For specialist contractors
Win more of the right tenders and quotes as a specialist contractor
Estimating takes real hours, whether you're pricing a mechanical, electrical or fire services package for a builder or a maintenance contract for a client. When tenders and quotes go out and the right jobs don't come back, the Sales Conversion Review shows where the path is breaking: what you choose to price, how you quote, how you follow up, or conditions you can't control.
In short
SalesPath reviews how a specialist contractor, such as an HVAC, mechanical, electrical or fire services business, turns invitations and enquiries into awarded projects and maintenance contracts: what gets priced, how quotes and tenders are put together, follow-up, and which builders and clients you actually win with. It finds the main constraint and gives you prioritised next steps. A$1,495 inc GST, 7–10 business days.
How a specialist contractor usually wins a job
Where work comes from
- Builders' tender invitations
- Direct client enquiries
- Repeat work
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Invitation or enquiry
Tender invitations from builders, direct enquiries from clients, and repeat work.
Where it can stallInvitations arrive faster than they can be properly assessed.
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Bid or no-bid
Deciding what's worth pricing: margin, capacity, the builder or client, the risk.
Decision point: price it, or decline. Not every invitation is worth estimating.
Where it can stallEverything gets priced, including jobs you rarely win or don't want.
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Estimate and quote
Scope, inclusions and exclusions, assumptions, program and price.
Where it can stallInclusions and exclusions aren't clear, so the quote is compared on price.
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Follow-up
Checking in with the estimator or client before the decision, and asking why after it.
Where it can stallNobody follows up after submission, and losses aren't explained.
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Award
Letter of acceptance, subcontract or purchase order.
Where it can stallWork is won at a margin that doesn't suit, or when there's no capacity to deliver it.
Free guide: how to measure and improve your tender win rate
Questions the review answers for a contractor
- Which builders and clients do you actually win work with?
- How much estimating time goes into jobs you rarely win, or don't want?
- Do quotes lose on price, or on unclear inclusions, program and follow-up?
- Is the limit the work coming in, the jobs you choose to price, or capacity?
Answered from your own records. If they can't answer one, I'll say so and show you what to start tracking.
Where good jobs can slip
The review doesn't assume a sales problem. It works out which of these, if any, is holding you back.
- Estimating time goes into tenders you have little chance of winning, or jobs you don't want.
- There's no clear view of which builders, clients and job types you actually win with.
- Quotes are slow, or inconsistent between estimators.
- Quotes don't make inclusions, exclusions and assumptions easy to compare.
- Follow-up after submission is irregular, and the reasons for losses aren't recorded.
- The limit is capacity: winning work you can't resource, or turning down work you'd want. The review flags this rather than pushing for more sales.
What the review looks at
- Your recent invitations, enquiries, quotes and tender submissions, and where each came from
- How you decide what to price
- A sample of quotes: scope, inclusions, exclusions and the next step
- Follow-up before and after each decision
- Which builders, clients and job types you win, lose or never hear back from
- How your pipeline compares with your capacity
Example: how the review records each opportunity
| Invitation from | Package | Bid or no-bid | Quote | Follow-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat builder | Mechanical services, office fit-out | Priced: margin and capacity suit | Inclusions, exclusions and program stated | Estimator called before award | Won: Awarded |
| New head contractor | Electrical package, apartment project | Priced without a decision | Lump sum, exclusions unclear | None after submission | Stalled: Lost, reason unknown |
| Direct client | Fire services maintenance, one site | No-bid: no capacity that month | – | – | Deliberate no: Declined to price |
What you get
- Which builders, clients and job types are worth pricingBased on what you've won, lost and never heard back about.
- Where quotes stallSelection, quoting, follow-up or the decision.
- The main constraintOpportunity flow, job selection, conversion, capacity, or conditions outside your control.
- Prioritised fixesFor example simple bid or no-bid rules, a clearer quote layout, a follow-up rhythm and a quote register.
- A 30-day action plan with measuresWhat to do first, what can wait, and how you'll know it's working.
Is it a fit?
A good fit if
- You run or lead a specialist contracting business, such as HVAC, mechanical, electrical, fire services, plumbing, joinery or glazing
- You have recent quotes or tender submissions to review
- You want to win more of the right jobs, not just more jobs
- You're not sure which work is worth pricing, or why good quotes go quiet
Probably not right if
- You're booked out and not taking on new work
- You have no recent quotes or tenders to review
- You expect a guaranteed revenue result
- You're after estimating, take-offs or pricing services
Find out where suitable work is stalling
I trace up to 20 of your recent opportunities (enquiries, proposals, quotes or tenders, as relevant) from source to outcome, find where suitable work stalls, and give you prioritised next steps and a 30-day action plan.
- A$1,495 inc GST, fixed fee, 7–10 business days from kickoff
- Three-leak guarantee: if I cannot find at least three clear, fixable sales-path leaks, you do not pay for the review
If the diagnosis supports implementation, the optional 30-Day Implementation Sprint (A$5,995 inc GST, with the A$1,495 review fee credited, so continuing costs A$4,500 inc GST) puts the sales-side fixes in place with you.
Questions
We're flat out. Should we do this?
Probably not right now. The review is most useful when you have capacity for the right work, or want to change the mix of jobs you win. If you're booked out, it's better left until that changes.
Can you review tender submissions as well as quotes?
Yes. Tender submissions count toward the review's scope of up to 20 recent opportunities (enquiries, proposals, quotes or tenders, as relevant).
Do you write tenders or find them for us?
No. SalesPath doesn't write tender responses or source tenders. The review looks at which tenders and quotes are worth pricing, how they're put together and followed up, and which builders and clients you actually win with.
Do you estimate or price jobs for us?
No. The review looks at how jobs are selected, quoted and followed up. It doesn't check your rates, take-offs or estimates.
Will this help us win more tenders?
It shows which tenders are worth pricing, where your submissions lose ground and what to fix first. It doesn't guarantee wins: builders and clients also decide on price, program and relationships you don't control. To start on your own numbers, see how to measure and improve your tender win rate.
We do projects and maintenance contracts. Does the review cover both?
Yes. Project tenders through builders and maintenance or service contracts with clients can both count toward the 20 opportunities. They usually stall in different places, so the review keeps them separate. The maintenance contracts page covers that path.
Chris Edmund, founder of SalesPath. About 20 years in commercial roles, including executive recruitment, running an electrical labour-hire business, manufacturing operations and B2B commercial strategy. More about Chris or connect on LinkedIn.