CRM for Professional Firms: Clients, Proposals and Recurring Work
In professional services the best client is not the new one, it is the one who comes back every year without being asked.
Two engines, not one
A professional firm runs two engines at once: winning new work and protecting recurring work. They need different handling. A proposal pipeline moves in weeks, while an annual renewal needs reminders long before the due date.
Proposals you can repeat
Store the proposal structure, standard scopes and the values you have quoted. After twenty proposals you have a pricing pattern and acceptance rate per type of work that beats instinct.
Recurring work needs a calendar
Annual audits, periodic filings and contract renewals have known dates. Put them in the system as scheduled work with an owner, rather than relying on memory.
Connect selling to delivering
Promises made during the sale must be visible to the team doing the work. Without that, the client hears two different stories. See managing client projects.
Do not ignore capacity
Winning three large projects in one month can be as dangerous as winning none. Show team workload next to the pipeline, so selling decisions are made with open eyes.
Numbers worth watching
Value of live proposals, acceptance rate, recurring revenue versus new project revenue, and clients not contacted in six months.