SOLUTIONS · CONSULTING FIRMS

CRM & Follow-Up Automation for Small Consulting Firms

Most small consulting firms sell the same way: a referral or introduction, a discovery call, a proposal, a decision, a client, and — if the relationship is nurtured — another referral down the line. Starward is the CRM and automation system built specifically around that lifecycle.

The Typical Consulting Sales Lifecycle

Lead → Qualified → Discovery → Proposal → Decision → Won → Onboarding → Delivery → Referral. Most firms run this in their head, a spreadsheet, or a generic CRM never configured for it.

  • Lead
  • Discovery
  • Proposal
  • Won
  • Onboarding
  • Referral

Where Consulting Firms Actually Lose Deals and Clients

Slow First Response

A referral comes in and sits in an inbox for days because no one owns the first response.

Proposals That Go Silent

A proposal is sent, and follow-up depends entirely on someone remembering to check back in.

Messy Handoffs to Delivery

A signed client gets re-explained from scratch because sales context never made it to the delivery team.

Referral Partners Who Go Quiet

A great referral source sends one client, hears nothing back, and quietly stops sending more.

One System From First Conversation to Repeat Business

Business Development

  • New Lead
  • Contacted
  • Qualified
  • Discovery Booked
  • Discovery Complete
  • Proposal
  • Decision
  • Won
  • Nurture

Client Delivery

  • New Client
  • Onboarding
  • Kickoff
  • In Delivery
  • Review
  • Complete
  • Expansion

Relationships & Referrals

  • New Relationship
  • Connected
  • Partner
  • Referral
  • Active Partner
  • Nurture

Stop Losing Deals After the Best Sales Call

  • Discovery complete
  • Proposal sent
  • Follow-up
  • Follow-up
  • Decision
  • Nurture if needed

Consulting firms often do a good job creating interest and a poor job managing the period between proposal and decision. Starward gives every proposal a defined next step.

A Signed Client Shouldn’t Create More Admin

  • Opportunity marked Won
  • Client record updated
  • Delivery pipeline starts
  • Owner notified
  • Onboarding message
  • Kickoff scheduling

Your Best Lead Source Shouldn’t Live in Your Head

Consulting firms often depend heavily on referrals but rarely manage referral relationships with the same discipline as active sales opportunities.

  • Relationship
  • Partner
  • Referral
  • Thank-you
  • Ongoing nurture
  • Future referral

We Install the System. Your Team Uses It.

1. Map

Map how leads, meetings, proposals, clients, and referral partners currently move through the firm.

2. Install

Configure the prebuilt pipelines, follow-up, reminders, routing, and handoffs.

3. Go Live

Begin using one operating system while repetitive follow-up runs automatically.

Start With the System. Add Control and Scale When You Need It.

Done For You

Core — $97/mo

The operating system is installed and runs for you.

Full Platform

Team — $297/mo

Unlock the complete Starward toolset for growing teams.

Unlimited

Firm — $497/mo

Everything in Team with no user or contact ceiling.

From the Field

Starward is built directly on how consulting and advisory practices are actually run day to day — not adapted from a generic sales-team template.

Read more on consulting sales systems in the Resources library →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Starward another CRM I have to build myself?

No. Starward ships with the pipelines, follow-up, reminders, and handoffs already built and running — you’re not starting from a blank CRM.

Who is Starward designed for?

Independent advisors and small consulting or advisory firms that generate leads through referrals, LinkedIn, and events but don’t have a system turning those leads into booked calls and signed clients.

Does Core include automation?

Yes. Every prebuilt automation runs on Core. You simply don’t have self-serve access to the workflow builder until Core Plus.

Can I build my own automations?

Yes, starting on Core Plus, which unlocks full access to the Campaigns, Triggers, and Workflows builder.

Can I import existing contacts?

Yes, existing contacts can be imported as part of setup.

Can multiple consultants use the system?

Yes. User seats scale by plan — 2 on Core, 5 on Core Plus, 10 on Team, and unlimited on Firm.

Does Starward connect to my current website?

Yes, forms and lead capture can connect to your existing site, or you can build directly on Starward’s included Sites tools.

Can I keep my calendar?

Yes, Starward’s calendar and scheduling tools are included on every plan.

What happens after a proposal is sent?

Starward automatically starts a defined follow-up sequence so no proposal goes quiet without a next step.

What happens after a prospect becomes a client?

The opportunity is marked Won, the client record updates, the delivery pipeline starts, the owner is notified, and onboarding/kickoff scheduling begins automatically.

Can Starward manage referral partners?

Yes, the Relationships & Referrals pipeline tracks partners from first relationship through active referral and ongoing nurture.

How long does setup take?

Setup is done-for-you and covered by a 14-day go-live guarantee once all required inputs and approvals are provided.

What does setup include?

Mapping how leads, meetings, proposals, clients, and referral partners currently move through your firm, then configuring the prebuilt pipelines, follow-up, reminders, routing, and handoffs to match.

How does billing work?

Monthly subscription billing through the live Starward checkout, with tiers based on user seats and contact volume.

Where do clients log in?

At edge.starwardnavigators.com.

Stop Managing Follow-Up in Your Head

Put every lead, discovery call, proposal, client handoff, and referral relationship into a system that knows what happens next.