Qualify a fictional job lead before promising work

First step

Make a fictional lead card with broad location, requested scope, target date, and a missing-information field. Treat it as an inquiry rather than an awarded job. Fictional example: add a screening row for jurisdiction to verify, requested work and exclusions, state-license fit, local-permit question, capacity and schedule assumptions, missing evidence, decision owner, PENDING/DECLINE/REVIEW result, and follow-up date. The inquiry remains PENDING until the decision inputs are checked; this is not a customer CRM.

The card separates facts supplied in the inquiry from assumptions that still need clarification. The fictional card has an evidence or question beside each decision input and no promise to accept, price, or start the job.

An expression of interest is entered as confirmed booked work without any evidence of agreement.