follow up on quote without being annoying
How to Follow Up a Quote Without Sounding Desperate
You sent the quote, heard nothing, and now you're stuck: chase it and look desperate, or leave it and lose the job? Here's the answer - following up isn't pushy, it's good service, as long as you get the timing and tone right. A polite nudge two to three working days after sending wins a surprising amount of work you'd otherwise write off. Silence usually means 'busy', not 'no'.
Get the timing right
Too soon and you look needy; too late and they've booked the other fella. The sweet spot is two to three working days after you send it - enough time to read and compare, but you're still fresh in their mind. Hear nothing? Leave a good week before a second and final attempt. Two follow-ups is plenty. Beyond that you're just chipping at your own dignity.
- First follow-up: 2-3 working days after sending
- Second (and last): about a week after the first
- Always count working days - nobody reads a quote on a Sunday
The right tone and channel
You're not begging - you're a professional checking they've got what they need. Warm, brief, helpful. Never apologise for following up, and never fake pressure with 'I've only got one slot left' unless it's genuinely true. Customers smell that a mile off. For most domestic jobs a text or WhatsApp is my go-to: low-pressure and easy to reply to. Email's fine for bigger or commercial jobs. Only ring if it's a big one or they asked you to.
A follow-up script you can copy and paste
Keep it short: reference the job, check they got it, and gently open the door. Here are the two I use, near enough word for word - the second one cleverly gives them an easy way to say no:
FIRST NUDGE (2-3 working days after sending): Hi [Name], [Your name] here - just checking you got the quote for the [job] I sent [day]. Happy to talk through any of it if you've got questions. No rush at all. SECOND NUDGE (about a week later): Hi [Name], just following up on that quote. Still keen to help if you'd like to go ahead - and if you've decided to go another way, no worries at all, just let me know so I can free up the diary. Cheers, [Your name]
Where new tradies get this wrong
- Chasing too hard. Three, four messages and a phone call reads as desperate and burns the bridge. One good nudge, then a final one, then let it lie.
- Faking urgency. Made-up 'last slot' pressure backfires. Honesty and patience win more than any sales line.
- Treating silence as a flat no. It's usually 'busy' or 'partner needs convincing'. A calm nudge flushes out the real answer - including a polite no, which is worth far more than weeks of wondering.
Let the reminders chase for you
The honest problem is remembering to follow up at all when you're flat out on the tools. That's where a system beats willpower. Quotato sends automated SMS and email reminders on quotes that have gone quiet - on your timing, in a polite tone - so the right nudge goes out two or three days later without you having to diarise every single job. You can stop them the second a customer replies.
After two follow-ups and still nothing, let it go. No third message, no hard feelings - and you'd be surprised how often they ring back months later when the next job comes up. Pushiness burns that bridge; patience keeps it standing.
Let automated reminders nudge your quiet quotes - politely, on time, without you lifting a finger.
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