Quotation sent, no reply: how and when to follow up
How many times to follow up a quotation, on which days and in what words, what to say when the rate is called high, and a register that keeps quotes alive.
You measured, calculated, typed the quotation and sent the PDF on WhatsApp. Two blue ticks, then nothing. You do not want to look desperate, so you wait, and the order quietly goes to the firm that called.
Why a quotation goes silent
Silence does not always mean no. The customer may be comparing three quotes, waiting for a partner's approval, unsure about one line, or simply busy. You will not know which until you ask. The trick is to make the follow-up expected, so that it never feels like begging.
Before you send: set up the follow-up
A quotation that is easy to follow up has:
- a quote number and date
- a validity date: "valid till 20 October"
- what is included and what is not: GST, freight, installation
- delivery time and payment terms
- one contact name and number
Then ask one question while sending it: "By when are you deciding?" And say when you will call: "I will ring you on Thursday for your feedback." Now your call is an appointment.
A quotation follow-up schedule you can copy
| When | How | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | WhatsApp, with the PDF | "Quotation Q-118 sent. Valid till 20 October. I will call on Thursday." |
| Day 2 or 3 | Call | "Is anything unclear in the size, the rate or the delivery?" |
| Day 7 | Call or WhatsApp | Bring something new: an option, a photo of similar work, a delivery slot |
| 3 days before validity ends | "Q-118 is valid till Friday. Shall I hold the rate?" | |
| After validity | One last message | "I am closing Q-118 in our records. If the need comes back, I am one message away." |
How many times should you follow up?
The schedule above makes five contacts over two to three weeks. For a large project, stretch the gaps. For a small counter sale, shorten them. Then stop. Mark the quote lost with a reason, and move on.
A day 7 message that brings something new:
Namaste Mr Mehta. For quotation Q-118, we can also deliver in two lots, the first one by 25 October. Shall I revise the quote that way?
The last message asks for nothing. It is polite, it frees you from chasing, and now and then it brings a reply.
When the customer says "the rate is high"
Ask "compared with what?" Check that the other quote is like for like: brand, grade, GST, freight, installation. Then offer a change before a discount: a different quantity, a different grade, staged delivery or payment terms. If you revise, call it Q-118 R1. Do not start a new number, or you lose the history.
The quotation register
Keep one row per quotation:
- Quote number and revision
- Date sent
- Party and contact person
- What was quoted, in one line
- Amount
- Valid till
- Sent by
- Stage: sent, in discussion, revised, won, lost
- Next follow-up date
- Last remark
- Reason, if lost
Sort it by next follow-up date every morning. Those are today's calls.
Count your own numbers
Once a month, count the quotes sent, won, lost and still open, and read the lost reasons together. If the common reason is price, look at your rates or at whom you are quoting. If it is "no reply", the follow-up is the problem, not the price.
Sheet or system?
A quotation register in Excel is enough when one person sends the quotes and follows them up. It gets hard when several people quote, revisions pile up, validity dates pass unnoticed, and the owner cannot see the open quotes without asking. When it reaches that point, we set up a Quotation Tracker that keeps every quote, revision and follow-up date in one place.
If enquiries go quiet even before a quote is sent, read why enquiries go cold.
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