Quote follow up
Quotes that go quiet are the largest and least visible leak in most service businesses. The work of winning the lead is already paid for, the quote is already written, and then nothing happens because following up feels like nagging.
It is not nagging. Most unanswered quotes are unanswered because the customer got busy, not because they decided against you, and they will not tell you either way.
Find what is actually outstanding
A quote is outstanding if it was sent, has not been accepted or declined, and has not expired. Anything else is not follow up.
| System | Where |
|---|---|
| ServiceM8 | Jobs with status of Quote. Check quote_sent and quote_sent_stamp |
| Xero | xero_list_quotes, status SENT |
| QuickBooks | quickbooks_list_estimates, status pending |
| LeadConnector | leadconnector_list_estimates |
Two checks before contacting anyone:
- Was it actually sent? A quote sitting in draft that everybody believes was sent is common, and following up on it is embarrassing. In ServiceM8,
quote_sentis the field, and it reads back as a booleanfalsewhile writing as0or1 - Has it already been accepted? A quote accepted verbally and never marked accepted looks identical to one ignored
The cadence
| When | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | Short check that it arrived | Catches delivery failures and spam filters |
| Day 5 | Offer to walk through it, or answer questions | Gives them a reason to reply that is not a decision |
| Day 10 | Ask directly whether they are proceeding | Forces a yes, a no, or a reason |
| Day 21 | Close it out | Frees the pipeline and often produces the answer |
Four contacts over three weeks. Then stop.
Day 2 matters more than it looks. Quotes fail to arrive constantly: spam filters, a typo in the address, an attachment blocked. A quote that never arrived and a quote being considered look identical from your side, and one two line message separates them.
Day 21 is the one people fear and it works. “I am going to close this off unless I hear otherwise” produces more replies than any of the earlier steps, because it removes the obligation to say no. A meaningful share of those replies are yes.
Ask a question they can answer
The reason follow ups get ignored is that they ask for a decision the customer has not made yet.
| Do not ask | Ask |
|---|---|
| Have you had a chance to review the quote | Is the scope right, or should I adjust it |
| Just following up on my quote | Are you still planning to do this before Christmas |
| Let me know your thoughts | Is the price the sticking point, or the timing |
Naming the likely obstacle gives them something easy to correct. People will happily tell you the price is too high. They will not volunteer that they have gone quiet.
When they say the price is too high
Do not discount on the first objection. Almost always it means one of:
- They compared it to a cheaper quote for less work. Explain what is in yours that is not in theirs
- They cannot afford it now. Stage the work, or offer a payment schedule
- They did not understand what they were buying. The quote was not clear enough
- It genuinely is too expensive for them. They are not your customer, and that is fine
A discount given without knowing which of the four it is teaches the customer to ask, and it teaches you nothing. Ask first.
Closing it out
When it is over, mark it. An unresolved quote sitting in the pipeline forever makes every pipeline number wrong.
- ServiceM8: move the job status to
Unsuccessful - Xero: update the quote status
- QuickBooks: close the estimate
Record why, from a fixed list: price, timing, went elsewhere, no longer proceeding, no response, scope changed.
Those reasons are the most useful sales data a small business has. Three months of them tell you whether you are losing on price or on speed, and those need opposite responses.
Judgement rules
- Stop after day 21. A fifth contact costs goodwill and rarely converts
- A quote with an expiry date has a natural follow up. “This expires on the 30th” is a reason to make contact that is about them, not about you
- Large quotes get a call, not an email. Above whatever counts as large for that business, the day 5 step is a phone call
- Never re send the same quote unchanged with a lower price without saying what changed. It tells the customer the first number was invented
- If they went with someone else, ask why. Once, briefly, with no argument. Most people will tell you, and it is worth more than the job was
Reference files
Everything the skill tells your AI to read, exactly as it ships in the zip.
assets/templates.md 3.3 KB
# Quote follow up templates
Short on purpose. A long follow up reads as pressure, and the goal is a reply, not a decision.
Replace every placeholder. Reply into the original thread rather than starting a new one, so the quote is one message above.
---
## Day 2, did it arrive
**Subject:** Re: Quote for [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
Just checking the quote for [JOB] came through. It sometimes gets caught by spam filters.
Happy to answer anything on it.
[SENDER]
---
## Day 5, offer help
**Subject:** Re: Quote for [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
Have you had a chance to look at the quote for [JOB].
If any of it is unclear, or the scope is not quite what you had in mind, tell me and I will adjust it. Easier to change now than after we start.
[SENDER]
---
## Day 10, direct
**Subject:** Re: Quote for [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
Are you still planning to go ahead with [JOB].
If it is the price or the timing, say so and I will see what I can do. If you have gone another way, that is fine, I would just like to know so I can stop chasing you.
[SENDER]
---
## Day 21, close out
**Subject:** Closing off the quote for [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
I have not heard back on the quote for [JOB], so I will close it off at my end.
If it comes back around, get in touch and I will re quote at current prices.
Thanks for the opportunity.
[SENDER]
---
## Expiry, where the quote has one
**Subject:** Quote for [JOB] expires [DATE]
Hi [NAME],
The quote for [JOB] expires on [DATE]. After that I would need to re price it, and [material costs have moved / my schedule for that period will be committed].
If you want to proceed, let me know before then and I will hold it.
[SENDER]
---
## After a price objection
**Subject:** Re: Quote for [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
Thanks for being straight with me about the price.
Before I look at it, can I ask which of these it is:
- Comparing it to a cheaper quote. If so, send it through and I will tell you honestly what the difference is
- More than you can spend right now. We could stage the work: [STAGE ONE] now, [STAGE TWO] later
- Something in the quote you do not actually need
Happy to work with any of those. I would rather find the right shape than just cut the number.
[SENDER]
---
## Won, confirming
**Subject:** Confirmed: [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
Great, thanks for confirming.
- **What:** [SCOPE]
- **When:** [DATE or LEAD TIME]
- **Price:** [AMOUNT], [INC or EX] tax
- **Payment:** [TERMS]
[NEXT STEP: I will call to book a date / A deposit invoice follows / We will be on site at TIME.]
Anything I have wrong, tell me now.
[SENDER]
---
## Lost, asking why
**Subject:** Re: Quote for [JOB]
Hi [NAME],
No problem, thanks for letting me know.
One thing if you do not mind: was it price, timing, or something else. I am not going to argue with it, it just helps me quote better.
Good luck with the job.
[SENDER]
---
## SMS variants
For customers who already deal with the business this way, and where you have consent.
**Day 2:**
`[BUSINESS]: Hi [NAME], just checking the quote for [JOB] arrived. Anything you want to go through, call me on [PHONE].`
**Day 10:**
`[BUSINESS]: Hi [NAME], still keen on [JOB]. Happy to adjust the quote if the price or timing is off. [PHONE]`
**Day 21:**
`[BUSINESS]: Hi [NAME], I will close off the quote for [JOB] unless I hear from you. Get in touch anytime if it comes back around.`
