The short answer
- Schedule the follow-up when you send the quote, not when you happen to remember it.
- Follow up three times at most: a delivery check (2–3 days), a useful follow-up (about a week), a reminder before the quote expires. Then send a short closing message.
- Every follow-up should add something: an answer, a cheaper option, a start date. “Just checking in” on its own gives the client nothing to reply to.
- Match the channel to the client: email for the quote and the paper trail, text or WhatsApp if they already message you there, a phone call to unblock a hesitation.
- Put an expiry date on every quote. It sets your schedule and gives you an honest reason to get back in touch.
Why quotes go quiet
A quote that gets no reply usually hasn’t been rejected. The client is comparing two or three quotes, waiting to talk to a partner or a manager, waiting for payday or a loan decision, stuck on a line they don’t understand, or has simply forgotten. Sometimes they’ve hired someone else and feel awkward saying so.
That’s why a follow-up is not a sales push. Its job is to get information: yes, no, or “not yet, and here’s why”. Any of the three saves you time. A “no” frees the slot in your calendar. A “not yet” tells you when to come back. And a “yes” that was sitting in someone’s inbox gets signed this week instead of next month.
An expiry date makes all of this easier. A quote that says “valid for 30 days” tells the client how long your price and your availability hold, and it gives you a natural reason to write before that date. Our guide to writing a quote covers what else to include.
The schedule: three follow-ups, then close the loop
The timings below are rules of thumb, not rules. Someone planning a kitchen refit thinks for longer than someone who needs a leak fixed tomorrow. Adjust them to your trade, but decide them before you send the quote.
- 1Day 0, sendQuote sent as a link or PDF, with one line restating what the client asked for. Follow-up scheduled straight away.
- 2Day 2 or 3, delivery checkA very short message: did it arrive, does it open, is anything unclear?
- 3Around day 7, the useful follow-upSomething new: an answer, an alternative option, an available start date.
- 4Five days before expiryRemind them of the date and what changes after it (price, availability).
- 5After expiry, close the loopFile the quote, leave the door open, and ask what was missing.
Why stop at three? Because each message needs a genuine reason to exist, and it’s hard to find more than three honest ones. The closing message isn’t a threat. It simply says you’re planning your schedule and the quote no longer holds.
Pick the right channel
| Channel | Best for | Skip it if… |
|---|---|---|
| Sending the quote, keeping a record, business clients | The client never reads email (ask them) | |
| Text or WhatsApp | Delivery checks, short nudges, busy homeowners | They’ve never messaged you on it |
| Phone | Unblocking a hesitation, talking through an option | You have nothing new to say |
Best forSending the quote, keeping a record, business clients
Skip it if…The client never reads email (ask them)
Text or WhatsApp
Best forDelivery checks, short nudges, busy homeowners
Skip it if…They’ve never messaged you on it
Phone
Best forUnblocking a hesitation, talking through an option
Skip it if…You have nothing new to say
A simple rule: follow up on the channel the client used to reach you. If they sent a WhatsApp message asking for a price, a WhatsApp follow-up feels natural. An unexpected call feels less so. Call during working hours, and if nobody answers, leave one voicemail, not three.
Email templates
Replace the brackets. Keep the quote number in the subject line so the client can find the thread in one search.
TEMPLATE 1 · Delivery check (day 2 or 3)
Subject: Quote [Q-2026-031] – bathroom refit, [Elm Road]
Hi [Sarah],
Just making sure the quote I sent on Tuesday reached you and opens
properly. If any line isn’t clear, I’m happy to explain it in two
minutes, by email or on the phone.
Best,
[Name] · [Business] · [Phone]
TEMPLATE 2 · The useful follow-up (around day 7)
Subject: Quote [Q-2026-031] – a lower-cost option
Hi [Sarah],
Looking at your project again, there’s an alternative: keep your
existing shower tray and replace only the screen and the fittings.
That brings the total from [£2,400] to [£1,950] including VAT, with
a very similar result.
I can send the revised quote today. I also have a start date in the
week of [13 October] if you’d like to go ahead.
[Name]
TEMPLATE 3 · Before the quote expires (5 days before)
Subject: Quote [Q-2026-031] – valid until [31 October]
Hi [Sarah],
A quick reminder that the quote for your bathroom is valid until
[31 October]. After that I’ll need to re-check material prices, and
I can’t guarantee the November start date.
If you need more time or a change to the scope, just tell me and
we’ll work something out.
[Name]
TEMPLATE 4 · Closing the loop (after expiry)
Subject: Quote [Q-2026-031] – closing the file
Hi [Sarah],
As I haven’t heard back, I’ll assume the project is on hold and
release the slot I was keeping. No problem at all: if you pick it up
later, I’ll send you an updated quote.
One question, if you have ten seconds: was it mainly the price, the
timing, or something else? Your answer genuinely helps me.
Thanks, and all the best,
[Name]
Template 4 asks very little of the client and puts no pressure on them, which makes it easy to answer. Its last question also tells you why you lose quotes, which is the most useful thing you’ll learn from the whole process.
Text messages and a phone script
On WhatsApp or SMS, keep it short: one idea per message, and no attachment if they already have the link. On the phone, prepare three sentences, not a pitch.
TEXT · Day 2
Hi Sarah, it’s [Name] from [Business]. Did the bathroom quote come
through OK? Happy to explain any line.
TEXT · Day 7
Hi Sarah, I’ve priced an option at £1,950 (keeping your current
shower tray). Want me to send it over?
TEXT · 5 days before expiry
Hi Sarah, quick reminder: the quote is valid until 31 Oct. After that
I can’t hold the November start. Have a good day!
PHONE SCRIPT (2 minutes)
1. “Hi Sarah, it’s [Name] from [Business], calling about the bathroom
quote. Have you got two minutes?”
2. “Is anything holding you back: the price, the timing, something
technical?”
3. Depending on the answer:
- price: offer the alternative scope, not a straight discount;
- timing: give two specific start dates;
- technical: offer to visit or send photos of a similar job.
4. “I’ll email you the updated quote today.”
Answering objections without cutting your price
Most hesitations come down to three things: price, timing and trust.
Price. Avoid the reflex discount. It tells the client your first price was padded. Offer a version that removes something instead. In the example, going from £2,400 to £1,950 means £450 less work, not an 18.75% discount on the same job, so your margin stays intact. A freelance designer in Chicago can do the same thing: a $3,000 website quote becomes $2,200 with five pages instead of eight.
Timing. Give specific dates (“the week of 13 October”) instead of “soon”. If the client is waiting on a loan or a bonus, offer to keep the quote open in exchange for a decision date.
Trust. Photos of similar jobs, reviews, proof of insurance if your trade needs it. Send them with the useful follow-up, not buried in the first email where nobody looks.
When the client says yes, confirm the start date and any deposit straight away, then invoice at the right moment. Our article on quotes vs invoices explains the handover.
What not to do
- Follow up every other day. Three messages and a closing note over three to four weeks is plenty.
- Invent urgency. “Only one slot left” when it isn’t true always shows eventually.
- Send the same message twice. Each follow-up needs something new.
- Add them to your mailing list. In the UK, the ICO’s guidance on the “soft opt-in” lets you email marketing about similar services to someone who bought or negotiated to buy from you, but only if you gave them a simple way to opt out when you collected their details and in every message since. Following up the quote they asked for is fine; enrolling them in your newsletter without that opt-out isn’t.
- Treat a quote like an unpaid invoice. An unsigned quote commits nobody. An overdue invoice is money owed, with its own process: see our guide to chasing an unpaid invoice.
Track your quotes to learn what works
A six-column table is enough: quote number, client, amount, expiry date, next follow-up, status (sent, followed up, accepted, declined, expired). At the end of each month, work out your win rate: quotes accepted ÷ quotes sent.
Example: 12 quotes sent in September, 5 accepted, so 5 ÷ 12 = 41.7%. By value, $6,800 won out of $15,200 quoted, or 44.7%. If most lost quotes mention price, work on your alternative options. If they mention timing, it’s your schedule that needs attention, not your rates.
Quote for Sarah Mitchell, bathroom refit £2,400 including VAT, valid until 31 October. Remind me to follow up next Tuesday.
Ready: quote Q-2026-031 for Sarah Mitchell, £2,400.00 including VAT, valid until 31/10/2026, plus a reminder “Follow up Sarah Mitchell, Q-2026-031” on Tuesday at 10:00. Save both?
The client gets a link: they can read the quote, download the PDF, and accept or decline it online.
Try Binome360 for freeWith Binome360, the quote goes out as a link (WhatsApp, email, text) and the client can accept or decline it online, so you see the answer without chasing it. An accepted quote becomes an invoice in one tap, with automatic numbering. Your assistant prepares everything and nothing is sent or saved until you confirm.
Frequently asked questions
How many times should you follow up on a quote?
Three times at most, plus a closing message after the expiry date. More than that risks annoying a client who might have come back later. If you have nothing new to say, don’t send anything.
How long should you wait to follow up on a quote?
Send a short delivery check after two or three days, the main follow-up after about a week, then a reminder a few days before the quote expires. Space them out further for big projects and tighten them for urgent jobs.
What do you say when following up on a quote?
Give the client something useful each time: an answer, an alternative option, a start date. Name the quote and the project in the first line, keep it short, and always leave an easy way out (“let me know if the project is on hold”).
What if the client says the quote is too expensive?
Ask what budget they had in mind, then offer a smaller scope that fits it rather than the same job for less. A discount can make sense for a regular client or a large volume, but present it as that, not as a reaction to silence.
In short
Follow up on a quote three times at most, each time with a reason to write, then close the loop politely. The expiry date sets the schedule, the channel follows the client’s lead, and objections are answered with options rather than discounts. First step: list your open quotes, note each expiry date, and schedule the next follow-up for every one of them today.
Sources
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), “Electronic mail marketing” (guide to PECR, soft opt-in conditions): ico.org.uk.
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