Topaz Case Study
Mechanical Contractor Improves Profitability by Qualifying the Right Work
MIINC’s culture leaned toward going for the yes. Teams were quoting nearly every opportunity that came through the door, regardless of fit. Estimators and project managers spent significant time on prospects who were unlikely to close or unlikely to close profitably.
Sales conversations often moved too quickly to price. Without structured discovery, the team made assumptions about scope, urgency, and decision-making. This led to early negotiations, reduced margins, and difficult-to-execute deals as originally discussed.
Missing revenue and profit goals had become familiar. Not acceptable, but familiar. Leadership could see that if the current path continued, profitability would erode further. The risk wasn’t just a slow quarter; it was the long-term health of the business.
MIINC engaged Topaz Sales Consulting to help shift the organization’s approach to selling and increase its close ratio, which had an estimating goal of 30% but was only hitting around 10%.
Topaz implemented Buyer Facilitator sales training across the entire organization, not just the sales team.
This decision was intentional. At MIINC, many people influence a sale: estimators, engineers, project managers, and salespeople. Instead of isolating sales as a department, the training aligned everyone around a single philosophy and a structured sales process.
The first shift was mindset. The team stopped trying to convince prospects to buy. Instead, they learned how to evaluate fit and disqualify opportunities that weren’t a strong mutual match. Winning every job was no longer the goal. Earning the right jobs from the right clients was.
Next, Topaz introduced a structured discovery framework. Conversations moved from informal discussions and free consulting to clear, intentional dialogue.
Leadership played a visible role in reinforcing the change. This was not a partial rollout. Managers and executives are committed to fully adopting and modeling the Buyer Facilitator approach.
MIINC saw a measurable shift in both behavior and outcomes. The result was consistency: their estimating close ratio went from 10% to 50% that first year. Technical teams and salespeople began using the same language. Expectations were clearer internally and externally. Accountability increased.
Quoting volume decreased, but quality improved. The team spent less time on low-probability opportunities and more time on well-qualified projects aligned with their strengths. Margins improved because price was no longer the starting point of every conversation.
Sales cycles became more predictable. Internal handoffs between sales, estimating, and project management were smoother because scope and expectations had been clarified earlier.
Most importantly, missing revenue and profit targets stopped feeling inevitable. The team regained control by better identifying opportunities and clarifying how work entered the business. By focusing on fit and disciplined qualification, MIINC strengthened profitability and positioned the company for sustainable growth rather than volume-driven strain.