01
Give every proposal a next conversation.
A proposal is one step in a decision. Keep its opportunity and follow-up visible while the client considers the engagement.
- Expected value and deal stage
- Prepared documents
- Decision follow-up tasks
Keep the context.
Earn the next engagement.
Bring introductions, discovery notes, proposals and account reviews into a clear relationship workflow for your consulting team.
Illustrative case study · Consulting & professional services
An example business and workflow, informed by industry research. Not a customer testimonial or a claim of measured results.
The business
An operations consultancy selling scoped advisory engagements and ongoing support.
The team
Partners, consultants and a client coordinator.
The goal
Give each sales lead an owner, useful context and an agreed next action.
The starting point
Interest is coming in. What happens next?
A promising introduction turns into several meetings. The partner holds the commercial context, a consultant holds the discovery notes and the client coordinator handles dates. Without a shared record, a handover can lose the very problem the client wanted solved.
Lead sources
Bring the opportunities into view.
Partner introductions
Record the referral context and relationship owner before arranging the first conversation.
Inbound requests
Add website, email and phone enquiries through the appropriate connection, import or manual record.
Existing-client needs
Track a new scope or renewal as an opportunity with its own decision and follow-up.
The workflow
Follow one opportunity through.
Capture the introduction
A former client introduces a business with a fulfilment problem. The partner records the context, contact and reason for the conversation, then assigns the next step.
Discover the underlying need
The consultant clarifies the problem, desired outcome, timing and decision process. Notes distinguish what is known from what still needs investigation.
Agree what will be proposed
The team schedules a scoping conversation and assigns any preparation. Before writing a proposal, it records the intended boundaries and the questions the client must resolve.
Present the engagement
The partner shares a prepared proposal and records the opportunity value and stage. A follow-up task names the person responsible for discussing the decision.
Hand over the agreed context
Once the client confirms, the team updates the sales outcome and shares the brief, agreed document and key commitments with the delivery lead. Delivery plans and time recording stay in the consultancy’s specialist tools.
Review the relationship
A scheduled review creates space to discuss progress and future needs. Any additional engagement becomes a new opportunity, so the original scope and the next decision remain distinct.
Inside ThriveBase
Start with the business problem.
Use the lead record to preserve why the client approached you. Good notes make the next conversation useful without requiring the partner to repeat the whole introduction.
02
Keep reviews on the calendar.
Use appointments and tasks to support the ongoing relationship. AI drafting can assist with routine preparation when configured, with a consultant reviewing the output.
- Agreed client review dates
- Handover responsibilities
- New opportunities kept distinct
Team handover
Everyone knows their part.
Partner
Owns commercial fit and the client relationship.
Consultant
Records discovery and confirms the proposed scope.
Client coordinator
Organises appointments and follows up on assigned actions.
What to measure
Check the change in your own business.
Discovery completeness
Review opportunities with a recorded problem, timing and decision process.
Proposal follow-through
Check that open proposals have an owner and an agreed next conversation.
Account continuity
Review completed client check-ins and separately recorded new engagements.
Suggested review measures, not claimed results or a promise of built-in dashboards. Establish a baseline and compare consistent periods using CRM records, exports and your operational systems.
This example covers the client relationship and sales process. Keep project accounting, time recording and detailed delivery planning in your specialist tools.
An authorised colleague can use the saved notes, records and conversation context. Access depends on your workspace’s role and visibility settings.
Research behind this scenario
Industry sources informed the business context. The example workflow is our application of that context to ThriveBase, not an endorsement by these publishers.
- HubSpot: discovery call questions
Discovery should uncover the business problem and establish a concrete next step. This example carries those decisions into scoping and handover.