CONSULTANT WALKTHROUGH · TROY THE CONTRACTOR

Full integration onboarding

A working session, not a demo. By the end Troy has a real bid triaged, a real estimate priced against a job he already knows, and an invoice out the door. Run it top to bottom — roughly 115 minutes.

Download PDF Email Troy
Invitation email — preview and copy

SUBJECT

Your onboarding session — Troy the Contractor (about 2 hours, bring one finished job)

BODY

Troy,

Setting up your onboarding walkthrough. This is a working session, not a demo — by the time we hang up you'll have a real bid triaged, a real estimate priced against a job you already know the number on, and an invoice out the door.

Plan for about 115 minutes.

WHAT WE'LL COVER
  1. 1 · Why this platform (10 min)
  2. 2 · Connect BuildingConnected (15 min)
  3. 3 · Real-time triage — watch it happen (20 min)
  4. 4 · Estimating a real job (20 min)
  5. 5 · Invoicing and getting paid (15 min)
  6. 6 · Intake — calls and new leads (15 min)
  7. 7 · Go-live and cadence (10 min)
  8. 8 · Agreement and reporting (10 min)

WHAT TO BRING
  • Your BuildingConnected login (you type it, on your own device — I never hold it).
  • One finished job: scope, square footage, what you quoted, what it actually cost. This is what we price the platform against so the number means something to you.
  • Your labor rates, material markups, and minimums.
  • Your standard invoice terms and your top GCs' quirks (net-30/net-45, retainage, PO format).
  • Names and emails for anyone on your crew who touches bids or invoices.
  • A date you want to be live, and your calendar open for two check-ins.

WHAT IT REPLACES
  • Bid invites read on a phone at a jobsite and forgotten by lunch.
  • Rebuilding the same takeoff math on a legal pad for every similar job.
  • Invoices written at the kitchen table on Sunday — or two weeks late.
  • Voicemails that never get returned.

A few things up front so nothing is a surprise: nothing goes out with anyone's name but yours, we're not replacing your office guy — we're giving him the first draft, and no engagement work starts until the retainer is signed. We'll settle that in the same session instead of chasing it by email afterward.

The full checklist is here, and it's the same one I'll be reading from:
https://thevillage.capital/troy-onboarding

Send me two windows that work and I'll lock one in.

— The Village
SIGNING OFF AS
0 of 27 steps0%

Presenter mode: scrolls Troy to each step, shows the talk track, and signs off as you go.

Live example — estimate to invoice

Watch a sample bid invite move through triage, takeoff, estimating, and invoicing in real time.

Sample input

Anacostia Gateway — Tenant Fit-Out, Phase 2

Source
BuildingConnected · Bid Invite
GC
Whitcomb Construction Group
Due
Aug 12, 2026 · 2:00 PM ET
Scope
Interior demo, metal stud framing, drywall, ACT ceilings
Area
18,400 sq ft
Bid_Docs_Rev3.pdfA-201_Partitions.dwgScope_Matrix.xlsx

  1. Intake received

    Bid invite parsed from inbox + BuildingConnected

  2. Triage & scoring

    Trade match 94% · Capacity OK · Fit score 8.6/10

  3. Takeoff extracted

    18,400 sq ft · 312 LF partitions · 6 ceiling zones

  4. Estimate drafted

    Labor, material, and markup applied from Troy's rate card

  5. Human review

    Troy approves scope exclusions and contingency

  6. Invoice issued

    Progress invoice #1 generated with retainage terms

Draft estimate

Waiting on takeoff and rate card…

Progress invoice #1

Waiting on approved estimate…

1 · Why this platform

10 min

Goal: Troy can say back, in his own words, what the platform does for his week.

Replaces: Bid invites read on a phone at a jobsite and forgotten by lunch.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"Before I show you a single screen — walk me through last week. How many bid invites hit your phone, and how many did you actually answer?"

  • Let him talk for the first five minutes. The numbers he says out loud become the numbers we measure against in two weeks.
  • Three leaks, in this order: invites you never read, estimates that take four days, invoices that go out late. Money, not features.
  • Name the section of today's session that fixes each leak so he knows the agenda is his problems, not our product tour.
  • Say the word 'draft' early and often — the platform drafts, Troy decides. That framing carries the whole session.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

The agenda itself: seven pages, two hours, ending with a real invoice on a real job.

DON'T

  • Feature lists.
  • The words 'AI-powered'.
  • Comparing him to bigger contractors.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "So of those three — missed invites, slow estimates, late invoices — which one cost you the most last quarter? We'll start there."

0/3 done

CONSULTANT

Open with his week, not the software: how many bid invites came in last week, how many he answered, how many he let go.

TROY BRINGS

A rough count — invites in, bids out, jobs won.

CONSULTANT

Name the three places money leaks: missed invites, slow estimates, invoices sent late. Tie each one to a section of today's walkthrough.

TROY BRINGS

Confirms which of the three hurts most right now.

CONSULTANT

Set the frame: today is a working session, not a demo. By the end he'll have a real bid triaged, a real estimate, and a real invoice.

TROY BRINGS

Blocks the full two hours, phone on silent.

IF TROY SAYS

"I already have a system — my phone and my guy in the office."

Agreed, and we're not replacing him. We're giving him the first draft. Everything still goes out with your name on it and your number on the bottom.

2 · Connect BuildingConnected

15 minOpen the bid inbox

Goal: Live bid invites flowing into the inbox on the platform.

Replaces: Logging into BuildingConnected separately and hand-copying invite details.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"We're going to connect your BuildingConnected on your login, not mine. I don't want a password of yours anywhere."

  • Do the authorization on his device. Hand him the keyboard — ownership starts here.
  • The moment his real project names appear on screen is the trust moment. Pause on it. Don't narrate over it.
  • Access is per-person and revocable. Show the revoke screen before he asks about it.
  • Get the crew list in writing now — names, emails, and what each one is allowed to see.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

His actual invite list, with real GC names and real due dates, refreshed live in the inbox.

DON'T

  • Touching his keyboard.
  • Vague answers about who can see his bids.
  • Skipping the revoke screen.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "That's your live pipeline. Now let's see what the system does with it before you've had coffee."

0/3 done

CONSULTANT

Walk him through authorizing his BuildingConnected account. Do it on his login, not yours.

TROY BRINGS

His BuildingConnected credentials, on his own device.

CONSULTANT

Refresh the inbox together and confirm his real invites appear with the right project names.

TROY BRINGS

Confirms the list matches what he sees in BuildingConnected.

CONSULTANT

List who on his crew needs access and at what level. Write the names down in the notes.

TROY BRINGS

Names, roles, and emails for anyone who touches bids or invoices.

IF TROY SAYS

"Who else can see my bids in there?"

Only the people you name today. Access is per-person and you can pull it back any time — I'll show you the screen where you do it.

3 · Real-time triage — watch it happen

20 minRun the live workflow

Goal: Troy sees an invite scored and drafted in front of him, not described to him.

Replaces: Reading every invite top to bottom to decide whether it's even worth a bid.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"Pick one of these invites. Don't open it — just tell me, gut call: bid or pass, and why?"

  • Get his call on record before the score is visible. The comparison only lands if he committed first.
  • Read the triage line by line against his reasoning. Where they agree, say nothing; the silence does the work.
  • Hunt for a disagreement on purpose, then correct it on the spot. Watching his input stick is the whole page.
  • End on delivery: the ranked morning list, in his channel, before he leaves the house.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

One live invite scored, flagged, and drafted go/no-go — plus the correction he just made showing up in the re-run.

DON'T

  • Defending a wrong score.
  • Using a canned sample when a live invite is available.
  • Explaining the model.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "That's the read. Now let's find out whether it can price like you price."

0/4 done

CONSULTANT

Pick a live invite in the inbox. Before opening the AI read, ask Troy for his gut call: bid or pass, and why.

TROY BRINGS

His call, out loud, before he sees the score.

CONSULTANT

Open the triage: score, scope flags, due date, and the drafted go/no-go. Compare it line by line to what he just said.

TROY BRINGS

Points out anything the read got wrong.

CONSULTANT

Correct one wrong assumption on the spot so he sees the system take his input. This is the moment the platform stops being abstract.

TROY BRINGS

Gives the correction in his own words.

CONSULTANT

Show where the morning summary lands — one list, ranked, before he leaves the house.

TROY BRINGS

Says where he wants it: email, text, or the app.

IF TROY SAYS

"How does it know what I bid on?"

It learned from your last jobs — trade, size, GC, distance. Where it's wrong, you correct it once and it stays corrected.

4 · Estimating a real job

20 minOpen the workspace

Goal: The estimate number is credible to Troy because it's checked against a job he already priced.

Replaces: Rebuilding the same takeoff math on a legal pad for every similar job.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"Give me a job you already finished and know the final number on. I want to be graded against something real."

  • Insist on a finished job with a known cost. A hypothetical proves nothing and he knows it.
  • Show the gap without flinching. Being off by twelve percent and fixable beats being magically right.
  • Set his labor rates, markups, and minimums while he watches — his numbers typed in front of him.
  • Re-run the same job. The second number is the sale; let him read it before you say anything.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

Two numbers side by side on his own job, then the corrected re-run landing inside his range.

DON'T

  • Hiding the gap.
  • Setting rates for him offline.
  • Arguing about waste factors.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "Now the number is yours. Let's turn one into money in the bank."

0/4 done

CONSULTANT

Ask for one finished job with a known final number. Enter the scope as it originally came in.

TROY BRINGS

One past job: scope, square footage, what he quoted, what it actually cost.

CONSULTANT

Generate the estimate. Put the platform's number next to his number and talk about the gap.

TROY BRINGS

Explains the gap — labor rate, waste factor, GC-specific markup.

CONSULTANT

Set his labor rates, material markups, and minimums in the workspace while he's watching.

TROY BRINGS

Approves the rate card.

CONSULTANT

Re-run the same job with the corrected rates and confirm it lands where he'd have priced it.

TROY BRINGS

Signs off that the number is usable.

IF TROY SAYS

"It'll never price like I price."

It won't at first. That's why we're running one of your finished jobs through it — you tell me where it's off, and we set your rates so the next one lands.

5 · Invoicing and getting paid

15 min

Goal: An invoice goes out from an approved estimate with the right PO and terms.

Replaces: Invoices written up at the kitchen table on Sunday, or two weeks late.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"Which GC is the slowest to pay you, and what do they demand on an invoice before it moves?"

  • Build the invoice from the estimate you just corrected — same job, unbroken thread.
  • Per-GC formatting is saved once, per customer. Capture his top three GCs' quirks live.
  • Terms, retainage, and PO placement in his words. This is where an office manager would nod.
  • Show the aging follow-up and let him set how hard it chases. Contractors want that dial.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

A real invoice generated from the approved estimate, with his PO field, his terms, and his deposit details.

DON'T

  • Generic invoice templates.
  • Promising faster payment.
  • Glossing over retainage.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "That's the back end handled. Last piece is the phone ringing while you're on a ladder."

0/4 done

CONSULTANT

Turn the approved estimate into an invoice. Show the PO field and where the terms come from.

TROY BRINGS

Confirms his standard terms — net-30, net-45, retainage.

CONSULTANT

Set the per-GC invoice requirements he already knows about.

TROY BRINGS

Names his top GCs and their quirks.

CONSULTANT

Confirm where payment lands and who gets the copy of every invoice.

TROY BRINGS

Deposit details and the office email for copies.

CONSULTANT

Show the follow-up: what happens automatically when an invoice ages past terms.

TROY BRINGS

Sets how aggressive the chase should be.

IF TROY SAYS

"My GCs need it their way or it sits in accounts payable."

Then we build it their way once. Tell me which GCs and what they require, and the format is saved per customer.

6 · Intake — calls and new leads

15 minHear the intake agent

Goal: Troy knows exactly what happens when someone calls and he's on a ladder.

Replaces: Voicemails that never get returned and numbers written on a scrap of drywall.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"I'm going to play a real intake call. Tell me honestly if you'd hang up on it."

  • Play the call before explaining it. His reaction to the voice is the data you need.
  • It never pretends to be Troy. Say that within the first thirty seconds of the page.
  • Rewrite the greeting in his words during the session — the three questions he always asks a caller.
  • Show the logged lead and the morning summary, then pin the delivery time and channel.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

A live intake call, then the lead it produced sitting in the log with name, job, and address.

DON'T

  • Overselling the voice.
  • Letting a bad greeting stand until later.
  • Skipping the hang-up question.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "That's every entry point covered. Now let's put dates on it."

0/3 done

CONSULTANT

Play a live intake call so Troy hears the voice and the questions it asks.

TROY BRINGS

Reacts — tone, questions, anything he'd want changed.

CONSULTANT

Adjust the greeting and the qualifying questions to his words.

TROY BRINGS

The three questions he always asks a new caller.

CONSULTANT

Show the logged lead and the daily summary he gets each morning.

TROY BRINGS

Confirms the delivery time and channel.

IF TROY SAYS

"I don't want a robot answering my phone."

It doesn't pretend to be you. It takes the name, the job, and the address, then texts you the summary — same as a good office manager would.

7 · Go-live and cadence

10 min

Goal: Nobody leaves the room unclear about the next two weeks.

Replaces: A great demo followed by three weeks of silence.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"Nothing here matters if you leave without a date. What day do we go live?"

  • Split day-one scope from week-two scope out loud so nothing is assumed.
  • Open his actual calendar and book day-3 and day-14 before anyone stands up.
  • Give the direct line and a real response-time promise you can keep.
  • Say what he owes you between now and go-live — usually the crew list and rate approvals.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

Two accepted calendar invites on his phone and a saved contact.

DON'T

  • 'We'll find a time.'
  • Support-ticket language.
  • Leaving day-one scope fuzzy.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "Dates are set. Last page is the paperwork, and then you've got your day back."

0/3 done

CONSULTANT

Agree the go-live date and what's live on day one versus week two.

TROY BRINGS

Picks the date.

CONSULTANT

Book the day-3 and day-14 check-ins on his actual calendar before leaving.

TROY BRINGS

Calendar open, invites accepted.

CONSULTANT

Give him the direct line and set expectations on response time.

TROY BRINGS

Saves the contact.

IF TROY SAYS

"What happens when it breaks on a Friday?"

You call me, not a help desk. And you'll have my number and the weekly check-in on the calendar before we finish.

8 · Agreement and reporting

10 min

Goal: The commercial side is settled in the same session, not in a follow-up email.

Replaces: Onboarding enthusiasm that dies waiting on paperwork.

CONSULTANT TALKING POINTS

"Straight talk on the commercial side, then we're done. Nothing starts until the retainer is signed — that's the rule, not a close."

  • Retainer first. State plainly that no engagement work begins before signature.
  • Walk the 70/30 split and how documented performance adjusts shares over time.
  • Weekly status email: what's in it, who sends it, which day, who on his side receives it.
  • If he needs to think, put the number and the start date on paper today so there's something concrete to think about.

SHOW, DON'T TELL

The agreement terms and the first weekly status email template, both on screen.

DON'T

  • Discounting on the spot.
  • Starting work on a handshake.
  • Vague reporting promises.

CLOSE THE PAGE · "Signed or not, you leave with a date, a rate card, and a live inbox. I'll send the recap tonight."

0/3 done

CONSULTANT

Confirm retainer status. No engagement work begins before it's signed.

TROY BRINGS

Signs, or names what's blocking the signature.

CONSULTANT

Walk the revenue split and how performance adjusts it over time.

TROY BRINGS

Acknowledges the split and the review basis.

CONSULTANT

Set the weekly status email: what's in it, who sends it, which day. Contacts captured and follow-ups logged all week.

TROY BRINGS

Confirms who receives it on his side.

IF TROY SAYS

"Let me think about the retainer."

Fair. Nothing starts until you sign — that's the rule, not a sales line. But let's put the number and the start date on paper today so there's something to think about.

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