How to follow up on a quote: what to say and when
When a quote goes quiet, follow up in three short steps. A few days after you send it, check that it arrived and ask if there are any questions. About a week later, give the customer a quick way to say what is holding them back. If there is still no answer, send one last note that closes the loop politely, then stop.
A quiet quote is not always a no. The email may be buried, the person who read it may be waiting on someone else, or the customer may be comparing a few quotes. A good follow-up assumes the mildest reason, asks for one small thing and never sounds like pressure. Below are three messages you can copy, with when to send each one and why it works. They work the same for an estimate or a proposal.
Before you send any of them
- Check that the quote reached the right person. It may have gone to a spam folder, or to someone who does not make the decision.
- Read it again for anything that could stop a yes: an unclear price, a scope that differs from what was asked, or a start date that does not work.
- Keep the next step small. A message that asks for a yes, a no or a question is quicker to answer than one that asks for a decision.
- If you can, call as well. A short call can settle what another email cannot, and the messages below then work as the written follow-up.
A few days after you send it: check that it arrived
- When to send
- Three or four days after the quote went out, if you have heard nothing. For a large job, give it a little longer.
- Why it works
- It assumes the quote is sitting unread, which is often true, and it asks for nothing but a reply. There is nothing in it to push back against.
- Subject line
- Following up on quote [quote number] from [your business]
Message
Hi [customer name],
I'm following up on quote [quote number] for [amount], which I sent on [date]. I wanted to check that it reached you, and whether you have any questions about it.
If you'd rather talk it through, I'm happy to call at a time that suits you. Otherwise, a quick yes, no or not yet is all I need.
Thanks, [your name] [your business]
About a week later: find out what is holding it up
- When to send
- About a week after the first note, if there is still no reply.
- Why it works
- Customers often stall on one thing and do not say which. Naming the usual three, the price, the timing and the scope, gives them a quick way to answer with the real reason, and the real reason is something you can work with.
- Subject line
- Quote [quote number]: anything I can clear up?
Message
Hi [customer name],
I wanted to check in once more on quote [quote number] for [job description].
If the price, the timing or the scope isn't quite right, tell me which and I'll talk it through with you. If you've gone another way, that's fine, and it helps to know.
Thanks, [your name] [your business]
Optional: add a start date you can hold
Add this line after the second paragraph only if it is true. A start date you can really keep is useful to the customer. An invented deadline is pressure, and it costs you trust when it passes.
I could start on [start date], and I'll keep that date open until [date].
About a week after that: close the loop politely
- When to send
- About a week after the second note, or a few days before the quote expires if it has an expiry date that comes sooner.
- Why it works
- It takes the pressure off, and a customer who is not ready can answer not now without awkwardness. It also tells you where you stand, so you can plan the work you do have.
- Subject line
- Closing out quote [quote number]
Message
Hi [customer name],
I haven't heard back about quote [quote number] for [job description], so I'll assume the timing isn't right and close it on my side.
If that changes, just reply here, and I'll update the quote and tell you the earliest I can start. Either way, thank you for the chance to quote.
Regards, [your name] [your business]
What not to do
Do not add pressure
Skip false deadlines, such as "only two slots left" or "prices go up on Friday", unless they are true. Customers can usually tell, and a follow-up that feels like a push is more likely to be ignored. If the quote has a real expiry date, mention it once, plainly.
Do not offer a discount unprompted
A discount in a follow-up tells the customer that waiting gets a lower price. If price is the sticking point, the second message gives the customer a quick way to say so. Then you can talk about what could change, such as the scope or the timing, and decide what you are willing to do.
Do not send the same message louder
Each follow-up should add something: a question, a way to answer, a date you could start. Three copies of "just checking in" give the customer nothing new to reply to.
When to let it go
After the third message, stop. A customer who has not answered three polite notes has still given you an answer, which is not now. Mark the quote closed on your side, so it stops counting as work you expect to win.
Letting a quote go is not giving up on the customer. Put a date in your calendar a few months ahead to get in touch for a fresh reason, such as an opening in your schedule. And if the customer replies after the last note, go back to the quote, update anything that has changed, and carry on.
How Bevr handles this for you
If you would rather not chase quotes by hand, Bevr can follow up a quote that has gone quiet. Quote follow-ups are on unless you turn them off. To switch them off, ask Bevr to turn off quote follow-ups. Ask Bevr to remind you to re-quote a declined or expired quote later, and it tells you when the date comes. Read how the follow-ups work, or see what Bevr costs.
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