Reply to the lead before the next name on their shortlist does
Say a founder emails on Monday night: they need a mobile app MVP live before their spring launch, and you’re one of three studios they wrote to. By 9 on Tuesday someone has added them to your board in Discovery call, with what they need, who referred them, and who is replying. The reply goes out before standup, not after the other two.
Name the stages the way your team already talks: Discovery call, Scoping, SOW sent, Signed. Selling a product through demos? Make it Demo, Technical review, Order form out, Closed won. Each deal carries its amount, so the board shows what you have out and that the $38,500 data migration has gone quiet for eleven days.
When last year’s client comes back for phase two, their page has the discovery notes, the deal you signed and what it covered, the project you shipped, and the starred note about who actually signs off. You scope the next build from what you know, not from a blank doc.
Try it: drag the $86,000 card to Signed.