CRM for marketing consultants: from strategy proposal to monthly invoice.

Workspace369 runs the consultancy from strategy to execution: client records, proposals with e-signing, projects, files, client messages and invoices. Advisory and execution phases sit on one client record, each with its own proposal, tasks and invoices.

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Clientthe relationship and agreed brief
Worktasks with a responsible person
Billinginvoices and commercial context
Workspace369 client record showing history, files, communication, and invoices in one profile

Key facts

CRM for marketing consultants at Workspace369 covers 9 areas, including client records, proposals, projects and tasks.

The workflow runs in 5 steps, from "structuring initial client records" to "generating final milestone invoices".

Workspace369 starts at $29/mo for 1 seat, and the Commander plan includes 20 seats and 12× Cadet usage at $299/mo.

Additional seats cost $10 each; full pricing is public on the Workspace369 pricing page.

CRM for marketing consultants compared

Workspace369 fits marketing consultants who bill retainers and manage scope changes: proposals with deposit on acceptance, retainers with an hours bank, time tracking and a client portal from $29 a month (versioned change orders start at Specialist) for one user ($23.25 billed yearly), capped at 5 active projects on Cadet. Bonsai documents similar paperwork at a lower price per user, Moxie has the lowest price among plans that list proposals, and Pipedrive and HubSpot lead on sales pipelines.

ToolPrice of the plan with proposals (monthly)Billed yearlyProposals and retainer coverage on that planPipelineTrial
Workspace369$29 (Cadet, 1 seat)$23.25 a monthProposals, retainers with hours bank, time trackingIntake and request tracking, no deals board14 days, card required
Bonsai$25 per user (Essentials; Basic $15 has no proposals)$19 per user a monthProposals, retainer invoices, hourly budgetsPremium ($39 monthly, $29 yearly)7 days, card to continue
Moxie$12 (Starter)$10 a monthProposals, time tracking, invoicing; retainers not namedSales pipeline on Starter14 days, no card
HoneyBook$36 (Starter)$29 a monthProposals, invoices and recurring schedules; time tracker: switched off Sep 8, 2026, restored Sep 15Customizable pipeline on Starter30 days, no card
Pipedrive$79 per seat (Premium; Lite $24 has no proposals)$59 per seat a monthProposals and contracts; no time tracking listedLead, calendar and pipeline management from Lite14 days, no card
HubSpot$20 per seat (Starter)See siteInvoices on every plan; quotes need Revenue Hub ProfessionalContacts and tasksNot stated; free tools need no card

Prices and limits from each vendor's official pricing page, checked October 18, 2026, in USD. Prices change, so confirm before you buy. Read the full buyer's guide.

Operational friction in marketing consultancy work

Advisory scope creep during execution

When marketing strategy clients request immediate campaign execution, project boundaries blur. Consultants often perform unbilled execution work because initial proposals lack clear task limits. Without distinct client records and project scopes, tracking advisory conversations and deliverables becomes chaotic. Administrative systems must isolate strategy files from execution tasks to prevent unapproved work and ensure every campaign asset matches an agreed-upon invoice or proposal.

Scattered campaign files and assets

Marketing consultants handle brand assets, copy drafts, and strategy briefs across multiple disconnected tools. When execution begins, finding the approved version of a file slows down task assignment. Conversations about file revisions get lost in email threads instead of being linked directly to the client record. This disorganization delays project timelines and complicates the billing process when preparing final invoices for advisory clients.

Disjointed client scheduling and feedback

Setting up campaign review sessions requires clear scheduling tools linked to project milestones. When consultants use separate calendars, clients miss critical sign-off dates for strategy documents. Conversations regarding campaign adjustments remain unrecorded, leading to misunderstandings about project directions. A unified client portal is necessary to keep scheduling, files, and feedback loops tied to the primary consulting engagement rather than fragmented communication channels.

Invoicing delays for execution phases

Transitioning from a fixed-fee advisory model to an execution phase complicates billing. If invoices are not tied directly to project tasks and proposals, consultants struggle to track billable milestones accurately. Manual tracking leads to delayed invoicing and cash flow friction. Consultants need a system where proposals convert into active projects, allowing quick verification of completed tasks before generating the final client invoice.

See the workspace your clients feel.

01

A portal clients actually check

Clients watch progress, files, and invoices in a branded portal instead of asking your team for updates.

Workspace369 client record showing history, files, communication, and invoices in one profile
02

Every channel in one inbox

Email lands beside the client record on every plan; texts, calls and voicemail join it from Voyager, with AI call summaries from Specialist.

Workspace369 shared inbox showing email, SMS, and call history beside a client record
03

Client work, organized as projects

Tasks, files, and status for every engagement — visible to the team and, through the client portal, to the client.

Workspace369 project board showing client work organized into stages with owners and status
04

Proposals to paid invoices

Send quotes, bill milestones or retainers, and let automated reminders chase anything outstanding.

Workspace369 invoice editor showing line items, payment terms, and client details

The strategy to execution operational workflow

01

Structuring initial client records

Begin by establishing a comprehensive client record for the marketing consultancy engagement. Record in the brief the specific advisory boundaries, target audience metrics, and baseline KPIs. This record serves as the foundation, containing all subsequent conversations, scheduled strategy sessions, and initial discovery files. Keeping these details organized ensures that any future transition into campaign execution has a clear historical reference point within the system.

02

Issuing targeted advisory proposals

Generate detailed proposals within the system that outline the scope of the marketing strategy. Specify the exact deliverables, such as brand guidelines or market research reports, and link them to fixed pricing milestones. The client reviews and accepts the proposal through the client portal. Once approved, this document dictates the initial project structure and sets the baseline for all subsequent tasks and billing milestones.

03

Converting proposals to active projects

Transform the approved advisory proposal into an active project with defined tasks and deadlines. Assign specific tasks for research, copywriting, and asset preparation. Store all related strategy files and client conversations directly within the project record. This structure prevents scope creep by ensuring that every action or file update corresponds directly to the agreed-upon marketing strategy roadmap.

04

Managing execution tasks and scheduling

When the client requests campaign execution, update the project tasks to reflect the new operational phase. Schedule review sessions using the integrated scheduling tool to confirm creative assets before deployment. Use the client portal to share draft files and collect feedback. This keeps execution conversations, approvals and draft files on the same client record as the strategy work.

05

Generating final milestone invoices

Review completed execution tasks and cross-reference them with the active project milestones. Generate the final invoice directly from the project record, ensuring all billed items align with the original proposal or agreed scope extensions. Send the invoice through the client portal for prompt payment. This completes the workflow loop, ensuring that every consulting hour and execution phase is accurately accounted for and billed.

Client operations for marketing consultants

  • The client record successfully links an approved advisory proposal to five distinct execution tasks without losing historical strategy conversations or file attachments during the phase transition.
  • A test client logs into the client portal, views the scheduled strategy session, downloads the campaign brief file, and reviews the outstanding milestone invoice accurately.
  • The team converts the accepted proposal into an invoice for the completed milestone, matching the exact financial terms specified in the initial marketing consultancy proposal document.
Client records
Proposals
Projects and tasks
Files
Conversations
Scheduling
Invoices
Client portal
Workflow Automations

Priced for the team, not per person.

Each team plan includes seats. Retainers, recurring invoices, proposals and client records are on every plan. Extra seats are $10 a month each.
Small-team essentials

Voyager

$74 / month

Founding offer: $444 for your first year, billed yearly

2 seats included

Start Voyager trial

14-day free trial. Card required. After the trial: $74/month for Voyager. Renews automatically every month until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.

Larger operations

Commander

$299 / month

Founding offer: $1,794 for your first year, billed yearly

20 seats included

Start Commander trial

14-day free trial. Card required. After the trial: $299/month for Commander. Renews automatically every month until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.

Founding member offer on yearly plans: your first year costs the same as 6 months, for the first 100 customers who join by Oct 31. USD monthly billing. Compare all plans. Prefer a guided walkthrough first? Book a demo.

Free account setup & migration help

Our team sets up your workspace with you and helps move your clients and invoices from the tools you use now.

Export your data as a spreadsheet and AI Import maps the columns for you. Support can help with anything unusual.

Offer ends .

Start free trial

14 days free · card required · then $29/mo · cancel anytime

After signup, claim free setup in your workspace.

What reviewers say about Workspace369.

★ 5.0 from 12 ratings on the App Store (as of 2026-10-26)

★★★★★
SMB Modernization

Great tool for modernizing small businesses. Ability to leverage AI without technical background.

Foreman345 · · App Store review
★★★★★
True all-in-one system

It beautifully combined my CRM, team calendar, and billing tools so I could finally stop paying for a bunch of separate software subscriptions

samimonroe · · App Store review
★★★★★
Best app for my construction business

Great app. This app solved all my needs! Not only did it help, but it is cheaper than other apps. I highly recommend this app if you want to start organizing and automating your business on another level. Also love the design

SebastianBroco · · App Store review

Quoted exactly as written, in the reviewer’s own language. This is a selection of reviews, not all of them. Reviews from our own team are left out of the selection, but the overall rating includes their ratings.

See Workspace369 on your own client work.

Start your trial, invite the team and, for a limited time, claim free setup and migration help in your workspace. Prefer a walkthrough first? Book a demo.
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14-day free trial. Card required. After the trial: from $29/month. Renews automatically every month until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.

Evaluation criteria for marketing consultancy engagements

How does the system prevent campaign execution data from cluttering advisory records?

Keep ad spend and attribution analytics in the ad platforms where campaigns run. Workspace369 holds the consulting side, from proposals, projects and files to client messages and invoices, so each record shows the agreed work and terms rather than raw campaign data.

Can we manage client feedback on marketing strategy briefs directly?

Yes. You can upload strategy briefs as files within the specific project record. Clients access these documents through the client portal and provide feedback via integrated conversations. This keeps all revisions and approvals tied directly to the client record rather than scattered across external chat apps.

How are execution milestones billed to the client?

You can create proposals that outline specific execution milestones. Once the client accepts the proposal via the portal, you can track progress through tasks and projects. When a milestone is reached, you generate and send an invoice directly from the system based on those predefined project terms.

Does the system handle automated social media posting or email marketing?

Workspace369 includes funnels with lead capture on every plan, email automations from Cadet, SMS workflow steps from Voyager and AI-drafted workflows from Commander. Check your audience, campaign format and consent requirements before the first send.

See where Workspace369 fits into your client-work flow.

Start with the modules you need today, then turn on AI, automations, accounting, inventory, requests, and reporting as the operation grows.

14-day free trial. Card required. After the trial: from $29/month. Renews automatically every month until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.