Creating a proposal directly from the lead is no longer considered best practice.
Instead, Buildertrend recommends converting the lead into a presale job and generating the proposal from the estimate within that presale job. This approach ensures better organization and a smoother transition from the sales process to project management.
For steps on how to convert your lead into a presale job, review this article.
For more information on creating a proposal from the estimate of a presale job, review this article.
Creating a Legacy Lead Proposal from Scratch
Start by navigating to Lead Opportunity from the Sales dropdown, then select the lead you'd like to create a legacy lead proposal for.
From the Lead Opportunity, select the Proposals tab and click Create Legacy Proposal.
Lead Proposal Details
Fill out your proposal detail by:
setting an Approval Deadline.
giving your proposal a Title.
expand the More Details dropdown to:
add Internal Notes pertaining to the proposal for your internal team.
include your preferred proposal language in the Introductory and Closing Text fields.
add any Attachments.
Proposal Worksheet
Select the Worksheet tab and click + Item to add a new Line Item.
Fill out the Title, Cost Code, Cost Type, Unit Cost, Quantity, Unit, Markup, and Markup Type fields of the line item.
Line items can be added en masse from the Catalog to save time. These items can be edited once added to your Proposal.
Multiple Cost Codes can also be added to the Proposal at once by first opening the dropdown, then selecting the desired cost code(s).
Import Line Items to your Legacy Proposal
If your team creates the proposal externally using one of our integrated softwares, Buildertrend makes it easy to import the data directly into the Lead Proposal.
To get started, click on a Lead Opportunity, select the Proposals tab and click Create Legacy Proposal.
Click the Import drop-down and select the platform used to create your proposal.
*Note: Imported Proposals must be saved from the platform as an Excel document. Buildertrend does not access third-party software to retrieve data.
In order to have a clean import, utilize the import template by clicking Downloading the Excel Template. Input the fields from your existing proposal into the excel template and save.
Map each column from the imported Excel file with data points in Buildertrend to ensure the import is accurate. Click Next to proceed.
Review any unmapped Cost Codes and content and match them with the corresponding data in Buildertrend. Click Next to proceed.
Your import is now complete.
Formatting your Legacy Proposal
Crafting a compelling and personalized Proposal is essential for nurturing strong relationships with your leads and clients. With Buildertrend, you have full control over what your clients see, including customizable Introductory Text and Closing Text sections that reflect your company's unique needs and terms.
Lead Proposal Details
These sections act as the first and last impressions of your Proposal, establishing the tone and solidifying your brand identity from the outset.
For information on customizing the Lead Proposal Details, review this section.
Grouping line items on your Proposal Worksheet
You can further organize worksheet by utilizing Groups. Click the Group dropdown from your worksheet.
Cost Category Grouping: Best for automatically formatting items by cost categories, phases, or divisions, i.e. the Cost Code structure that you have set up in your account. Items are assigned to their respective cost code group, even if renamed. These groups can be edited and moved into a custom order.
Custom Grouping: Best for unique formatting such as room-by-room, lists, or assemblies. If items are not assigned to a group, they are placed in an Unassigned group.
The Format tab is utilized for presenting your Proposal to your client.
What to Display to Lead
This dropdown determines what information will be shown to your prospective client on the proposal. Items can be added or removed by selecting the dropdown and checking or unchecking to add or remove.
Expand for an explanation of all "What to Display" options
Expand for an explanation of all "What to Display" options
What to Display Key:
Cost Code (Code used to detail cost)
Item Title (Title associated with the line item)
Cost Type (Type of Cost for the line item)
Description (Description of the line item)
Quantity/Unit (Amount and unit type of the line item)
Unit Cost (Cost of each unit)
Builder Total Cost (Total cost for the Builder)
Markup (Amount or Percentage)
Markup Amount (Amount of markup on the line item)
Unit Price (Price per unit)
Price (Client price of the line item)
Cost (Builder cost of the item)
Total Price (Total price of the contract - Builder Cost + Markup)
Category Price (Price of each category)
Total Cost (Total cost of the contract - Builder Cost)
Total Markup (Total markup amount of the contract)
Preview Lead Proposal
The Preview tab offers a final glimpse of the completed Proposal, mirroring exactly how your client will receive it.
Customized Layout Options allow you to adjust details such as header and logo placement, body alignment, and client display preferences to ensure a polished and professional presentation.
Printing your Lead Proposal
Print and print-to-PDF options are found at the bottom of the Lead Proposal modal.
*Note: Print options can be defaulted for future uses.
Requesting Payment on your Legacy Proposal
If you are signed up with Buildertrend Payments, you can request upfront payment by selecting Add Payment Request from the Online Payment Details section. This can include initial, down, partial, or full payment options.
For information on signing up for Buildertrend Payments, review this article.
Releasing your Legacy Proposal
When it's time to send your proposal for approval, Buildertrend simplifies the process. Just select Save & Release to send a copy directly to the contact listed within the Lead Opportunity.
Once released, your prospect receives an automatic notification and can conveniently review and sign the proposal directly from their email. You'll also receive a notification once they've interacted with the proposal.
It's important to note that proposals released to the lead are dynamic documents. Any changes made before approval are instantly visible to the lead, ensuring transparency throughout the process.
Internally Approving your Legacy Proposal
The Legacy Proposal can be approved in one of two ways:
Internally, approved by an internal user
Externally, approved by the client
*Note: Multiple proposals can be associated with a Lead Opportunity, but only one can be approved.
While the common workflow is to release the Proposal for external electronic signature approval, there are instances where the internal approval is preferred.
If it is necessary that you approve the Proposal internally on behalf of the client due to extenuating circumstances, click Save & Approve when creating the proposal instead of Save & Release.
Add your signature, then click Approve.
Once approved, approval information such as date, signature and who approved will be visible on the Lead Proposal Details, and Proposal tab, as shown below.
Templating Legacy Lead Proposals
From the Lead Proposals Dashboard, navigate to the Proposal Templates tab and click New Proposal Template.
Once you have clicked New Proposal Template, manually create a proposal using the same steps outlined in this section. When finished, click Save & Close.
Creating a Legacy Lead Proposal from a Template
When creating a legacy proposal, select Proposal Template from the Import dropdown on the Worksheet tab of your new proposal.
Choose the Proposal Template you want to import, then use the What to Copy dropdown to select the specific details to include.
Interested in Learning More? 📚
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If you have any questions or require additional support, feel free to chat with us, send an email: support@buildertrend.com, or give us a call at 1-888-415-7149. We’re always happy to help.