Purpose

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in TRUE refers to the integrated set of features that help construction subcontractors manage their customer relationships, sales opportunities, and business development activities. TRUE's CRM capabilities are designed specifically for specialty trade contractors in industries such as glass/glazing, fencing, asphalt, door hardware, and similar construction trades. These features allow you to track potential clients, manage sales activities, and convert prospects into paying customers seamlessly within the same platform that manages your projects, schedules, and finances.

A TRUE CRM

TRUE's CRM functionality is built around two core modules that work together to create a complete sales pipeline management system. Using features such as AI AutoFill, Email Templates, and Automations, TRUE can be used as a powerful CRM that effortlessly integrates into the powerful ERP features to run your business end to end.

Leads Module

The Leads module is designed specifically for tracking and managing potential residential and service projects. It gives specialty subcontractors the tools to capture, qualify, and convert leads for smaller or shorter-term projects.

Key features include:

• Lead capture from multiple sources (website, phone inquiries, trade shows, referrals)
• Lead assignment to specific sales team members
• Activity tracking (calls, emails, site visits, follow-ups)
• Integrated quoting capabilities
• Conversion tracking
• Reminder notifications for follow-up tasks
• Email Integration - Connects email communications

Opportunities Module

The Opportunities module focuses on the unique needs of commercial project sales. For specialty trade contractors, this module helps manage the longer and more complex sales cycle typically associated with commercial work.

Key features include:

• AI Autofill - Automatically extracts data from ITB documents
• Email Integration - Connects email communications
• Commercial prospect tracking
• Detailed qualification process
• Stakeholder management and contact tracking
• Proposal development
• Bid tracking with deadline monitoring
• Document storage for project specifications
• Conversion to active projects

Industry-Specific CRM Functionality

TRUE's CRM features are customized for specialty trade contractors, with specific functionality for:

Commercial vs. Service Sales Workflows

Commercial Sales

1. Lead - Capture commercial project leads from bid boards, general contractors, architects, or direct inquiries. Using features such as AI Autofill to extracts key information from ITB documents.
2. Qualification - Assess project viability, timeline, and fit with your company's capabilities
3. Opportunity Creation - Convert qualified leads to opportunities with detailed scope information
4. Bid Management - Create detailed proposals, track submission deadlines, and monitor bid status
5. Follow-up - Track communications with decision-makers and update probability of winning
6. Contract Award - When awarded, convert opportunity to active job with all history intact
7. Relationship Management - Maintain ongoing communication with key contacts for future opportunities

Service/Residential Sales

1. Lead Capture - Record incoming service or residential project inquiries. Integrate with website webforms to automatically populate Leads into TRUE.
2. Stage Tracking - Track the status of a sales Lead or an existing Quote.
3. Quick Qualification - Determine project scope, timeline, and budget fit
4. Quoting - Generate estimates directly from leads using integrated quoting tools
5. Customer Approval - Track customer communications and quote approval status with eSign or ePay.
6. Scheduling - Convert approved quotes to work tickets and schedule service teams
7. Completion & Invoicing - Mark jobs complete and create invoices directly from work tickets
8. Follow-up - Schedule maintenance reminders or check in for additional service needs

Integration with Other TRUE Modules

TRUE's CRM features don't exist in isolation. They integrate seamlessly with other system modules to create a complete business management solution:

• Quotes Module - Convert leads or opportunities directly to quotes without duplicate data entry
• Jobs Module - Transform won quotes into active jobs with all client history and requirements
• Schedules Module - Assign resources to projects based on sales pipeline forecasting
• Inventory Module - Check material availability while creating quotes, or seamlessly reserve for projects that are won
• Invoices Module - Generate invoices directly from completed projects that originated as leads
• Reports - Track sales metrics, conversion rates, and pipeline value

Maximizing CRM Value for Specialty Contractors

To get the most from TRUE's CRM capabilities, specialty trade contractors should:

• Customize Lead Sources - Configure lead sources specific to your trade (e.g., architect referrals, general contractor relationships, repeat customers)
• Define Sales Process Stages - Customize opportunity stages to match your sales process (e.g., Initial Contact, Site Visit, Quote Submitted, Quote Approval, Contract Negotiation)
• Integrate with Estimating - Connect TRUE with your industry-specific estimating tools for seamless quote generation
• Establish Follow-up Protocols - Create standardized follow-up procedures with automated reminders
• Automate Notifications - Set up alerts for bid deadlines, customer communications, and quote expirations
• Leverage Reporting - Use built-in reports to track sales team performance, conversion metrics, and pipeline value