistic expectations, tasks getting overlooked, and issues going unnoticed.
  • Cost Overruns: 98% of construction projects face cost overruns of over 30%. This is mostly caused by poor planning, inaccurate forecasting, and budgeting. A general CRM won’t fit in your existing system seamlessly to counter all these challenges with accuracy. But a construction sales CRM with an open-source API can. Need to send a quick email to a client about project changes? A custom CRM for construction companies will let you access your emails on the platform itself. Have to check the project budget before approving specific materials? You can access Quickbooks on the CRM without wasting time signing in.

 

In short, integrations can save you time and keep every necessary tool on one centralized platform. That’s why you need dependable construction CRM software like Pipeline that integrates with every popular productivity and business tool for greater convenience. This way, everything will get sent to Pipeline CRM’s dashboard directly. To explore how our CRM for construction can consolidate these tools and streamline your operations, check out our dedicated platform tailored to construction businesses.

 

Pipeline Integrations for Construction Companies

Elementor 

 

Every construction business owner knows how difficult it is to generate and manage quality leads consistently. That’s why modern construction companies rely on website forms where potential leads can submit queries. 

Elementor is a drag-and-drop editor for WordPress and other CMSs that allows you to create beautiful forms and embed them on your site. When integrated with Pipeline CRM, Elementor Forms sends all the captured leads directly to your dashboard, capturing and automating lead collection and management. It ensures that lead information is kept and noted. 

Moreover, with Zapier as a bridge between Elementor and Pipeline integrations, you can send project confirmations to leads, set up notifications, or trigger actions based on the lead’s query. 

 

QuickBooks

 

Sales forecasting and budgeting are prominent challenges for a construction company. With Pipeline CRM’s QuickBooks integration, you can overcome them easily. 

The goal here is not to do better accounting—Quickbooks does that just fine on its own. However, integrating your CRM with this popular finance management software will let you make more sales and grow your revenue. Usually, whenever a construction company closes a deal, the accountants are the last ones to get access. This can hamper invoicing and information exchange between them and the sales team. 

The Quickbooks integration will update your account team early whenever you win a deal. This helps them generate accurate invoices right at the beginning of the project, resulting in seamless and quick payments. Moreover, the integration imports customer details, products, invoices, and payment information directly to your sales CRM. 

The team can use the QuickBooks data in their Pipeline CRM for tasks like follow-ups, reminders, customer service, and business process automation.

 

Outlook

 

Microsoft Outlook is a popular productivity tool for contact management, project calendars, and emails. So, if you also use it to keep track of your upcoming projects and communicate with clients, Pipeline’s Outlook integration can simplify your efforts.

It syncs your Microsoft Outlook email messages, contacts, and calendar events on your construction CRM software. This add-on keeps your customer relationship and email efforts aligned without any extra effort. Moreover, this particular integration lets you centralize contacts, emails, and event calendars and track all communication in one place.

Pipeline also lets you choose contact categories on Outlook that you want to sync with the CRM. This includes existing clients, prospects, and other stakeholders in the construction deals. The Quickbooks integration also prevents information overlap between departments as prospects move through the sales funnel.

 

Google Apps

 

From Sheets to Chat, many businesses depend on Google apps to manage their business. If your construction company is one of them, Pipeline will fit perfectly in with your current workflow. Pipeline CRM for construction companies offers seamless Google app integrations, eliminating the need to duplicate data entry between platforms. 

With this CRM integration, you can access all customer data in one place. It removes confusing data silos, ensures every stakeholder’s access to the latest customer information, and improves team collaboration. For example, if you schedule a newly closed construction deal on Google Calendar, this Pipeline integration will sync that information directly on the dashboard and update all team members. 

 

Mailchimp

 

Frustrated with switching between your construction sales tools and Mailchimp to check your email marketing performance? Pipeline’s Mailchimp integration can save you the trouble. It ensures all your efforts are aligned—whether it’s in sales, marketing, or customer relationship management.

Now you can keep track of your segmented email lists and campaign analytics directly from one cohesive dashboard. This CRM for construction companies also stores all data and marketing communications in your account history. Your team can access them anytime, learn from past campaigns, and improve email campaigns. It will also give you an idea of the optimum follow-up time and run a targeted email marketing initiative with Mailchimp. 

 

 

CRM for Construction Companies: A Pipeline CRM Case Study

 

In Seattle, Rainier Custom Homes’ unprecedented reputation is the fruit of two generations of incredible customer service. To grow this success further, the current CEO, Steve Hettema, opted for BuilderTrend, a CRM for construction companies. 

However, it wasn’t a good fit. The software lacked contact relations management, which could have been detrimental to Rainier Custom Homes’ hard-earned customer loyalty. As Hettema used Pipeline for a previous company he ran, he decided to give our construction CRM software a shot. 

Today, the company relies on multiple Pipeline features to handle three phases of the sales process: Discovery, Preconstruction, and Build

 

This is how our CRM and integrations have helped them: 

 

  • Pipeline’s automation features notify teams about important tasks and let them contact the client at the right time. 
  • Whenever the sales team closes a new lead, the system sets off tasks automatically, from scheduling appointments to sending contracts.
  • It cued up pre-written emails about project surveys, conference call scheduling, and on-site visits. The right emails get delivered at the right time to the right person.
  • Pipeline eliminated repetitive tasks and helped the construction company set a consistent customer experience.

 

The result? 

After implementing Pipeline’s construction CRM software, Rainier Custom Homes reduced the length of their sales cycle from 130 days on average to 62 days. As the CRM was quite easy to adopt, the team got fluent with our CRM pretty quickly.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Considering the current market trends, running a construction business can be very rewarding. All you need are practical construction sales tools to help you manage data effectively. For example, you need a custom CRM and necessary integrations. 

Fortunately, Pipeline packs them all in one simple platform. 

Besides open-source APIs, our CRM for construction companies offers lead management, task automation, and email drip campaigns. You also get accurate analytics and reporting features to keep performance on track. Try it out! 

Choose your Pipeline package today and get a free 14-day trial. 

]]>
How to Nail Your Construction Sales Pitches https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/how-to-nail-construction-sales-pitches/ Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:54:31 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=3305 Continue reading How to Nail Your Construction Sales Pitches]]> What’s the secret to a winning construction sales pitch?

 

The competition for new customers in the construction business is aggressive and cutthroat. Customers today are educated, demanding, and price-conscious. If you want to nail your construction sales pitch and win new customers, it starts with construction lead management. 

 

What makes construction lead management so important? How does this improve your sales pitch? This blog will answer these questions and give tips on leveraging CRM data to improve your construction sales performance.

 

How Construction Leads Quality Impacts Sales Pitches

 

Let’s take a look at the data. According to Startup Bonsai:

 

  • 53% of marketers spend at least half of their budget on lead generation
  • Nurtured leads produce 20% more sales opportunities
  • Nurtured leads generate 50% more sales at 33% lower costs

 

This is all great news. How is any of this a problem? 

 

In the ‘How to create sales workflows that close deals 3x faster’ blog, I shared research breaking down your lead flow. Here are some key numbers:

 

  1. Only 3% of your prospects are ready to buy at any given moment
  2. Another 37% need to be nurtured
  3. A whopping 60% are unqualified leads; they’re not willing to buy

 

If you’re like most construction companies, you’re spending a significant amount of money on your leads and sales processes. However, only 3% of those leads are active buyers.

To overcome these challenges and improve your construction sales process, you’ll need to apply the following:

  • disqualify prospects quickly
  • identify prospects who need to be nurtured
  • identify the prospects who will be the most profitable for your business

 

How are you supposed to find this out? The easiest and most accurate way is to use a CRM for construction. But, before we go there, let’s learn how to create a solid construction sales pitch.

 

Construction Sales Process: The Anatomy of a (Successful) Sales Pitch

 

Construction Sales Process - The Anatomy of a (Successful) Sales Pitch

 

The Structure of a Construction Sales Pitch

 

What does a successful construction sales pitch look like? Well, for starters, it’s targeted and relevant. 

 

Building a successful sales pitch depends on a few important assumptions. They form the building blocks you’ll need to craft a compelling sales pitch that resonates with your construction prospects. Let’s take a look at these assumptions. 

 

  • You know what your prospects want
  • You’ve qualified your prospects
  • You’ve avoided predatory prospects
  • You know which prospects need to be closed or nurtured
  • Your construction sales pipeline has the precise workflows you need to win more deals

 

We can create a successful sales pitch formula if we agree on these assumptions. This sales pitch will have the following elements. 

 

  1. The prospect’s problem or dilemma (e.g., if we don’t fix this now, the cost will triple later)
  2. Specific and relevant examples of prospects with the worst-case scenario 
  3. Your solution to your prospect’s problem
  4. Case studies showing how you solved a prospect’s problem 
  5. About your company

 

This is independent of your quote or proposal. If you’d like to add a quote or proposal to this framework, add it where it makes the most sense. 

 

Examples of a Construction Sales Pitch

 

Here’s what a construction sales pitch looks like:

 

Hi Prospect, 

 

When we spoke on [date], you mentioned that you were dealing with the following issues: 

 

  • Project delays: You need this project completed within 13 months, no ifs, ands, or buts. If we don’t meet this deadline, we can’t afford to finish the project. However, if we don’t commit to this project, the cost will triple later. 
  • Cost overruns: The last time you repaired your roof, the cost was 75% cheaper. Thanks to supply chain issues, all of the other contractors are telling you the cost has increased dramatically by another 33%.
  • Meeting expectations: Construction site compliance is an important must-have for our project. Our previous contractor used subcontractors who refused to follow the rules, creating a disaster and unnecessary OSHA violations. 

 

Follow-up Actions for a Construction Sales Pitch

 

If things go well, you’ll just acquire a new client for your construction business. But what if things don’t go as planned? What happens if these issues aren’t resolved? Send a follow-up email.

 

Below, you can find two email options. You can either send one of them, or send both. Don’t forget to send the email telling a bit about your construction company, what you can do for them, and what you’ve accomplished so far.

 

Email Option 1

 

Story of ABC Corp.

 

One of our suppliers shared this story about your competitor, ABC Corp. They’re facing the same challenges outlined here.

 

Just one difference. 

 

They didn’t resolve the problem. They procrastinated, and all of the issues you mentioned you’re worried about, your worst fears, came true for them. Their project was delayed by an additional 24 months, leading to a 317% cost overrun. Their project failed to meet expectations, and many of the employees responsible for managing the project lost their jobs. It was a complete and total disaster.

Based on these, here’s what I propose. 

 

First, we have to meet your 13-month deadline. If we don’t, very bad things will happen. We’re going to restructure your project, focusing exclusively on necessities. Extras or nice-to-haves in your project will be treated as secondary. 

 

Next, we need to prevent cost overruns. This means maintaining strict financial controls over your project. Aggressively pushing for refunds and credits, using financing, and substituting materials and supplies are all important.

Finally, we’ll prioritize realistic expectations ahead of time. If we’re going to meet your deadline, this means we’ll need to avoid fuzzy, implicit, or unrealistic expectations. We need to focus on slashing and burning expenses across the board to meet XYZ’s 13-month deadline. 

[…]

 

Email Option 2

 

Case Study: XYZ Inc. comes in $253K under budget

 

The Overview 

XYZ Inc. needed to finish its roofing project in 13 months. As a property developer, they had several projects on the horizon that they needed to complete. They needed to close the book on this development project so they could begin four new development projects in the pipeline. 

 

The Problem
A looming recession meant XYZ needed to get its risky development projects out the door. If this project continued past the established deadline, they could lose as much as $334K monthly. Cost overruns with their previous developers meant they were behind schedule and over budget. 

 

The Solution

When we were hired, our project deadline was six months away. We needed to work within the budget and time constraints XYZ established. A cost overrun would jeopardize XYZ’s four subsequent projects and create a devastating and ongoing financial loss. We instituted strict financial controls to keep costs low. We found creative ways to finish the project in the required timeframe. We prevented a cost overrun by aggressively pushing for refunds on excesses, pushing for credits, using financing where available, and substituting materials and supplies.

 

The Results

We finished XYZ’s project with one and a half months left. We narrowly avoided a cost overrun after taking the project over from a previous developer. Using the insights we learned from this tough project, we found an additional cost savings of $2.3 million for their four upcoming development/roofing projects. Here’s what Alton James, Project Manager at XYZ Inc., had to say about our work on their project. 

 

“We came to you guys out of desperation. Our previous contracting team pulled out mid-project. Cost overruns became a very real concern. We weren’t going to be able to finish our project within the 13-month timeline. The financial loss and the employee turnover would have been devastating. When Stacy, your PM, told me you could dig us out of the hole, I laughed.

Four months later, here we are. Our project is actually profitable. That’s just wild.”

[…]

 

Email Ending

 

About Your Company

 

We have a guarantee.

Let us manage your project from A to Z; we’ll come in on time and under budget. Guaranteed, or we’ll pay you 25% of your project price. Our team is among the top 4% of all contractors in North America. Our workers are consistent, highly trained, and certified. Our roofing products come with:

 

  • A 50-year product warranty 
  • A 10-year workmanship warranty
  • Limited Lifetime warranty on siding 

 

Here’s the team that will manage your project.

[…]

 

Now you know how to find and nurture promising leads. The next step is creating a successful construction sales pitch. 

 

How Pipeline CRM Transforms Your Construction Sales Game

 

Pipeline CRM helps companies like yours decrease time-to-close, increase productivity by 50% or more, and boost sales by as much as 10x. Don’t take our word for it; let us show you how Pipeline CRM can help you attract, win, and retain customers.

 

Effortlessly Find Promising, High-Quality Prospects

 

Which prospects get your attention? 

 

This is an important question. If you spend your time with 60% of prospects unwilling or unable to buy, any construction sales pitch you present will fail. On the other hand, if you spend time with the 37% of prospects who have a need but aren’t yet ready to buy, your construction sales pitch will also fail.

What does this mean then?

 

Your salespeople need to spend the majority of their time closing deals. They need to spend their time with the 3% of prospects who are willing and able to buy. That’s great, but who are these people, and how do you find them? Your will CRM tell you. 

 

If you’re in construction sales, you know customers want a few things: 

 

  • The best contractor their money can buy
  • The best service for their money
  • The lowest price for their project 
  • The fastest turnaround/least disruptions for their project

 

This is helpful information; if you add these details to Pipeline CRM, you can use these data to segment and disqualify your prospects. This is how you optimize your construction sales pipeline and close more sales.  

 

Pro tip: This guide explains how to measure lead quality, allowing you to focus more on promising prospects.

 

Foster Effective Lead Nurturing

 

What about lead nurturing? The same thing applies here. 

 

If your prospects respond to content that outlines why your company is the best, you can tailor your offers around that. If they’re looking for the lowest-price contractor (and you want to cater to that), you can segment your prospects that way. Allow your prospects to self-identify. 

 

This is why good documentation – using your CRM – is important. As prospects make their way through your construction sales pipeline, you’ll find you’re able to determine several things:

 

  1. Whether you need to close or nurture your prospects
  2. The anatomy of a sales pitch and closing your prospects
  3. How to nurture your sales prospects 

 

Now you know how to find and nurture promising leads. The next step is creating a successful construction sales pitch. 

 

 

CRM Software Feeds a Winning Construction Sales Pitch

 

General contractors face an uphill battle filled with heavy competition, low margins, and skyrocketing supply costs. Customers today are educated, demanding, and price-conscious. If you want to nail your sales pitch and win new customers, it starts with construction lead management. 

 

As prospects make their way through your construction sales pipeline, you’ll find you’re able to determine several things:

 

  • Whether you need to close or nurture your prospects
  • The anatomy of a sales pitch and closing your prospects
  • How to nurture your sales prospects 

 

This is how you create a compelling construction sales pitch, nail it, and close more sales.

Use the data from your construction CRM to segment and disqualify your prospects.

 

Pipeline CRM helps construction companies like yours decrease time-to-close and boost productivity. Learn how Rainier Custom Homes reduces the sales cycle by 53%, cutting it from 130 to 62 days with Pipeline CRM. 

 

Sign up for a 14-day free trial, and see how we can help you attract, win, and retain customers.

]]>
How to Achieve Accurate Construction Sales Forecasting https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/conduct-construction-sales-forecasting/ Thu, 18 Jan 2024 10:58:03 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=3042 Continue reading How to Achieve Accurate Construction Sales Forecasting]]> Construction sales forecasting can be challenging because construction projects can be unpredictable. The dynamic nature of the projects, moving parts, and material prices demand you to be flexible and cautious. If you aren’t careful, you may jeopardize your construction business. One smart way to avoid this is by conducting an accurate construction sales forecast.

 

Sales forecasting often involves large data sets and can be time-consuming. Even the smallest mistakes in calculation can result in inaccurate results, damaging your business. 

 

If you plan to forecast your construction sales business, follow this guide to ensure you cover every part of it and calculate the numbers correctly.

 

Why Is Sales Forecasting Important for Construction Companies?

 

Before we get into the construction forecasting strategies, you need to understand why it’s necessary to make sales construction forecasting.

 

You may ask, “Isn’t dealing with construction projects as they come much easier?”

 

It may be easier, but won’t help your construction business stay sustainable, especially during tough times. As you know, the revenue of a construction business depends on the projects it has in the pipeline. When there is no ongoing project, you’ll likely have zero income. Indirectly, this influences how you manage your workforce, equipment, project timeline, buying and stocking materials, and more.

 

To keep your construction business afloat and profitable, you must know what can come in the future. This is why construction sales forecasting is essential. It helps you predict and prepare for unwanted surprises.

 

Below are five reasons why forecasting a construction lead pipeline is as necessary as delivering the perfect construction job.

 

A. Proper Budgeting

 

Sales forecasting gives construction companies a clearer view of future demands and potential revenue growth. The right projections enable your finance team to lay down income flows and profit plans. This lets them estimate business costs, set up precise annual budgets, and help calculate the ideal profits. You can also ensure you have everything you need (e.g., the number of active leads) to hit the projected growth.

 

B. Accurate Resource Allocation 

 

Struggling with resource allocation is a common challenge in the construction industry.  However, when you know about the upcoming projects in your construction lead pipeline will let you distribute resources accurately. 

 

You will have enough time to adjust your workforce, check equipment availability, and source materials to meet project demands. Effective resource allocation ensures you don’t lose out on potential leads or projects, reduces wastage, and optimizes labor efficiency. 

 

C. Strategic Planning

 

You can’t expect to adapt to the rapidly changing market needs with traditional planning (e.g., annual or quarterly planning). A construction company’s strategies must be agile to sustain in competitive markets – and sales forecasting plays a key part here. 

 

By calculating the projections for the construction lead pipeline, you can identify future demand for construction goods and services and arrange them early. It also enables a strategic approach to ongoing and upcoming trends in the construction market before your competitors do. 

 

Moreover, sales forecasting lets you evaluate market size and new opportunities. You can lay down effective action plans, set realistic sales targets, and reach out to key customer segments with personalized campaigns and services. 

 

Related: Learn the best practices for managing leads for construction projects in this blog.

 

You can also manage your material inventory better, including stocking items you need to hit the projected targets. This will minimize unnecessary buying and increase profits.

 

Sales forecasting also adds more depth to your competitor benchmarking, shows where you are lacking, and lets you make strategic improvements to your existing sales and marketing framework

 

D. Better Risk Management 

 

Accurate sales forecasting lets you anticipate probable risks and roadblocks in your construction lead pipeline. For example, if the forecast shows a downturn in sales in the coming months, you can take active measures to amp up your efforts to prevent that. 

 

You can cut costs or invest in areas that need improvement, tweak the terms in your standard contract, and even provide additional offers to keep your sales numbers high. By detecting the warning signals early on, you can correct your strategies and mitigate the risks before it’s too late. 

 

E. Revenue Growth

 

Proper construction forecasting helps you understand how much your products and services contribute to your bottom line or how long your sales team takes to close deals. Such insights let you pinpoint bottlenecks in your construction lead pipeline and take proactive measures to improve them. 

 

You can plan raw material sourcing, strengthen your workforce to align with expected sales and roll out campaigns to maximize lead generation. Such efforts remove blockers and enhance operational efficiency.

 

Accurate sales forecasts also ensure your construction services are available when customers need them, preventing delays or stockouts. It improves customer satisfaction, generates word-of-mouth, and contributes to your revenue growth. 

 

How to Generate Accurate Construction Sales Forecasting

 

We have learned how construction companies can benefit from accurate sales forecasting. However, only 45% of sales professionals are confident in their organization’s forecasting accuracy. This leaves much room for assumption rather than data-driven actions, which can result in unwanted consequences. 

 

So, what can you do to ensure precision in forecasting your construction lead pipeline? Here’s your answer.

 

1. Gather Historical Data

 

To set up a standardized construction forecasting system, you must know your past sales performance inside and out. That way, you can understand the recurring patterns in your construction lead pipeline and create a strong foundation for your sales forecasting. 

 

To accomplish this, first, you need to figure out which sales cycle you want to assess. This can be monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Then, combine your historical sales data and break them down according to the sales rep, service, price, and other relevant variables.

 

Next, examine your past leads and see which customer segments generated the most revenue for your business. Focus on seasonality and demand surges in those periods. Consider service cancellations and refunds. Then, build a sales run rate based on your findings. 

 

The formula to calculate conversion rates, average sales cycle, and other metrics can be found in this sales metrics calculation blog.

 

2. Invest in a Construction CRM Software

 

As your construction business grows, so does your data. This isn’t ideal if you want to aim for accurate sales forecasting. 

 

Avoid this by implementing a reliable sales CRM for construction. It will keep all your historical data organized in a single repository and let you filter them based on a particular period. 

 

Moreover, other roles of CRM, namely lead management, will give you an accurate view of the construction lead pipeline and the deal status across the board. It will catch even the minuscule changes in your sales patterns and generate accurate forecasts within minutes. 

 

While you may find many sales tools with forecasting features in the market, very few offer custom-made CRM for construction, like Pipeline CRM.

 

With Pipeline’s construction CRM, you can centralize all your sales data, get real-time sales performance insights, and generate accurate sales forecasting with just a few clicks. 

 

3. Conduct Market Analysis

 

Map a detailed outline of the construction industry’s current state to identify trends and demands. Assess the direction the sector is heading, its size, and projected growth. Consider factors like the current economic climate and changes in government policies. Investigate the competition in your industry. 

 

This way, you can accurately calculate how many and what kind of construction projects you can attract in the upcoming sales cycle. 

 

4. Analyze Data

 

Identify the key variables that can potentially impact your construction sales. These may include population growth, construction permits, interest rates, and industry trends. Additionally, clean your data to ensure accuracy. Track any possible missing values, remove outliers, and standardize data formats.

 

Related: Learn why having clean data improves your sales performance and how to achieve it.

 

Choose a forecasting method based on your data variable and business goals. For instance, opportunity stage forecasting is best for relatively new construction ventures. However, for more detailed forecasting, multivariable analysis forecasting is an excellent method. 

 

5. Align Sales and Marketing 

 

Your marketing team has a direct view of the quality of your sales pipeline, while your sales team is at the forefront of handling and nurturing these leads. Therefore, aligning your sales and marketing efforts is important to get a clear and precise view of upcoming sales projections. Only then will you generate a holistic construction sales forecast. 

 

To do this, ensure your marketing and sales staff can access all the related data. Sit down with them to understand their action plans. This will close any possible gaps in your forecast and keep all the stakeholders on the same page.

 

Using a construction sales CRM will give your teams immediate access to all relevant data and previous forecasts. It will ensure their views on the sales forecasts are synced to avoid miscommunication.  

 

6. Consider the “What Ifs” for better construction sales forecasting

 

Consider the common roadblocks in the construction industry to ensure precision in your sales forecasting. 

 

What if you end up firing a few of your salespeople? How long would it take you to fill the vacancy? What if there is a sudden economic crisis? Include these factors in your forecasting process for the most accurate and safe projections. 

 

Get an Accurate Sales Forecast with Construction CRM Software

 

Sales forecasting allows you to predict your construction business’s best and worst. To get accurate sales construction forecasting, you need the right method and the help of construction CRM software.

 

Pipeline’s CRM for construction provides the features you need to generate reliable sales forecasts. For instance, our reporting feature lets you track every customer interaction, essential documents (e.g., building permits, contractor reports, contracts),  project estimates, and more—all in one place. 

 

You can monitor every stage of the sales process and assess the health of your construction lead pipeline. And the best part? You get a detailed view of past trends, market changes, and your previous sales records for reliable construction forecasting. 

 

Want to stay ahead of your competition with spot-on sales projections? Adopt Pipeline CRM today and start with a 14-day free trial!

 

Recommended Reading:

]]>
Best CRMs for Fencing Contractors https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/best-crm-fencing-contractors/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 07:19:38 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=2865 Continue reading Best CRMs for Fencing Contractors]]> According to Grand View Research, the global fencing market was valued at $27.88 billion in 2021, with a CAGR of 5.5% from 2022 to 2030. This growth presents a major opportunity for fencing contractors looking to scale their businesses, manage client relationships, and streamline operations.

 

However, to successfully handle ongoing projects while generating new leads, fencing contractors need efficient processes in place, including:

 

  • Automated appointment scheduling
  • Real-time analytics and reporting
  • Timely follow-ups with potential clients
  • Organized customer and project data
  • Seamless communication across teams

 

A CRM for fencing contractors can simplify these tasks, helping businesses stay organized, improve customer relationships, and ultimately drive more sales.

 

Read our list of CRM comparisons to select the perfect one for your business.

 

Why CRM Software is Essential for Fencing Contractors

 

To be successful as a fencing contractor, you must overcome challenges like communication barriers, poor lead management, and juggling multiple projects.

 

Nowadays, manual methods aren’t feasible. The right CRM software can help you: 

 

  • Acquire and nurture new leads
  • Automate sales enablement
  • Maintain streamlined communication with high-value clients
  • Track project progress 
  • Automate contract preparation and repetitive data-entry tasks
  • Simplify online payment 

 

1. Pipeline: Best CRM for Sales-Focused Fencing Contractors

 

Pipeline: Best CRM for Sales-Focused Fencing Contractors

 

If your sales seem to be dipping due to inconsistent service delivery and poor project management, then Pipeline’s fencing contractor CRM is the perfect choice for you. Its automated lead management system helps your team nurture leads and win more bids while site workers focus on the job. Pipeline also simplifies communication between internal and external teams, audits your resources, and offers accurate estimates.

 

The tool showcases each project on your dashboard and assigns jobs to crew members automatically. The platform offers extensive CRM integrations with major productivity platforms to fit into your existing workflow seamlessly. This way, you can find all the information you need in one central source of truth without switching between tools.

 

Moreover, your clients get timely updates with the real-time project tracking feature. You can also monitor every customer interaction and project timeline to ensure timely completion.

 

Features

 

  • Custom tools to suit your unique business needs
  • Automated project reminders and scheduling
  • Open-source APIs for seamless integrations
  • Automated email drip campaigns
  • Bid management and fencing cost estimation 
  • Clean dashboard with centralized client data, project status, and payment links
  • AI-powered real-time data analytics and reporting
  • Simple customer onboarding services

 

Pros

 

  • Simple setup allows full functioning within 48 hours
  • Customizable tools let you create an on-brand experience
  • Identifies the decision makers and digs out their contacts for faster acquisition
  • Establishes seamless communication between the internal teams
  • Activity tracking ensures individual accountability and quality work
  • Automated data entry enables better lead segmentation and prospecting
  • The comprehensive dashboard keeps every moving part organized
  • Real-time analytics identifies issues, driving operational improvements
  • Instant scheduling and output management keep stakeholders on the same page
  • Extensive integrations let the CRM fit into the existing system without hampering the workflow

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Start plan: $25 per user per month
  • Develop plan: $33 per user per month
  • Grow plan: $49 per user per month

 

2. Jobber: Best CRM for Project Allocation

 

Jobber: Best CRM for Project Allocation

 

Next on our list is Jobber. This nifty CRM for fencing contractors provides the most necessary project allocation and follow-up features. You can create and send professional fencing estimates fast, and your clients can approve the estimations in just a few clicks. [Requests can also be redirected from your website and social channels to Jobber.

 

As your dedicated business hub, you can build an appealing portfolio on the platform with before-and-after pictures. Moreover, Jobber eliminates the challenges of payment collection with convenient credit card options and other online payment methods.

 

Features

 

  • Drag and drop calendar
  • Map and routing 
  • Team push notifications
  • Performance tracking
  • Estimations and quote follow-ups
  • On-my-way texts 
  • Job forms and check-lists
  • Invoicing and card payments

 

Pros

 

  • 24×7 accessible online hub simplifies client journey
  • Automates invoices and ensures faster payments with online payment methods
  • Automated emails and notifications keep your team and the client updated
  • Dispatches the closest teams for last-minute appointments, ensuring fast service and client satisfaction
  • Notifies the crew instantly of newly scheduled jobs
  • Improves customer service personalization with real-time insights
  • On-my-way texts notify the client of the crew’s arrival

 

Cons

 

  • Costlier than its alternatives
  • Mobile app lacks important features

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Core: $45 per month
  • Connect: $117 per month
  • Grow: $225 per month

 

3. BuilderPrime: Best CRM for Large-Scale Fencing Contractors

 

BuilderPrime: Best CRM for Large-Scale Fencing Contractors

 

BuilderPrime is the ideal CRM for fencing contractors with large teams. 

 

BuilderPrime has a clean dashboard to access client profiles, project progress, and payment status. If, for example, you’re planning an upcoming project and you need to establish the resources available, you can assign tasks and move schedules around using the drag-and-drop feature. This way, you can also add tasks to your current route.

 

From a lead management perspective, BuilderPrime automatically tracks your leads and ensures a smooth movement across your sales pipeline. Depending on the lead’s stage in the funnel, the platform prompts you on the best ways to follow up with them.

 

Features

 

  • Organizes all contacts in a centralized location
  • Tracks biddings and generates accurate estimates
  • Delivers automated and targeted follow-ups
  • Drag-and-drop calendars
  • Offers order management tools
  • Streamlines online payment processing with easy-to-use links
  • Records previous interactions with customers

 

Pros 

 

  • Intuitive interface
  • Schedules sales, marketing, and installation teams from one platform for greater convenience
  • Extensive integrations with popular platforms make operations simpler
  • The mobile app enables estimation and invoicing for better convenience
  • Offers easy-to-use templates 
  • Cuts down the clutter by organizing everything important in one place
  • Provides add-ons for an end-to-end CRM system

 

Cons

 

  • Doesn’t have a defined post-sales service module
  • Lacks some necessary reporting elements 

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Startup: $79 per month 
  • Essential: $159 per month
  • Growth: $239 per month
  • Enterprise: Custom

 

4. Method: Best CRM for Dispatching

 

BuilderPrime is the ideal CRM for fencing contractors with large teams. BuilderPrime has a clean dashboard to access client profiles, project progress, and payment status. If, for example, you’re planning an upcoming project and you need to establish the resources available, you can assign tasks and move schedules around using the drag-and-drop feature. This way, you can also add tasks to your current route. From a lead management perspective, BuilderPrime automatically tracks your leads and ensures a smooth movement across your sales pipeline. Depending on the lead’s stage in the funnel, the platform prompts you on the best ways to follow up with them. Features Organizes all contacts in a centralized location Tracks biddings and generates accurate estimates Delivers automated and targeted follow-ups Drag-and-drop calendars Offers order management tools Streamlines online payment processing with easy-to-use links Records previous interactions with customers Pros Intuitive interface Schedules sales, marketing, and installation teams from one platform for greater convenience Extensive integrations with popular platforms make operations simpler The mobile app enables estimation and invoicing for better convenience Offers easy-to-use templates Cuts down the clutter by organizing everything important in one place Provides add-ons for an end-to-end CRM system Cons Doesn’t have a defined post-sales service module Lacks some necessary reporting elements Reviews 4.8/5 star rating on Capterra (48 reviews) Pricing Startup: $79 per month Essential: $159 per month Growth: $239 per month Enterprise: Custom Method: Best CRM for Dispatching

 

Method: Field Services offers a collective of contractor sales tools. With AI-powered automation, you can eliminate tedious data entry and let your team focus on billable tasks. From scheduling operations to dispatching crew, Method does it all with precision. 

 

To add, Method has a mobile application that helps you plan routes, create estimates, record job progress, and update projects on the go. 

 

Features

 

  • 360-degree view of all your customers’ data
  • Quickbooks integration
  • Accurate cost estimates and invoicing 
  • Simple and secure online payment portal
  • Real-time dispatching and routing
  • Accurate data analytics  

 

Pros 

 

  • Flexible pricing 
  • Adaptable
  • Access to real-time job data
  • Simplifies operations by managing your equipment and assets scheduling, and invoicing data in a centralized location
  • Customizable features

 

Cons

 

  • Add-ons can get pricier 

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Field crew: $15 per crew technician
  • Dispatcher: $44 per per dispatcher

 

5. Houzz Pro: Best CRM for Fencing Service Marketing

 

Houzz Pro: Best CRM for Fencing Service Marketing

 

Houzz Pro is a marketing, sales, and project management software. However, the star feature of this fencing sales CRM is its customized marketing solution. Houzz Pro will build your website, help you with SEO optimization, and automate follow-ups to convert more leads. With a handful of integrations, you can easily monitor projects, organize customer data, and manage schedules on the go. 

 

Features

 

  • Manages clients and tracks project progress 
  • Extensive integrations 
  • Mobile app
  • Clean and comprehensive dashboard 
  • Manages follow-up, schedule meetings, and convert leads
  • Targeted advertising 

 

Pros 

 

  • Lets you feature your fencing business in the Houzz directory
  • Gives community exposure with targeted marketing
  • Streamlines payments and ensures consistent cash flow

 

Cons

 

  • Not very user-friendly
  • Unsatisfactory customer service

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Houzz Pro offers an all-inclusive Ultimate package at $399 per month. 

 

Conclusion

 

The right CRM for fencing contractors can make your business a community favorite. Pipeline is designed with contractors’ needs in mind. We offer integrations, real-time analytics, reporting, and more to help digitize communication and improve efficiency. 

 

Looking to scale your fencing business? Try Pipeline!

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Best Landscaping CRM Software for Landscapers https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/best-crms-landscaping-contractors/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 05:16:54 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=2742 Continue reading Best Landscaping CRM Software for Landscapers]]> While running a landscaping business is not the cheapest venture, the field has proven quite lucrative. Recent reports state that the global landscaping services market value was USD 296.09 billion in 2022—it even has a CAGR of 6.4% from 2023 to 2030.

 

So, now is the perfect time for landscaping contractors to scale their company. But, certain elements need to be optimized to make it a success. For example: 

 

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Data entry accuracy
  • Bid management
  • Real-time analytics
  • Customer service

 

Landscaping contractors manage multiple projects while ensuring alignment between the lawn crew and the internal team. Without sufficient automation software in place; manual processes may fall short. And that’s where a landscaping CRM comes into play. 

 

From automating data entry to forecasting, the right sales CRM platform centralizes everything so teams never lose sight of priorities. But, if you really get into it, how do you find the perfect tool among several options? Here are some landscape CRM comparisons.

 

Why Is a Great CRM for Landscapers Important?

 

Landscaping has its challenges, such as: 

 

  • High overhead costs
  • Managing multiple projects at once
  • Resource auditing
  • Lack of branding
  • Ineffective marketing

 

To overcome these, landscapers must streamline their sales, marketing, and crew management efforts and avoid manual processes. The right landscaping CRM can:

 

  • Enable targeted marketing with automation
  • Acquire and nurture new leads
  • Automate sales enablement
  • Manage communication with high-value clients
  • Track project progress 
  • Automate repetitive data-entry tasks
  • Simplify online payments
  • Centralize all business operations

 

 

1. Pipeline CRM: Best Landscaping CRM for Sales-Focused Businesses

 

Pipeline CRM: Best Landscaping CRM for Sales-Focused Businesses
Landscaping CRM for Sales-Focused Businesses

 

To be successful in the landscaping industry, you need a customer-centric approach and a seamless sales process. But, prioritizing that while handling multiple projects becomes difficult. Pipeline’s landscaping CRM helps your sales team nurture leads and win more bids. The platform syncs team communication offers accurate estimates, and more. 

 

Pipeline CRM automatically assigns new projects to crews, sends timely updates to your customers, and simplifies payments. Its powerful analytics enable constant operational improvements. From automating targeted emails to tracking ongoing projects, this custom CRM solution is all you need to build a profitable landscaping business according to your needs. 

 

Features 

  • Custom tools to fit your unique business needs
  • Automated project scheduling and reminders
  • Open-source APIs for seamless integrations
  • Automated email drip campaigns
  • Bid management and gardening cost estimation 
  • Clean dashboard with centralized data
  • Real-time data analytics and sales reporting
  • Easy customer onboarding services

 

Pros

 

  • Set up is simple and can fully function within 48 hours
  • Customizable tools create an on-brand experience
  • Find the decision-makers for faster customer acquisition
  • Provides seamless collaboration between sales and flooring crew 
  • Activity tracking ensures quality work and individual accountability
  • Automated data entry enables better lead segmentation and prospecting
  • The intuitive dashboard keeps every moving part organized
  • Real-time scheduling and output management updates your team and clients
  • Analytics dig out areas of improvement and enables operational enhancements

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Start plan: $25 per user per month
  • Develop plan: $33 per user per month
  • Grow plan: $49 per user per month

 

 

2. Builder Prime: Landscaping CRM for Estimation and Product Management

 

Builder Prime: Landscaping CRM for Estimation and Product Management

 

Whether you are a budding landscaper or have a gardening company with multiple teams, Builder Prime fits varying business needs. The platform enables seamless communication with your sales, marketing, and ground teams. With its drag-and-drop calendars, you can assign tasks and move your schedule around easily.

 

The platform organizes customer profiles, tracks bids, monitors projects and updates payment status in one dashboard. With just a few clicks, you can plan your upcoming projects, examine required resources, and integrate them into your existing route.

 

Features

 

  • Monitors biddings and generates estimates
  • Automated and targeted follow-ups
  • Drag-and-drop calendars
  • Provides work order management tools
  • Streamlines online payment processing
  • Records previous interactions with customers
  • Organizes all contacts

 

Pros

 

  • Intuitive interface
  • Extensive integrations with popular platforms to make operations simpler
  • The mobile app enables estimation and invoicing for better convenience
  • Offers easy-to-use templates 
  • Cuts down the clutter by organizing everything important in one place
  • Provides add-ons for an end-to-end CRM system

 

Cons

 

  • Misses some key reporting elements
  • No defined post-sales service module

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Startup: $79 per month 
  • Essential: $159 per month
  • Growth: $239 per month
  • Enterprise: Custom

 

 

3. Yardbook: Best CRM for Landscapers to Market the Services

 

Yardbook: Best CRM for Landscapers to Market the Services

 

Next on our list is Yardbook, an end-to-end CRM for landscape gardening services. 

 

With automated data entry, job scheduling, and routing, it lets you focus on the clients instead of the redundant, time-consuming tasks. You can create your Yardbook profile to get your name out there and attract more homeowners. On this CRM for landscapers and gardeners, you can showcase your best work and find high-value clients. 

 

Yardbook also creates pricing catalogs and schedules projects for its users. Moreover, this nifty tool offers GPS tracking, equipment maintenance, and lead management.

 

Features

 

  • Business Profile
  • Job scheduling 
  • Timesheets 
  • Routing and GPS tracking 
  • Equipment maintenance 
  • Accurate estimation
  • Price catalogs, invoices, and payments  

 

Pros 

 

  • Yardbook’s business profile attracts customers with your best work
  • Manages all your inbound leads on a single platform
  • Handles all billings, and invoices, and streamlines online payments
  • GPS tracking and routing features monitor field crew and maintain alignment

 

Cons

 

  • Faulty invoice system 
  • Clocking in and out of jobs is complicated

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Available via contact

 

 

4. Field Pulse: Landscaping CRM Software for Integrating Customer Feedback

 

Field Pulse: Landscaping CRM Software for Integrating Customer Feedback

 

Field Pulse is a popular field service management platform. 

 

It is easy to use, offers robust functionality, and provides top-notch assistance. The best thing about Field Pulse is its unique design that adjusts workflow according to customer feedback. This landscaping CRM offers fast onboarding and gets new teams up and running in weeks. Moreover, it provides real-time insights to drive continuous growth. 

 

Features 

 

  • Customer management 
  • Flat rate price books
  • Lead and inventory management 
  • Scheduling and dispatching
  • GPS routing and tracking 
  • On-the-way notifications
  • Engaging phone application

 

Pros 

 

  • User friendly 
  • Impeccable customer service
  • Mobile application fosters business management on the go
  • Offers all necessary contractor sales tools in one platform
  • Automated inventory and lead management save time 
  • Integrates with Quickbooks for better convenience

 

Cons

 

  • Recent updates have made the platform a little complicated
  • Removing price book drafts is tricky

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Field Pulse offers paid subscriptions at $60 per user per month

 

 

5. Service M8: Landscape CRM Software for Easy Dispatching

 

Service M8: Landscape CRM Software for Easy Dispatching

 

Service M8 has become a favorite among landscaping contractors due to its convenient dispatching. It reduces paperwork with easy automation and gets the jobs done faster. 

 

The centralized dashboard shows your active jobs, suggested quotes, current clientele, and leads who will need you eventually. Service M8 dispatches the right crew at the right time and maintains clear communication with the internal teams. Moreover, this landscaping CRM produces invoices in seconds and ensures payment before you leave the job.

 

Features 

 

  • Manages projects and staff
  • Records notes, photos, and videos
  • Provides quotes and invoices on-site
  • Captures signatures
  • Creates PDF forms
  • Streamlines credit card payments
  • Syncs with your existing accounting package

 

Pros 

 

  • User-friendly interface
  • Convenient dispatching and field crew management 
  • Accurate real-time insights let you address issues quickly 
  • Supports iOS devices for better convenience

 

Cons

 

  • Limited customizations
  • Hard to integrate with other tools

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Lite: Free
  • Starter: $20.30 per month
  • Growing: $55.30 per month
  • Premium: $104.3 per month

 

 

Conclusion

 

A landscaper’s job goes beyond beautifying a client’s garden. To make it a viable business, they should be on top of bidding, crew management, equipment sourcing, sales, and marketing. To do all that with precision, you must embrace the appropriate landscaping CRM to automate data entry, centralize client records for better targeting, and track project progress in real-time. While every CRM on the list has some great features, few embody all the mentioned requirements in one platform like Pipeline does. 

 

With extensive integrations, our landscaping CRM fits into your existing system; you don’t have to change a thing! Choose a Pipeline plan today and try it free!

 

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Best CRMs for Flooring Contractors https://pipelinecrm.com/blog/best-crm-flooring-contractors/ Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:15:24 +0000 https://pipelinecrm.com/?p=2682 Continue reading Best CRMs for Flooring Contractors]]> According to Grand View Research, the global flooring market size had an estimated value of $266.48 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% from 2023 to 2030. So, this is the perfect time for flooring contractors to grow their business. 

 

However, to ensure a steady revenue flow, you need to keep track of your tasks: 

 

  • Accurate data entry and listings
  • Organized bid management
  • Efficient transaction management
  • Accurate analytics
  • Impeccable customer service

 

A growth-focused flooring contractor must be able to manage multiple projects and have a skilled team. But manually processing it all isn’t enough to keep up with moving parts. 

 

That’s where a CRM for flooring contractors comes in handy. 

 

From contract preparation to online payments, efficient CRM software can help centralize every business aspect so nothing slips through the cracks. But among the plethora of available tools, choosing the right one is tricky. So, here are some CRM comparisons.

 

Why CRM Software Is Essential for Flooring Contractors 

 

The flooring industry is full of challenges. Some predominant ones include: 

 

  • Difficulty in sourcing and managing materials
  • High overhead costs
  • Lack of root-cause analysis
  • High product maintenance costs

 

Handling these roadblocks needs streamlined efforts, and manual processes aren’t feasible. They lack precision and take up a big chunk of time from your day. 

 

With contractor sales tools, you can:

 

  • Optimize appointment scheduling with calendar integrations
  • Streamline online payments
  • Increase customer information accuracy 
  • Enhance lead acquisition and nurturing 
  • Automate sales enablement
  • Maintain communication with high-value clients
  • Automate redundant tasks like data entry, contract drafting, and email marketing
  • Get a 360-degree view of your business operation in a centralized dashboard

 

1. Pipeline CRM: Best CRM for Sales-Focused Flooring Contractors

 

 

Pipeline CRM- Best CRM for Sales-Focused Flooring Contractors

 

One of the key challenges flooring contractors face is prioritizing sales. Here, Pipeline CRM is your best choice. It’s designed to empower your sales team and win more bids. 

 

Besides keeping track of all your projects, this nifty tool also offers data analytics and email automation to help you target high-value leads. You can audit your resources, manage timelines, and understand customer expectations in a centralized job profile. It also helps you to plan and deliver quality work without missing the promised deadline.

 

Moreover, Pipeline CRM for flooring contractors can track bids, generate estimates, and assign new deals to your crews for smooth handling. You can plan for upcoming projects, integrate them into your existing route, and ensure all required resources are available. 

 

Features

  • Custom tools to suit your unique business needs
  • Bid management and estimation 
  • Automated appointment scheduling and reminders
  • Centralized client profile, project tracking, and payment status
  • Manage and track email drip campaigns
  • Powerful data analytics and reporting
  • Open-source APIs for seamless integrations

 

Pros

 

  • Simple setup and can fully function within 48 hours
  • Provides seamless collaboration between the sales team and your flooring crew 
  • Performance tracking ensures quality work and individual accountability
  • Automated data entry enables better lead segmentation and prospecting
  • The clean and centralized dashboard fosters better visualization of bid progress
  • Real-time scheduling and output management keeps the contractor and the client on the same page
  • Analytics helps with root-cause analysis and allows necessary improvements

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Start plan: $25 per user per month.
  • Develop plan: $33 per user per month.
  • Grow plan: $49 per user per month.

 

2. Builder Prime: Best CRM for Estimation and Product Management

 

 

Builder Prime- Best CRM for Estimation and Product Management

 

Next up is Builder Prime, a production management tool specifically designed for replacement and flooring contractors. With AI automation and an extensive list of integrations, this custom CRM solution seamlessly fits into your existing system. 

 

From automated appointment scheduling to fail-safe lead tracking, Builder Prime centralizes all the necessary aspects of your business. Moreover, this CRM for flooring contractors offers data analytics and generates accurate reports on client satisfaction, sales estimations, and lead qualification. 

 

Features 

 

  • Lead tracking and generates sales estimations
  • Sends automated follow-ups
  • Monitors deal progress
  • Centralizes contacts
  • Offers work order management tools and online payment processing

 

Pros

 

  • Customizable automation enables an on-brand experience
  • Templates are easy to use
  • Extensive integrations ensure hassle-free project management
  • Offers several add-ons for a clean and end-to-end system
  • Provides estimates and invoicing within the mobile application 

 

Cons

 

  • Reporting features aren’t agile
  • The system tends to log out every 30 minutes

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing

 

  • Startup: $79/month 
  • Essential: $159/month
  • Growth: $239/month
  • Enterprise: Custom

 

3. Field Circle: Best CRM for Aligning Planning and Execution

 

 

Field Circle- Best CRM for Aligning Planning and Execution

 

Field Circle is a cloud-based mobile-first CRM for flooring contractors that makes operations more efficient and transparent. Highlight features of this platform include activity tracking, powerful analytics, calendar-based smart scheduling, vendor and contractor management, etc. The CRM’s analytics and reporting capabilities let you improve operations and maintain profits. Moreover, Field Circle also offers free 1:1 training for your sales team and crew.

 

Features 

 

  • Automated scheduling and dispatch 
  • Crew performance and location tracking
  • RFO and quote management 
  • Payment reminders
  • Contract and inventory management
  • Route planning and tracking

 

Pros

 

  • Automated scheduling and dispatch ensure smooth project completion
  • Location intelligence selects the best route for your crew
  • Assigns tasks according to availability to eliminate possible conflicts
  • Lets customer pay through their preferred payment mode

 

Cons

 

  • Lack of support for the sales team 
  • The mobile app needs more upgrades for better convenience

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing 

 

Available via request.

 

4. Builder Trend: Best CRM for Simplifying Project Management

 

 

Builder Trend- Best CRM for Simplifying Project Management

 

Next up on our list is Builder Trend, a simple CRM for flooring contractors and home builders. It is a cloud-based project management software that streamlines field workflow, schedules work, calculates estimates, and eliminates miscommunication.  

 

Features

 

  • Lead and inventory management
  • Third-party integrations
  • Product profitability reports
  • Estimation and invoicing 
  • Integrated credit card processing

 

Pros

 

  • Excellent customer service 
  • Sends automated project updates and keeps them in the loop
  • Tracks change in orders and estimate possible delays
  • User-friendly platform suited for experts and beginners alike

 

Cons

 

  • Revenue estimating is not efficient 
  • No alerts for new messages

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing 

 

  • Essential: $99/month
  • Advanced: $399/month
  • Complete: $699/month

 

5. Buildxact: Best CRM for Internal and External Team Collaboration

 

 

Buildxact- Best CRM for Internal and External Team Collaboration

 

Buildxact is a cloud-based all-in-one CRM for flooring contractors. It facilitates collaboration between the internal teams and field crew.

 

With this tool, you can record job progress, track material take-offs, and share updates with your teams and customers. It provides better task delegation, automates email marketing, estimates sales, and creates invoices. Buildxact also syncs with platforms like Gmail and Quickbooks for easy integration. 

 

Features 

 

  • Real-time access to supplier’s price-lists
  • Lead management
  • Gantt charts 
  • Manages multiple pricing lists
  • Close rate and TIP reports

 

Pros

 

  • Easy-to-use 
  • Uses take-off data and aligns it with material costs to offer accurate quotes
  • Sends pre-formatted, well-presented estimations with detailed specifications and photos to the clients
  • Makes staying in touch with the field crew easier
  • Stores unlimited files for better convenience

 

Cons

 

  • Frequent bugs
  • Gantt chart lacks flexibility

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing 

 

  • Entry: $169/month
  • Pro: $289/month
  • Teams: $449/month

 

6. Method: Best CRM for Quickbooks Access

 

 

Method- Best CRM for Quickbooks Access

 

The final addition to our list is Method, a field service software with CRM for floor contractors. It helps users generate repeat business by using each customer’s full history. The instant QuickBooks sync also lets your office teams connect with the field crews.  

 

Features 

 

  • Integrates QuickBooks and other native platforms
  • Efficient routing and tracking 
  • Simple scheduling 
  • A holistic view of each crew member’s schedule

 

Pros

 

  • The centralized dashboard facilitates better task delegation
  • Creates and maps the most efficient route to get the job done on time
  • Quickbooks integration enables real-time connections with field teams

 

Cons

 

  • Expensive add-ons
  • The app freezes frequently

 

Reviews

 

 

Pricing 

 

  • Field Crew: $15/user/month
  • Dispatcher: $44/user/month

 

Conclusion

 

A flooring contractor’s job involves multifaceted tasks, from managing teams to nurturing leads. With the right tools, you can handle all those aspects with ease. Pipeline CRM brings you all the necessary features and aligns sales, marketing, and project management in one intuitive platform. Our clean dashboard offers a holistic view of client information, analytics and insights, new bids, and project progress for floor contractors. 

 

To add, its extensive integrations make this flooring service software a must! 

 

Want to grow your flooring business in a competitive market? Choose your Pipeline package today!

 

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