You send the quote, the client says thank you – then silence. A few days later you remember you should ask, but the next job comes along and the question never gets sent. Two weeks later it feels awkward to write, and the quote quietly disappears.
Silence rarely means a firm no. The client may
- still be waiting for other quotes to compare,
- be stuck on a question they did not write down,
- simply have forgotten because something came up,
- or never have received it, because it landed in the spam folder.
The answer to all of these is the same: a short message, sent at the right time.
When and what to write
A simple schedule that works in most situations:
- Already in the quote: say how long it is valid and when you will get in touch. "I will check in on Thursday – feel free to write before then if you have a question."
- Two or three working days later: a short, helpful message. "Did the quote arrive? If any item is unclear, I am happy to talk it through."
- A week later: ask about what may be missing for the decision – timing, details, a simpler option.
- Before it expires: one last, polite note. If there is still no answer, close it calmly – that is an answer too.
End every message with a concrete question that is easy to answer. Instead of "Any questions?", try "Shall we talk it through on Tuesday or Thursday?"
Why it does not work from memory
You can keep five open quotes in your head. Not twenty – especially while you are also working. A calendar reminder helps, but it has to be set by hand for every quote, and it does not know whether the client has replied in the meantime.
How it runs by itself
In a good system a quote is not a PDF that was sent, but an open case:
- when you sent it and how long it is valid are recorded,
- the system schedules the check-in itself and tells you in the morning who to write to today,
- if the client replied in the meantime, the reminder disappears,
- if you like, the first short follow-up email is sent by the system in your name, with your wording,
- at a glance you see how many quotes are waiting for an answer and which ones expire this week.
An automatic email does not replace your personal voice. You can safely leave the first short reminder to the system; the later ones are worth writing yourself – the system prepares the client's details and the quote for you, so it takes two minutes.
Until then: start in a spreadsheet
If you do not have such a system yet, you can start in a spreadsheet: one row per quote, with the date sent, the expiry, the next check-in date and the status (waiting, discussed, accepted, declined). Use conditional formatting to colour the "next check-in" cell when the date is today or earlier. I wrote about client records in Excel in detail here.
That is how I work myself: my quotes and inquiries live in my own system, and every morning a list shows me who I need to write to that day.
If you would like follow-up to run by itself for you too, see the process automation details or write a few lines about how you send quotes today – I will reply with a concrete suggestion.