Construction Business Development: Managing Client Expectations with Technology

Managing expectations is a huge part of construction business development.

If you’re a specialty contractor, the general contractors you’re working for might have unrealistic expectations about pricing or timing. Construction software can be hugely helpful in communicating and managing expectations, helping your team avoid issues like scope creep that can erode your profit margins.

When you have the tools to track every touchpoint, from emails to phone calls, you can improve transparency and manage expectations throughout the project lifecycle — from bid management to takeoff, change orders, and project management.

Understanding General Contractor Priorities: Beyond the Bid

General Contractors (GCs) want to complete their projects on time and budget, with excellent work that won’t cause problems later. That’s why their expectations typically center around those priorities: timeline, budget, and quality levels. They might also have expectations around meeting industry standards and ensuring all work complies with corporate or government regulations.

In short, a GC’s expectations can be a messy landscape riddled with landmines that you need to uncover before you start working on the project. Here are some best practices for opening up clear communication and defusing any misunderstandings before they happen.

Clearly define the project timeline and costs

This starts with sending a clear, concise proposal. Nurturing relationships with GCs is crucial to ensure ongoing satisfaction and repeat business. Once you’ve won the bid, follow up to talk through the details and any adaptations.

Ask about past experiences

If you’re working with a GC, find out if they’ve had positive or negative experiences working with specialty contractors similar to yours and talk through solutions to alleviate their concerns. For instance, if a previous project incurred significant additional costs, it could be because the original estimate didn’t accurately reflect all the materials needed. 

Practice active listening

Show that you’re hearing them by asking follow-up questions and taking note of their needs and priorities. 

Don’t forget bid follow-up

Set up quick check-ins as part of the project timeline. Use each call to listen to feedback and address any potential or emerging concerns.

Even when you’re doing your best to stay proactive, juggling many customer relationships at a time can be stress-inducing — if not impossible. That’s where technology tools such as construction bid management and CRM software can make a big difference.

→ Want to see TopBuilder’s CRM and bid management software in action? Request a demo now.   

Solutions for Success: From Bid Management to Project Management

While many specialty contractors have relied on spreadsheets to manage business development and bidding, construction management software tools offer new ways to streamline client management. 

These tools not only help manage expectations but also open up new business opportunities by streamlining processes and improving efficiency. You can store all customer data in one central place and access it anywhere, anytime, saving time and helping you focus your efforts where they will make the most impact. Communication tools help you stay in touch throughout the project, keeping them informed of changes and giving them an easy way to check progress and get in touch with you. 

Here are a few technology solutions to help you manage expectations more effectively.

Construction CRM

A business developer can find collecting and managing leads to be a confusing and piecemeal task. Construction CRM software empowers you to gather all your leads and customer information in one place — and use that data to automate sales and marketing tasks. Look for a construction CRM that makes it easy to build proposals and reports, email prospects and keep deals moving with real-time updates. When everyone involved in the proposal has access to all the data they need in once place, they can collaborate more efficiently.  

Bid management software

Managing bids on construction projects can be a constant juggling act for construction companies. Bidding software provides a central platform to manage bidding-related tasks, from inviting qualified subcontractors to creating bid packages and sharing documents. Look for software that includes analytics features such as bid forecasting and scoring — and the ability to create reports and dashboards, helping you make the most of your data.

Takeoff and estimating software

Estimating software like Stack speeds up the time it takes to develop estimates and improves accuracy by keeping all project and materials documents organized. Ideally, your estimating software should integrate with the solutions you use for construction business development and bid management so your team can create quotes in minutes instead of hours. 

Project management solutions

Construction project management software gives you a toolbox full of digital solutions to manage your construction projects — from documents to budget forecasts, schedules, inspections, change orders, RFIs, and more. A business development manager can use these tools to streamline project management and improve overall efficiency. Popular solutions like Procore allow you to manage many aspects of your projects and communicate with stakeholders through a central hub, increasing efficiencies and simplifying collaborative tasks. 

Your project management software should also integrate with the other tools you use to ensure everyone has the most up-to-date information. 

Integration with financials

When you can integrate project management, bidding, and CRM software with your accounting software or ERP, you’ll see immediate time-saving benefits. Integrated software solutions can also help track financial metrics such as the average revenue for each project and profit margin. You can pull data from your ERP or accounting software as you’re creating a proposal rather than copying and re-entering it. You can also pull budget data from your project management software into the ERP system for accounting.

Choose the right technology for your company based on your size, needs, and goals. You know your team and your clients and what you need to serve them well — so look for software solutions that will integrate with your existing systems and processes. Once you’ve decided to adopt a software tool, provide training for your teams and open lines of communication so they can share feedback and get the support they need to succeed.

Technology for Construction Business Development

If you’re juggling many projects and multiple bids, construction software tools can be a great way to ensure you keep everyone informed throughout the process. A successful business developer can use these tools to streamline processes and improve client satisfaction. Automating manual tasks and eliminating data silos can go a long way toward making your processes more efficient — freeing up your team to spend more time on the job. 

An end-to-end construction business development platform like TopBuilder gives you the tools to build strong proposals with transparent timelines and budgets — and continue to update customers with real-time cost tracking and progress reports throughout the project. 

TopBuilder integrates with accounting solutions and other software your team is already using for estimating and project management, such as ProCore and Stack, to centralize data and streamline processes. 

Schedule a demo to learn more.