James
Founder, PayReady
James spent 20 years developing software and apps for Johnson and Johnson, Disney, and Eli Lilly before building PayReady for the tradesmen he saw drowning in paperwork.
Sending the quote is the easy part. Following up is where most jobs are won or lost - not because customers said no, but because the tradesman never asked again.
This guide gives you a simple, non-pushy system for following up on quotes that have gone quiet.
When should you follow up?
The right time for a first follow-up is 48 to 72 hours after sending the quote. This is:
- Long enough for the customer to have read it and thought about it
- Short enough that you are still in their recent thinking
- Before they have committed to someone else or lost interest in doing the job
Leaving it longer than a week is leaving it too long. Beyond that, they have either gone with someone else or the project has lost momentum on their side.
What to say in the first follow-up
Keep it short. The goal is to reopen the conversation, not to close a deal in one message.
Hi [Name], just checking you received the quote I sent for [brief job description]. Happy to answer any questions or talk through anything. [Your name]
What makes this work:
- Checks a practical thing - did they receive it - rather than asking for a yes or no
- Offers something (to answer questions) rather than pressing for a decision
- Under 30 words. Gets read on a phone.
What if they say they are still deciding?
Ask when they expect to make a decision, and offer to hold a start date:
No problem at all - when do you think you will decide? If you want I can pencil in a start date and hold it for you. [Your name]
Offering to hold a date does two things. It moves the conversation from abstract to concrete. And it creates light, natural urgency around your availability without being pushy.
What if the quote has been sitting for two weeks?
One final follow-up is worth sending. The framing here is closing out your open records, not chasing a sale:
Hi [Name], I am tidying up my open quotes and noticed I have not heard back on the [job description] from [date]. Let me know if you still want to go ahead - if not, no worries at all. [Your name]
Removing the pressure paradoxically prompts a response. Customers who had been avoiding saying no often come back when they feel no obligation to.
What if they went with someone else?
Acknowledge it graciously and ask one question:
No problem at all - thanks for letting me know. Out of interest, was it price, timing, or something else? Just helps me for future quotes. [Your name]
You get useful information. And a customer who went elsewhere this time may come back for your reliability or availability next time. How you handle the rejection is part of your reputation.
When to stop following up
Two follow-ups is the maximum for most quotes. After that, you are putting energy into someone who is not interested. Move on to the next lead. Your time is the most valuable thing you have.
How PayReady helps with follow-ups
PayReady shows the status of all open quotes on your dashboard. When a quote is approaching its validity date without acceptance, you have the job details and the customer's contact in one place. You can follow up in seconds rather than searching through messages.
For the full quoting system, see how to write a quote that wins jobs and how to quote faster as a sole trader.
Sources
- State of the Trade Survey - Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
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