Nick Heim
In the first article of this series, we introduced how aligning people, process, and technology makes your firm more resilient and efficient [1]. Now, we’re focusing on the front end of your business process: sales.
Many A/E firms lack a formal, trainable sales workflow. Instead, new business development (BD) hires often rely on “tribal knowledge” instead of a documented playbook, which can result in inconsistent client experience and a growth strategy that hinges on the individual ability of a few rainmakers. This post will guide you through understanding, visualizing, and documenting your sales process, allowing your firm to build a repeatable model that anyone on your team can follow.
Example of a Sales Process Map for an AE firm
Why Map Your A/E Firm’s Sales Process?
By mapping out each step in the sales process, firm leaders gain clarity on how leads turn into projects, along with gaps and bottlenecks along the way. Many firms still operate with ad-hoc, undocumented workflows, leaning on individual know-how instead of standard procedures. This not only makes scaling difficult but also creates chaos when a key seller departs or a new rep joins the firm.
Imagine the process of hiring a new business developer. Without a repeatable process, their onboarding might consist of shadowing senior staff and picking up habits informally, whether those habits are in alignment with the firm’s strategic vision or not. With a mapped process, you can hand them a roadmap on day one, ensuring they know how to cultivate prospects, follow up, and close deals just like your top performers. And this is not to say that individual skill or creativity will be hampered. Instead, having defined guardrails for routine tasks frees your people to focus their talent and creativity on more complex, nuanced, or strategic challenges. In other words, structure enables innovation, because your team spends less time reinventing the wheel and more time adding real, personal value.
Standardizing your sales process also drives measurable improvements. Companies that leverage formal CRM-driven sales processes see significantly higher lead conversion rates and more proposals delivered to clients [2]. Using a CRM to power your BD efforts helps your team stop “winging it” and reduces guesswork in the pipeline. You gain visibility into every active lead, so no RFP deadline is missed and no follow-up is forgotten.
The most profitable A/E firms are nearly twice as likely to invest in process standardization compared to average firms [1] – because they know consistency breeds success. By visualizing your sales workflow and defining each stage, you create a system that anyone can execute. The payoff is huge: more predictability, faster ramp-up for new team members, and a client experience that is smooth and professional from first contact to contract.
Signs you need a defined sales process: Your firm’s rainmaker (or principal) handles most
sales personally; a new seller is unsure where to start; and follow-ups slip through the cracks. These are signs that it is time to map your sales process and leverage tools to keep it on track. Modern A/E-focused CRM systems (like the one in BQE CORE) can play a big role here – centralizing your contact data and sales pipeline so you can track prospects, standardize activities, and collaborate firm-wide on BD efforts. In the sections below, we outline each stage of a typical A/E firm’s sales process and offer tips to document and optimize it. Use these stages as a starting framework for your own sales process map.
Download your free Sales Process Checklist
Stage 1: Gather Info – Laying the Groundwork
Every successful pursuit starts with preparation. Gather Info is the stage where you and your team take stock of what you already know and what you need to learn. Begin by understanding your firm’s current assets: your services, capabilities, project history, and ideal client profile (what industries or project types you excel at). This internal knowledge forms the context for any new opportunity. Next, when a potential lead or market opportunity arises, do your homework on the prospect. Research the company, key decision-makers, past projects, and any connections you might have. The goal is to arm yourself with information so that when you eventually reach out, you’re speaking to their needs and background.
Document how your firm approaches this research phase. Do you use specific databases, industry publications, or networking tools like LinkedIn to gather intel? Who is responsible for compiling background info? By mapping this out, you ensure everyone follows a consistent method to “understand the client before the first conversation.”
It’s also wise to record this intel in a centralized place. A CRM provides a single source of truth for prospect data so your team can log company details, notes, and even tag the opportunity with relevant market sectors. Having all pre-contact information in one system means when it’s time to approach the lead, you won’t duplicate efforts or come in blind. In short, Gather Info is about being thoroughly prepared: know your own firm, know your prospect, and clarify how a potential project fits your strategic sweet spot.
Example: An engineering firm specializing in routine inspections of building exteriors and roofs provides a structured maintenance plan, inspecting structures twice annually and coordinating with their contractor network to perform needed maintenance or repairs. This firm recognizes that its service model best fits certain types of clients—such as large institutions like universities—that plan to hold onto their buildings long-term. Conversely, they understand their approach doesn't align as well with developers whose properties frequently change ownership. Clearly identifying their ideal client profile upfront allows them to focus their sales efforts and ensures their initial outreach is relevant.
Stage 2: Prospecting – From Lead to Opportunity
With background research in hand, it’s time for Prospecting – identifying and qualifying potential clients or projects. In this stage, you cast the net to find leads that match your ideal client or project type. This could involve scanning leads from marketing campaigns, referrals from past clients, networking at industry events, tracking public RFP announcements, or jurisdictional regulations. Map out where your leads typically come from and how they enter your pipeline.
For example, you might log every inbound inquiry from your website, maintain a list of contacts met at conferences, or leverage a referral program among satisfied clients. Make sure your process defines how these raw leads are captured and stored (e.g. entered your CRM as “Leads” with basic info). If your firm’s policy is to add every business card or inquiry into a lead list, note that in your process documentation. Make it as simple as possible for your salespeople to complete this task. For example, “voice-to-lead creation” could allow salespeople to quickly log leads after a conference without the hassle of manual data entry.
Prospecting doesn’t stop at collecting names – you also need to qualify those leads. Not every prospect is a good fit, and your BD time is limited. Establish criteria for a qualified lead: perhaps budget, location, project type, or whether they have an immediate need for your services. Your sales process map should include a step for evaluating leads against these criteria.
Some firms use an initial phone screen or a web form to qualify interest. Others implement an email drip campaign to nurture colder leads over time. For instance, your marketing team might send a series of educational emails or newsletters to new leads, and those who engage get flagged for personal follow-up. Define these tactics in your prospecting stage. A CRM tool can assist by managing leads and campaigns in one place, tracking which marketing efforts each lead has interacted with. The system can even help you measure ROI on those efforts (e.g. which conference yielded the most new opportunities). The output of the Prospecting stage is a set of qualified prospects who are ready for direct outreach. By formalizing how your firm identifies and nurtures leads, you create a repeatable engine for keeping your pipeline full.
Example: A parking garage restoration engineering firm sets up alerts that notify them whenever new legislation related to parking garage inspection laws is proposed. By proactively tracking these changes, the firm can identify new markets before regulations are officially enacted. They maintain a clear, repeatable process for calculating their total addressable market—identifying every parking structure within jurisdictions adopting or enforcing inspection requirements. With this comprehensive market list, they then focus on identifying the relevant decision-makers' contact information. Building upon their ideal client from Stage 1, they efficiently narrow down their prospects by qualifying garages that precisely match their ideal client criteria.
Stage 3: Reach Out – Making the First Connection
Now that you have a qualified prospect, it’s time to reach out and make contact. Reach Out is the stage where you turn a prospect into an active conversation. Typically, this involves an introductory email, phone call, or even an in-person meeting. Your process map should outline when and how that initial outreach happens. For example, you might decide that within one week of qualifying a lead, the BD rep sends a personalized email introducing your firm and referencing a specific challenge the prospect might have (based on the info gathered).
Some firms use templates or scripts for these introductions – a great idea to ensure consistent messaging – but make sure your sales rep understands the context and nuance behind each client interaction and is given the freedom to modify templated messaging where appropriate! Educating the client about how your firm can help them should be a key goal of this stage. Put yourself in the shoes of your client: they don’t explicitly care about the services your firm offers – they care about your ability to solve their specific problem.
Relationship-building begins here as well. The tone of your outreach matters: AEC is still very much a relationship business, where trust and rapport can make the difference in winning work [3]. So, your process might include guidelines like “reference mutual connections or industry trends to build credibility” or “always follow up one week after the first email if no response.” Consistency is crucial – if your standard is a sequence of three touches (email, call, LinkedIn message) for every new prospect, document that. This way, a new BD hire isn’t left guessing how many times to try contacting a busy facilities manager at a client organization. However, do not put your salespeople in a box! Give them the freedom to work within established guidelines, allowing their unique skillset to shine through.
Using CRM task reminders or to-do lists can enforce these habits (e.g. automatically creating a follow-up task if there is no reply in 5 days). When you do make contact, be sure to obtain initial info: confirm who the decision-makers are, what timeline or budget they have in mind, and whether they’ve worked with firms like yours before. Logging these notes immediately (again, in CRM or a central file) will set you up for the next stage. In summary, the Reach Out stage in your map ensures that every prospect gets timely, professional outreach and that your team has a uniform cadence for making that all-important first impression.
Example: A building-envelope consulting firm recognizes that facilities managers at their ideal client sites spend most of their time in the field, not at their desks reading emails. Understanding this, the firm instructs its sales reps to rely primarily on phone calls and in-person visits rather than exclusively online meeting requests. Equipped with the targeted list created during Prospecting (Stage 2), reps plot out efficient field-visit maps to personally connect with facilities managers on-site. They prepare scripts to help navigate conversations with gatekeepers on-site, ensuring they gain direct access whenever possible. Although email is still used to announce visits in advance, the reps anticipate limited responses and leverage their in-person visits to spark meaningful conversations. Crucially, the firm's sales process allows flexibility, enabling individual reps to adapt the approach within established guardrails—highlighting their creativity and interpersonal skills while staying aligned with the firm's broader strategy.
Stage 4: Identify Need – Listening and Building Trust
This stage is the heart of consultative selling: Identify Need. Once you have a prospect engaged in conversation, shift the focus entirely onto them. The key here is to ask thorough questions, listen actively, and uncover the client’s true needs or pain points. In your process documentation, outline how these discovery conversations should happen. Often, it involves an exploratory call or an on-site meeting where you dig into the prospect’s challenges and goals. Equip your team with a checklist of questions or topics to cover – for example: “What problem are you trying to solve with this project? What would a successful outcome look like? Have you worked with consultants before, and what did you value or dislike about that experience? What is your budget?” By standardizing a set of core questions, you ensure your BD reps or project managers gather all relevant intel. More importantly, you demonstrate to the client that you’re listening. Remember: more about the prospective client, less about you.
Emphasize in your process that understanding the client’s needs often requires more than one conversation. Relationship-building is a continuous effort, and this stage might loop through multiple dialogs. For instance, your map might include: “If scope is unclear, schedule a second meeting with the technical team to assess requirements,” or “Send a summary of understood needs to the client for confirmation.” Encourage your team to “ask another question” – sometimes things are forgotten, and real needs only surface after some initial back and forth. Document how meeting notes are handled as well: ideally, all team members should be able to see what was learned. Storing client notes and key insights in your CRM or a shared folder ensures continuity. Consider, with the client’s permission, recording meetings to make the generation of notes for the CRM simpler.
Above all, make trust a deliberate outcome of this stage. AEC clients want to work with firms that “have their best interests at heart,” not just one pushing a generic solution. Your mapped process can include prompts for building trust: “offer to provide a reference or relevant case study,” or “articulate understanding of their problem in a follow-up email.” By codifying these relationship-nurturing steps, you transform need-finding from a subjective art into a trainable process. The result is a client who feels heard and a team that clearly knows the problem to be solved before pitching anything.
Example: A structural engineering firm specializing in parking garage restoration often encounters clients who prioritize the facility served by the garage rather than the garage itself. These clients typically have broad expertise managing buildings but limited knowledge specific to parking garage maintenance and restoration. Recognizing this gap, the firm uses a tailored strategy during on-site visits: they proactively walk the garage with the facilities manager, encouraging them to discuss their primary concerns openly. The salesperson strategically interjects questions, gently probing why particular issues matter most to the client. This approach keeps the client's needs front and center, allowing the firm to demonstrate expertise without hard selling.
Stage 5: Presentation – Crafting and Presenting Your Solution
With a clear understanding of the client’s needs, your team can formulate a tailored solution. Presentation is the stage where you develop a proposal or presentation that shows how your firm will meet the client’s needs. In many A/E firms, this is a formal proposal document responding to an RFP or a detailed letter proposal after an initial meeting. It could also involve an in-person presentation of your approach. Your process map should break down this stage into key tasks: drafting the proposal, reviewing it internally, delivering the presentation, and getting client feedback. Assign owners to each task (e.g. BD manager drafts scope with input from a project architect, senior principal reviews pricing, etc.) and set standard timelines (for example, “Aim to deliver proposal within 2 weeks of need identification meeting”). Speed matters – a prompt, well-crafted proposal signals enthusiasm and competence.
Leverage modern tools to streamline proposal creation. Generating proposals can be time-consuming, but new solutions are making it easier. For instance, AI-powered platforms exist specifically for the AEC industry that help teams organize content and create high-quality proposals. Tools like this can search your firm’s past proposals for relevant content, automate compliance checks against RFP requirements, and even generate first-draft narratives – allowing your team to spend more time refining strategy rather than writing from scratch. That being said, the output of any technology is only as good as the inputs. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel; make sure you are providing the same care with these documents, independent of how they were created.
Whether or not you use an AI tool, consider creating template sections (firm profile, project sheets, resumes) to speed up assembly. BQE CORE’s CRM includes a proposal builder with templates as well, enabling you to quickly generate professional proposals populated with past project data. The key is to make proposal development a repeatable sub-process: your map might note that a content library or template should be used, and list where those resources exist.
When it comes time to present your solution, be it via a slideshow or a meeting to walk through the proposal, your process should ensure the meeting is handled well. Many A/E firms conduct an on-site meeting or call to go over the proposal; your process can specify this as a best practice, since it often leads to a clearer understanding and a chance to address questions immediately. By mapping out the presentation stage, you ensure your team consistently delivers proposals that are not only well-crafted but also aligned perfectly with what the client cares about – increasing your chances of winning the work.
Example: A forensic architecture firm specializing in diagnosing water infiltration through building envelopes identifies extensive issues with a client’s commercial roof that were found during the investigation phase of the project. They prepare a detailed repair package, but they understand that their clients often struggle to visualize exactly what these 2D plans mean for their property—and their budgets. Clients frequently have difficulty grasping intricate design details and can experience sticker shock when presented with complex repair estimates. Recognizing this challenge, the firm proactively engages its vendor network to secure rough pricing and schedule ahead of formal bidding, converting their work product into terms that the client can more easily digest. Additionally, instead of relying solely on standard presentations or meetings, the firm makes it a point to meet clients on-site, walking them through the actual plans. This personalized walkthrough helps clients tangibly connect the proposed repairs to their building, easing concerns and fostering a clearer understanding. The firm finds this hands-on approach significantly more effective in securing client buy-in than a traditional PowerPoint presentation delivered in an office or boardroom.
Stage 6: Close the Sale – Sealing the Deal
Closing the sale is the final push to turn an approved proposal into a signed contract. In the Close the Sale stage of your process, outline how your team should follow up and handle final negotiations. It often starts immediately after the proposal is delivered: this is when you follow up with the client to address any remaining questions or concerns. Your process could mandate, for example, a follow-up call or email within 2-3 days of delivering the proposal, thanking the client for their time and reiterating key points of your solution. If the client has feedback or requests (perhaps adjusting the scope or fee), capture that in a revised proposal or an addendum. Having a clear step for “obtain client feedback and revise proposal if needed” can prevent deals from stalling – you don’t want to assume silence means all is well. In fact, being proactive and guiding the client through any tweaks is part of a good closing routine.
Negotiation might be part of this stage: be it on fees, timeline, or contract terms. Your sales process map can reference how your firm handles common negotiation scenarios (for instance: “If client requests fee reduction, involve the Principal to discuss scope adjustments rather than slashing price”. By training your team on these practices, you avoid ad-hoc concessions and ensure everyone closes deals in line with firm policy.
Another important aspect to include is the internal hand-off once the contract is signed. Successful firms treat closing not as the end, but the transition point to project execution. In your process, note how the BD team should brief the project delivery team post-sale – perhaps a kickoff meeting or an internal memo with all the context gathered during sales. This step ensures promises made during sales are clearly communicated to those responsible for delivery.
Finally, define what “closed won” means in concrete terms (typically a signed contract or engagement letter). Make sure that contract execution and any required client paperwork are explicitly listed in the process. Once that ink is dry, congratulations – but your work isn’t quite done yet! The best A/E firms take one extra step after closing, which brings us to the often-forgotten part of sales: post-sale follow-up.
Example: A structural engineering firm specializing in parking structure restoration offers proactive maintenance plans structured as four-year service agreements—a business model somewhat unconventional for their industry. Recognizing this, the firm's sales team is equipped with tailored collateral developed alongside their engineering team to directly address the unique concerns of different client personas. For instance, when discussing the plan with a facilities manager, the collateral emphasizes how proactive inspections help identify and resolve issues early, reducing the facilities team's workload. Conversely, when addressing finance managers, materials focus heavily on financial metrics—particularly highlighting the return on investment and reduced capital expenditures achieved through ongoing, preventive maintenance. Additionally, after successfully closing a deal, the firm conducts an internal kickoff meeting that includes the sales, engineering, and project management teams. This meeting ensures all relevant insights, nuances, and contextual details gathered during the sales process are effectively communicated to the project execution teams, creating alignment and ensuring client expectations are clearly understood.
Post-Sale Follow-Up – Nurturing the Relationship Beyond the Deal
Winning a project is not the finish line of the sales process; it’s the start of a new phase of the client relationship. A short post-sale follow-up stage in your process can make a lasting difference. This could be as simple as the BD lead or firm principal sending a thank-you note to the client sponsor, expressing excitement to work together. It’s also good practice to check in after a project kicks off (or once a milestone is reached) to ensure the client is happy with how things are progressing. In your sales process map, include a step for a post-project review or debrief: when a project concludes, have someone from the firm ask the client for feedback on how the process went. Not only can this uncover testimonials or lessons for improvement, but it also shows the client you care about their satisfaction after getting the job.
Remember that in our industry, a sale is (hopefully) not a one-and-done transaction – it’s the beginning of a long-term association. Firms that foster genuine relationships earn repeat business and referrals down the road [3]. Your formal process should encourage staying in touch: perhaps scheduling a 6-month or annual check-in with clients even when no active project is on the table. If you use a CRM, set reminders for these touchpoints. By institutionalizing post-sale follow-up, you turn happy clients into a powerful extension of your business development team. They’ll be more likely to come back for the next project or sing your praises to others. In essence, post-sale follow-up closes the feedback loop on your sales process and feeds the prospect pipeline with warmer connections in the future.
Building a Repeatable, Trainable Sales Model
Mapping out the stages above is an eye-opening exercise for many firm owners. You might discover, for example, that your team excels at networking (prospecting) but has inconsistent proposal quality, or that you’re great at closing deals led by principals but struggle to systematize follow-ups for others. By visualizing each step, you can pinpoint these gaps and institute best practices firm-wide. More importantly, you transform business development from an art performed by a few into a science that everyone can learn. A documented sales process means that if a key seller is unavailable or leaves the firm, the entire BD operation doesn’t grind to a halt.
To get started mapping your own sales process, gather your team and outline the current steps (they will likely resemble the stages discussed above). Discuss what’s working and what isn’t at each stage. Then sketch out a flowchart or checklist that documents the ideal sequence and responsible roles. You don’t have to get it perfect on the first try – consider it a living document that you’ll refine over time. The goal is to have a clear reference that can be taught and improved. Empower your people with process and the right technology: combine your new sales map with a CRM system to enforce consistency (through reminders, templates, and data tracking) and to provide management insights via dashboards and reports. Even if your CRM starts out as a spreadsheet, that is OK.
In closing, remember that mapping your sales process is about unlocking repeatable success. It enables your firm to deliver a superb client experience every time, because no matter who handles the lead, they’re following the same proven steps. It frees up your star sellers to focus on building relationships (since the routine tasks are systematized), and it gives up-and-coming team members a platform to shine. By investing the effort now to outline “how we sell,” you are ultimately investing in the future growth of your firm – making business development scalable, predictable, and less stressful for everyone involved.
Next Steps: From Mapping to Mastery
Ready to put this into action? Here are three ways to keep the momentum going:
1. Download the Sales Process Checklist
Grab our free, handy checklist (based on our popular process mapping framework) to guide you step-by-step in documenting your sales workflow. It’s a practical tool to evaluate your firm’s current sales process and identify improvement areas – a perfect companion as you map out the stages above.
2. Book a BQE CORE Demo
Experience how BQE CORE’s integrated CRM and project management platform can support your newly mapped sales process. From lead tracking and proposal generation to one-click project setup, BQE CORE provides the front-end tools and automation to ensure no opportunity slips through the cracks. Schedule your custom demonstration.
3. Read the Next Article in this Series
Continue your process mapping journey with the next installment, where we’ll dive into another core function of your A/E firm. In the meantime, make sure you’ve read the previous article on people, process, and technology alignment [1] if you missed it, to understand the big-picture strategy behind these process deep dives.
By taking these steps, you’ll be well on your way to mapping the future of your firm’s success – one process at a time. Here’s to a more efficient, predictable, and thriving A/E business!
References
[1] People, Process, and Technology: Mapping the Future of Your A/E Firm’s Success. BQE Blog.
https://blog.bqe.com/people-process-and-technology-mapping-the-future-of-your-a/e-firms-success
[2] Client Relationship Management (CRM) for Architects and Engineers. BQE Blog.
https://blog.bqe.com/client-relationship-management-for-architecture-and-engineering-firms
[3] It’s (Still) a Relationship Business! Zweig Group Blog.
https://zweiggroup.com/blogs/news/it-s-still-a-relationship-business
