sales guide constructor software...sales guide constructor software 3. sales overview 3.1 the sales...
TRANSCRIPT
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
SALES GUIDE
Revision 1 – November 2019
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
1. Table of Contents
1. TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 3
2. TERMS USED IN THIS GUIDE ..................................................................................................................... 5
3. SALES OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 THE SALES PROCESS ..................................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.1 Prospecting ..................................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.2 Qualifying ........................................................................................................................................ 8
3.1.3 Presenting ....................................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.4 Handling Objections ........................................................................................................................ 9
3.1.5 Closing ............................................................................................................................................. 9
3.1.6 Nurturing ........................................................................................................................................ 9
4. SALES ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................................................................ 11
4.1 CONTACT TYPES ........................................................................................................................................ 11
4.1.1 Address Types ............................................................................................................................... 11
4.1.2 Phone Types .................................................................................................................................. 13
4.1.3 Email Types ................................................................................................................................... 14
4.2 DOCUMENT TYPES ..................................................................................................................................... 15
4.2.1 Customer Documents .................................................................................................................... 15
4.2.2 Sales Documents ........................................................................................................................... 18
4.3 STATUSES ................................................................................................................................................. 22
4.3.1 Sales Statuses................................................................................................................................ 22 4.3.1.1 Workflow .................................................................................................................................................. 24 4.3.1.2 Maximum Days ......................................................................................................................................... 25 4.3.1.3 Notifications .............................................................................................................................................. 26 4.3.1.4 Diary Notes................................................................................................................................................ 27 4.3.1.5 Category Changes ..................................................................................................................................... 27
4.3.2 Sales Sources ................................................................................................................................. 28
5. SALES SETUP .......................................................................................................................................... 29
5.1 CREATING CUSTOMERS / CLIENTS ................................................................................................................. 29
5.2 PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 31
5.3 STANDARD PLANS ...................................................................................................................................... 32
5.3.1 Slideshow Viewer .......................................................................................................................... 36
5.4 STANDARD OPTIONS .................................................................................................................................. 38
6. SALES ..................................................................................................................................................... 40
6.1 CREATE THE SALE (ENQUIRY) ....................................................................................................................... 40
6.2 PRODUCE A BROCHURE (SALE DOCUMENT) .................................................................................................... 43
6.3 PRODUCE A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE ............................................................................................................. 47
6.4 PROGRESSING THE SALE .............................................................................................................................. 50
6.4.1 Site Details .................................................................................................................................... 51
6.4.2 Requirements ................................................................................................................................ 51
6.4.3 Diary Notes ................................................................................................................................... 52
6.4.4 Emails ............................................................................................................................................ 54
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.4.5 Files ............................................................................................................................................... 55
6.4.6 Changing Statuses......................................................................................................................... 57
6.5 WINNING THE SALE .................................................................................................................................... 58
6.6 THE SALES FUNNEL .................................................................................................................................... 60
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
2. Terms Used in this Guide In ensuring Constructor is as streamlined as possible, certain terms have been defined and are uniformly used
throughout the program. Each term will be explored in detail in this getting started guide, and other more
advanced guides. Below is a quick Summary to help get familiar with them.
TIP: The terms listed here are written with a capital letter and in Bold throughout this guide, so you can refer
back to this glossary if you are unsure of what the term means.
Accommodation The rooms within a building. The choices are customizable and used for Standard
Plans and gathering requirements during the Qualifying Stage.
Address Types Ways of categorizing addresses. Examples include home address, business address.
Bill Of Quantities
(BOQ)
A Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is a list of costs associated with a Standard Plan;
comprised of materials, labour and other services.
Brochure A document containing pictures and information about a Product.
Clients/Customers Clients are people or entities that have submitted an Enquiry. Clients are also
known as Prospects, Leads and Customers.
Closing Winning the Sale and converting the Sale to a Project.
Company Refers to your Company.
Component A Component in Constructor represents either materials or labour.
Context Editor A word processor for the production of Notes, Documents, headers, footers etc.
Customer
Documents
Documents set up as templates that can be automatically assigned to each Client.
Examples include letters and permits.
Datafields Fields pulled directly from the database to link directly to the Client, Brochure,
Preliminary Estimate etc.
Diary Notes Notes added to the Sale. Can also be set up as tasks with Notifications.
Email Types Ways of categorizing Email addresses. Examples include home email address,
business email address.
Entry An Entry refers to a row within the Grid. Each Entry represents a different item.
Estimate: The calculations to produce the BOQ, comprised of Formula and Components.
Field Fields are where you enter your data. An Entry is made up of different Fields.
Filter A Filter is a keyword or value used to refine lists of information. Filtering refers to
the process of applying a Filter.
Formula Formulas are collections of Components that together provide a per unit cost
estimate for materials and labour.
Grid The Grid refers to the table of Entries on a Screen made up of rows and columns.
Handling Objections Finding solutions for potential problems.
Image A file linked to a Standard Plan to produce a picture of a drawing to be included on
a Brochure or Preliminary Estimate.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Lost The Client decides not to buy.
Negotiations Discussions aimed at reaching agreement.
Notification A message to a Constructor User that can be sent when a task is completed or a
Sales Status requires attention.
Nurturing After Sales support.
People Contacts created in Constructor.
Phone Types Ways of categorizing phone numbers. Examples include home phone number,
business phone number.
Preliminary
Estimate
A document attached to a Sale which outlines the requirements for the Sale,
compiled from the Standard Plan and Standard Options.
Presenting Presenting information to the Client with the aim of convincing them to purchase.
Product Products are the houses (or buildings) that you sell. Also known as Standard Plans,
they can be used on multiple Sales that share the same plans.
Project A Project refers to the job that a Client has employed you to do.
Prospecting Lead generation; marketing.
Prospects Leads or potential buyers. Set up in Constructor as Clients, regardless of whether
they have made a purchase.
Qualifying Gathering information regarding the Client and their requirements.
Replacements Used for Standard Options where Formula can be interchanged.
Report A Report in Constructor is a Document generated from information stored in
Constructor.
Sales Documents Documents set up as templates that can be assigned to each Sale. Examples include
Brochure and Preliminary Estimate.
Sales Funnel The buying process that Clients go through when purchasing Products.
Sales Person A member of the Sales team.
Sales Process A set of repeatable steps that a Sales team takes to convert Prospects into Clients.
Sales Sources A list of sources from which enquiries are received.
Sales Stages The Stages through which a Sale can pass from Enquiry to being Won or Lost.
Screen A Screen is a sub-window within the Constructor window. They can be resized,
moved around and closed in the same manner that you would with any other
program.
Sequence Numbers Attached to Sales Stages, these are for ordering purposes.
Site The address of the construction site.
Slideshow A presentation tool whereby a series of Images set against a Standard Plan can be
displayed to a Client.
Standard Option A Formula that can be added to a Standard Plan to help produce a Preliminary
Estimate.
Template: A pre-formatted file that serves as a starting point for a new Document.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Tyre Kicker A Client who is not serious about purchasing; a time waster.
Won When a Sale is agreed to.
Workflow The progression through the Sales Process.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
3. Sales Overview
3.1 THE SALES PROCESS
A Sales Process is a set of repeatable steps that a Sales team takes to convert Prospects into Customers.
Whilst the Sales Process you build may be unique to your Company, it is generally accepted that most Sales
Processes go through a number of Stages. This can be anywhere from 3 to 7, depending upon your business
and the complexity of the Sale. Each Stage consists of tasks which are the key activities your team must
perform in order to advance from Stage to Stage. These are the 6 Stages that are frequently used in Sales
Processes:
• Prospecting
• Qualifying
• Presenting
• Handling Objections
• Closing
• Nurturing
3.1.1 Prospecting
Also known as Lead Generation. Prospecting involves identifying potential buyers. You will likely already have
a Marketing Strategy in place for generating leads which may include a website, advertising, customer
referrals etc.
3.1.2 Qualifying
This may be the first time your Sales team make direct contact with a Prospect. Through whatever contact
method is used, the goal is to gather enough information to determine if the Prospect is a good fit for you to
do business with. This may include:
• Budget – do they have funding?
• Authority – do they have the decision-making power to buy from you?
• Timeline – are timeline expectations acceptable?
• Geography – do you build in the area they are after?
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
3.1.3 Presenting
Presenting is your Sales Team’s opportunity to lay out a compelling, personalized plan for fulfilling the
customer’s needs and expectations. The research done in the Qualifying Stage will help to formulate the
presentation and anticipate questions.
3.1.4 Handling Objections
There are plenty of reasons why a Customer may hesitate to commit when building a home is so important to
them. Even if they’re interested in your plans; price, timing and fear of change are some of the reasons why
they may have Objections. This Stage is all about identifying any Objections and demonstrating the value of
your Company as the best solution.
3.1.5 Closing
Closing involves everything you need to do in the late stages of a Sale to get your Prospect to sign a Contract.
3.1.6 Nurturing
This involves providing the Customer with post-sales support. There will be a cut-off point which may differ
from Customer to Customer. There are also legalities involved, which your team will be aware of. No-one
wants to get involved in disputes. They are costly and have a negative impact on reputations.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
The Constructor Sales Module allows you to record the information needed to create your own Sales Process.
The determination of your Company Sales Process will be entirely up to you. This guide explains the Sales
tasks available within Constructor and where they fit into a basic Sales Process.
So how does this theory translate into practice within Constructor Sales module? The below chart is a
generalization of what tasks can be undertaken for each Stage of a Process. This is a guide only but may help
your Sales team to make decisions regarding setting up your own Sales Process.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4. Sales Administration
There are a number of Administration tasks that need to be configured (to suit your own Company needs)
before you can start to use the Sales module. These can be categorized into the following sections:
• Contact Types
• Document Templates
• Statuses
Contact Types include Address, Phone and Email.
4.1 CONTACT TYPES
4.1.1 Address Types
Address Types will appear throughout Constructor wherever an Address can be entered. For example, Clients,
Suppliers, People and Employees.
To access Address Types, use the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Address Types:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
This will bring up a Summary list of any Address Types that are already set up. A new Address Type can be
created by clicking New (1). The Service Address tick box was once used by Constructor to determine if an
address was the primary address. This is no longer used for programming purposes, but is available for you to
use if you want to differentiate between Address Types.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.1.2 Phone Types
Phone Types will appear throughout Constructor wherever a Phone number can be entered. For example,
Clients, Suppliers, People and Employees.
To access Phone Types, use the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Phone Types:
This will bring up a Summary list of any Phone Types that are already set up. A new Phone Type can be
created by clicking New (1) and entering a description for the Phone Type.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.1.3 Email Types
Email Types will appear throughout Constructor wherever an Email address can be entered. For example,
Clients, Suppliers, People and Employees.
To access Email Types, use the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Email Types:
This will bring up a Summary list of any Email Types that are already set up. A new Email Type can be created
by clicking New (1) and entering a description for the Email Type.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
.
4.2 DOCUMENT TYPES
There are two different sections for Document Types within the Sales Module. Customer Documents are
attached to the Client Record and Sales Documents are attached to the Sales Record.
4.2.1 Customer Documents
There may be a number of different Documents that you provide your Clients during the Sales Process. This
guide will explain how to do just one of those, a Building Response Letter. Other Documents can be created
and sent in exactly the same way. Set up as many as are applicable to your business. Some examples include:
• Congratulations / Introduction Letter
• Authority to act as Agent
• Proposal Letter
• Finance Options Letter
To access Customer Documents, use the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Customer Document
Templates:
This will open a Summary list of any Customer Documents currently set up on your system. From here you
can create a new template, open an existing template or copy an existing template. If you have a letter or
Document that is regularly sent to Clients, then set it up here so that it can be easily created, sent and
attached to the Client record.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
To set up a new one, click New (1).
This will bring up the Context Editor (1).
The Context Editor is an inbuilt Word Processor. You can add in a logo, copy and manipulate text and add in
Datafields so that each document contains links to the database fields, such as Client Name, Address etc.
Below is an example of a Building Response Letter created using Context Editor.
Datafields (2) are inserted by clicking Insert Datafield (3). This will bring up the list of available Datafields that
can be inserted into the Document. Find the Datafield you are after, highlight it and click Insert.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Text is added by typing directly onto the page or copying from another source, such as Microsoft Word.
If amending an existing Document, it is always worth taking a copy of it first, in case you need to revert to it.
To copy a template, from the template summary, click Copy (1). An exact replica will be created with the word
Copy at the end of the description.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.2.2 Sales Documents
There may be a number of different Documents that you provide your Clients/Prospects during the Sales
Process. This guide will explain how to do just one of those, a Preliminary Brochure. Other Documents can be
created and sent in the same way. Set up as many as are applicable to your business. This is also where the
Preliminary Estimate template is created.
To access Sales Documents, use the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Sales Document Templates:
This will open a Summary list of any Sales Documents currently set up on your system. From here you can
create a new template, open an existing template or copy an existing template. If you have a Document that
is regularly attached to Sales, then set it up here so that it can be easily created, sent and attached to the Sales
record.
To set up a new one, click New (1).
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
This will bring up the Context Editor (1).
The Context Editor is an inbuilt Word Processor. You can add in a logo and images, copy and manipulate text
and add in Datafields so that each document contains links to the database fields, such as Client Name,
Address etc. Below is an example of a Preliminary Brochure created using Context Editor. It is designed to
contain a plan and a façade image for one of the Blue Building Company’s designs called The Maitland.
Datafields (2) are inserted by clicking Insert Datafield (3).
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
This will bring up the list of available Datafields that can be inserted into the Document. Find the Datafield
you are after (1), highlight it and click Insert (2).
For an Image to appear on a brochure, it must first be attached to a Standard Plan. This is not done in the
Sales module, but rather in Projects, BOQ’s.
From the BOQ Summary, go to the Images tab (1) and click Images (2). This will bring up the Image Viewer.
Highlight the Image (3) and tick the appropriate box in the Preliminary Brochure section:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
To Insert the brochure Image onto a Document template, open the template in the Context Editor (1) and
click Insert Datafield (2). The Datafield selection box will pop up. Open Product, Details and insert Brochure
Image, Plan Image:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.3 STATUSES
4.3.1 Sales Statuses
Sales Statuses are where you set up the flow through your Sales Process. To access Sales Statuses, either use
the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Sales Statuses:
This will bring up a list of any existing Statuses. These are customizable to your Company requirements.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Following is an example of a workflow through the Sales Process. Each business may have a different flow
from Status to Status. It is worth mapping out before you begin.
The Process begins with an Enquiry. The Sales Person gathers information during Qualifying. This leads to
Presenting, followed by Negotiations after which point the Sale is Won or Lost. At any point in the Process,
the Sale may be Lost or turn into a Tyre Kicker.
NB: Tyre Kicker is another term for a time waster.
In Constructor, this is set up as:
Notice the gaps between the Sequence numbers. These are deliberate so that any future Statuses can be
easily slotted into place.
To set up a new Status, click New. To amend an existing Status, double click the Status or highlight it and click
Open.
The top section of the screen is for the Description and Sequence Number (1). You can also set a display
colour for the description.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.3.1.1 Workflow
You may want to set up the Statuses to flow automatically from one to the other. You may want some
Statuses to have dependencies upon other Statuses being complete first. This is where that Workflow is set
up.
The Workflow tab (2) contains two sections. The first section is called Restrict Next Status (3) and can be used
if you want to stop a Status from being able to transition to another Status. For example, you may want
Qualifying to always go through the Presenting Stage. You could prevent it advancing straight to Negotiations
by ticking all the boxes EXCEPT Negotiations.
The second section is called Automatic Workflow (4). This will allow you to set up an automatic Status change
after a certain number of days. For example, you may want to set up the Qualifying Status so that it changes
automatically to Tyre Kicker after 90 days.
Note, that it is not essential to set up Automatic Workflow. The User can manually change the Status from one
to the next.
The final box, Automatically create a Project based on enquiry information when enquiry enters this status,
does exactly what it says. A Project will be created so that the Project Manager can take over from the Sales
team:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.3.1.2 Maximum Days
This tab gives you the ability to set up a Notification to another Constructor User if a Status remains in the
same state for a defined number of days.
Set the number of days (1) and choose the User to whom the Notification should be sent (2). Type in the
message that you want to appear on the Notification (3):
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.3.1.3 Notifications
The Notifications tab can be used to send Constructor Notifications to the Sales person assigned to the Sale as
a Sale enters (1) and leaves (2) a Status:
Here is the ENTERS Notification:
And here is the LEAVES:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.3.1.4 Diary Notes
Diary Notes can be set up to automatically appear (on the Diary Notes tab of the Sale) as a Status enters the
Status (1) and leaves the Status (2) (i.e. the Status changes):
4.3.1.5 Category Changes
Not currently in Use.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
4.3.2 Sales Sources
This section of Sales Administration is for setting up the various Sources of the Sales Enquiries that may exist.
Use the shortcut or go to Sales, Administration, Sales Sources:
These are very easy to set up and comprise only a Description. They are currently not used in Reporting but
are entered on the Sales Record.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
5. Sales Setup
After the all the Administration tasks have been completed, the next items on the Sales menu are Clients and
People. Clients are also known as Prospects, Customers or Debtors. For the purposes of the Sales Process,
they are Prospects until such time as the Sale is Won and the deposit received. Constructor however uses the
terminology of either Client or Customer from the moment the Enquiry is logged in the system, regardless of
outcome.
All Enquiries can be logged into the system, even if they end up fizzling out. They may go from Status Enquiry
to Lost all in the space of a day. Whether you want to record such Enquiries in the Sales module is up to you.
5.1 CREATING CUSTOMERS / CLIENTS
In whatever manner an Enquiry is received or a Prospect is found, the first step is to create the Client record.
This can be done from the shortcut or Sales, Clients. The Client can also be created at the same time as the
Sale, which will be outlined later in this guide.
If the Sale is Won, the Client record created by the Sales team will be used by the Project and Accounting
teams as well. If there is a Naming Convention in place for the creation of Clients, then please make sure it is
followed from the very beginning of the process.
A Client record in Constructor contains quite a lot of information, much of which is redundant for the Sales
Process, but important for Projects and Accounting. Therefore, when creating a Client in Sales, only basic
information need be recorded. After all, if the Sale is Lost, the Client record will not be used again. If the job
is Won, then the Project / Accounting team will be in charge of assuring the remainder of the necessary
information is recorded against the Client.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Click New (1) to create a Client record. Expand the Name fields (2) and enter the Client name. For Address,
Phone and Email, click the Add button for each (3) to enable the fields.
You may notice that as information is entered on the left-hand side, it is also populated on the right (4).
Keep going until the top half of the screen is fully populated and Save.
There are a number of tabs at the bottom (5). They will be filled in by the Project / Accounting teams if the
Sale is Won.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
5.2 PEOPLE
Whenever a Contact record is created in Constructor, a Person record is created in this section. The People
records held here can come from Suppliers, Clients, Employees etc. If you want to view or amend these
records, use the shortcut or go to Sales, People:
The record is set out over three tabs (1):
• Contact Details
• Personal Information
• Company Information
All of which can be amended if required:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
5.3 STANDARD PLANS
In Constructor, Standard Plans (or Products) are linked to BOQ’s (Bill of Quantities), Standard Options,
Brochures, Preliminary Estimates and Slideshows.
Standard Plans are set up in Projects, BOQ’s. They can be viewed in the Sales module, but not modified here.
The Estimating/Project team will have set up a number of Standard Plans for the Sales team to show
Prospects. Once the Prospect has shown an interest in one, it can be attached to the Sale.
The Prospect may not be interested in any Standard Plans, but have a completely custom build in mind.
During the Qualifying Stage, the requirements can be gathered and passed to the Estimating team to provide
a Custom Plan, if there is nothing similar already set up on the system.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
It is useful for the Sales team to understand what the Standard Plans contain. To view them, use the shortcut
or go to Sales, Standard Plans.
This will open the Standard Plans Summary. Highlight a Standard Plan and start with the Details tab (1),
which shows (2):
• Construction Type
• Design Group
• Elevation Style
• Product Group
• Size
• Levels
• Dimensions
• Price
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
The Images tab (1) shows the technical drawings:
Accommodation Tab (1) shows the room summary, customizable for your Company.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
The Standard Options tab (1) contains any of the Formula that have been flagged as standard for this Plan:
The Specifications tab (1) will show any Specification assigned to the Plan:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
5.3.1 Slideshow Viewer
The Slideshow Viewer can be a useful tool for the Presenting Stage. It is a Slideshow of Images, such as
plans, elevations, etc.
For Images to be available for the Slideshow, they must be flagged as such in the BOQ.
From the BOQ Summary, go to the Images tab (1) and click Images (2). This will bring up the Image Viewer.
Highlight the Image (3) and tick Product Slideshow:
The Standard Plan must also be flagged as Included in a Slideshow. Back in Sales, Standard Plans, highlight
the Standard Plan and go to Viewer, Slideshow Administration, Include selected products in Slideshow. If a
Standard Plan is included in a Slideshow, it will have the green symbol (1):
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
To present a Slideshow, there are two options. Either a Slideshow for a selected Standard Plan or a
Slideshow for all Standard Plans with flagged Images.
Choose either of the Start Slideshow options and the Slideshow will commence. Use the arrows (1) to move
from Image to Image OR simply leave it and the Images will scroll through automatically. Click the picture of a
computer (2) to minimize the Slideshow enough to close it.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
5.4 STANDARD OPTIONS
Standard Options are Formula that are associated with a Standard Plan. A Formula must be flagged as a
Standard Option for it to be available in this section.
To mark a Formula as a Standard Option, use the Formula shortcut or go to Projects, Formula.
Tick the box This Formula is a Standard Option for use in Standard Products (1):
Once it is marked as available for Standard Plans, it needs to be associated with each Standard Plan to which it
applies. Either use the shortcut or go to Sales, Standard Options:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Highlight the Standard Option and go to the Standard Options Products tab (1). Click New (2). This will bring
up a list of all Standard Plans. Choose as many as are applicable for this Option:
The Replacements tab (1) will show a list of any Replacements for this Standard Option. These are for display
only in this section. If they need to be changed, that is done on the Formula in the Project menu:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6. Sales
Once all the Administration and setup has been completed, the Sales Process can begin.
6.1 CREATE THE SALE (ENQUIRY)
Setting up a Sale is a very quick process, assuming everything has been properly set up beforehand. It can be
done whilst the Sales Person is on the phone to the Prospect.
From the Sales Summary, click New (1) and enter the Date of Enquiry, Enquiry Source and Branch (if
applicable). The Sales Person field will automatically populate with the current logged in User, but can be
changed if required.
Note: The First Contact field is not currently in use.
In the Client Information section (1), click the box marked (2) to expand the Name entry fields:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Main Contact (1) and Correspondence will be ticked and can be amended later on if it turns out that the
person is not the Main Contact or Correspondent. Choose the title and start typing the First Name (2). A list
of Possible Matches will pop up. This is reading names from the Person section and if you find that this
Person is already set up as a Client contact, you can highlight the name and click Use (3):
If the Person doesn’t already exist in Constructor, then you can carry on filling in the contact information. Add
in the Phone, Email and Address. Click Add (1) to enable the entry fields. The data will automatically
populate the fields on the right-hand side of the screen. Once you have entered that basic information, click
Save.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Move down to the Details of this Enquiry section (1). On the Site tab (2), enter any details you are provided
about the construction Site. The Prospect may already have purchased land, in which case, you could fill in the
address details, if they are provided. You may not know the information at this early stage of the Sale, so
there is no necessity to fill in this tab.
The same goes for the Requirements tab (1). Fill in only the information you can get. The Product Choice,
Elevation Style etc can be filled in as the Sale progresses:
Go to the Status tab (1) and make sure the correct Status is set on the Sale. The system will use the Status
with the first Sequence Number, but can be changed if necessary.
Save the Sale.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.2 PRODUCE A BROCHURE (SALE DOCUMENT)
Whilst you may have professionally printed brochures to pass on to your Prospects, Constructor has the ability
to produce one if you want to take advantage of it. The setting up the brochure template is covered in 4.2.2 –
Sales Documents (above).
Before a brochure can be produced, a Standard Plan must be attached to the Sale record. Open the Sale and
go to the Requirements tab (1). Click the Suggest button (2) and choose the Standard Plan (Product) the
customer is are interested in:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
The Standard Plan must also be set up to have Images available for the brochure. Open the BOQ for the Plan
by going to Projects, BOQ’s. Open the BOQ and go to the Images tab (1). Click the Images button (2).
Highlight the Image (3) and tick the Preliminary Brochure option/s that is relevant (4):
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
To insert a brochure Datafield onto the brochure template, open the template from Sales, Administration,
Sales Documents.
Position the mouse in the position you wish to enter the Image and click Insert Datafield (1). Go to Product,
Details, Brochure Image/Plan Image (2):
The Brochure Image / Plan Image will appear as a box on the template. Save the template:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
On the Sale record, move to the Documents tab (1). Click New and then Use/Create/Alter a Document
Template (2):
The document will pop up and can be Printed or Saved and Emailed:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.3 PRODUCE A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE
The Preliminary Estimate is a Document that can be produced for the Client, which is derived from the
Standard Plan plus any Standard Options that are required:
During the Presenting Stage, a Preliminary Estimate may be required. The layout for the Preliminary Estimate
can be edited in Sales, Administration, Sales Documents.
From the Sale record, go to the Preliminary Estimate tab (1).
The screen is divided into four sections:
• Product Information
• Price
• Accommodation Types
• Options
The information on the first three sections is drawn directly from the Product (Standard Plan) that has been
attached to the Sale.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
The fourth section displays all the Standard Options associated to the Standard Plan. If any of the Options
aren’t included in the Plans’ Estimate, they can be added in by ticking them (2). The total Price (in the Price
section), will increase as Options are added (3):
To produce a document to Email or Print, stay on the Preliminary Estimate tab and click New Preliminary
Estimate Document (1). Choose the Preliminary Estimate (2) to see the document.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
To Email the Document, go to File, Save As (1) and save the file to your computer. Attach the file to an Email
and send. To Print the Document, click Print (2):
The Documents tab will display the Documents that have been created:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.4 PROGRESSING THE SALE
As the Sale progresses, there are a number of tasks that should be undertaken to ensure that the Sale record
is kept up to date with all information.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.4.1 Site Details
As soon as the Site Details become available, they should be entered into the Sale record on the Site tab (1).
Information that can be recorded includes:
• Site Notes
• Whether the site is owned or still needs to be purchased
• Site Address
• Site Attributes
6.4.2 Requirements
Once the Requirements are known, they can be entered on the Requirements tab (1). They may be added to
piecemeal if they aren’t all decided upon at the same time. Information that can be recorded includes:
• Brief
• Design
• Pricing
• Accommodation Type
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.4.3 Diary Notes
The Diary Notes tab (1) can be used to record any Notes, such as the time and date of a call that went
unanswered or details of a conversation with the Prospect/Client. It is also possible to set up tasks and send
Notifications to Constructor Users.
To create a Note, click New (2):
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
The Diary Notes screen will open. Date and Recorded By will automatically populate, but can be changed if
necessary. Enter a Subject for the Note (1). Details of the Note can be entered in the ConText field (2). If the
Note is saved at this point, it will appear on the Diary Notes tab of the Sale, but if you want to create a To Do
Item with a Notification, then complete the bottom half of the screen (3). A Notification can be sent on the
Due by date and upon completion of the task (4). There is no restriction to the number of Notes that can be
entered.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.4.4 Emails
All Emails that are sent to the Prospect/Client or are related to the Sale can be attached here. Highlight the
Email in your Email program (1):
Hold down the left mouse button and drag the Email onto the blank section of the Emails tab (1).
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Let go the mouse button and the Email will appear on the tab:
To review the Email, either double click it or highlight it and click Open.
6.4.5 Files
This tab is for attaching relevant Files to the Sale record. For example, proof of finance, custom drawings or
permits.
There are two ways to attach Files. The first one is the drag and drop method, similar to the way Emails are
attached to the Email tab. You can drag a File from wherever it is saved on your computer or you can even
drag a file that is attached to an Email. Highlight the File and hold down the left mouse key.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
Drag the File to the blank area on the Files tab (1). A category list will pop up. Hover the mouse on the
category you wish to put the File into (2) and drop the File:
The File will then be categorized (2) and available to view on this tab:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.4.6 Changing Statuses
Throughout the life of the Sale, the Status will have to be kept up to date. Even if you are using automatic
workflow Status changes, they may still require manual intervention. This is done from the Sales Summary
Screen. Highlight Sale and click Change Status (1). The below example only has one option, but dependent
upon the Status workflow, there may be many more to chose from.
To view the Statuses that the Sale has been through during its life, highlight the Sale on the Sales Summary
screen (1) and go to the Status tab. This will show the Current Status (2) and the Status changes, along with
their dates (3):
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.5 WINNING THE SALE
At any point during the Sales process, a Sale can be Won and Project can be generated. For example, the
below Sale was considered to have fizzled out, but suddenly the customer came viable and was ready for a
Project to be created. Click Generate a Project based on this Enquiry (1):
A message will pop up to confirm the Project creation:
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
If Yes is clicked, a Project will be created based on the information in the Sale (1).
Another way to create a Project is to have a Status configured to automatically create a Project. Any Statuses
with this setting will have a symbol next to them, as in the example below for Deposit:
When a Sale is moved into such a Status, there will be no pop-up warning. The Project will immediately be
created.
SALES GUIDE Constructor Software
6.6 THE SALES FUNNEL
A Sales Funnel represents the quantity and conversion rates of Prospects through the Sales Stages. It is called
a funnel because it is wide at the top as Prospects enter, then increasingly narrow as they are disqualified or
decide not to buy.
At its simplest, the Sales Funnel can have 4 Stages:
• Awareness
• Interest
• Decision
• Action
If the Constructor Sales module is used to its full capacity, a Sales Funnel report can be produced to help
pinpoint at what stage in the Sales Process most business is Lost or Won. This report is still under
development.