A customer who asked for a quote had a reason to. If they go quiet, it is usually because something has changed on their side: the project has slipped, another supplier was quicker, or the person who asked is waiting on somebody else. A well-timed follow-up finds out which, and gives you the chance to do something about it.
Set the follow-up up when you send the quote
The best follow-up starts before the quote goes out. When you send it, agree three things with the customer:
- When they expect to decide. A date gives you a reason to call.
- Who else is involved. The person who asked is not always the person who signs.
- How long the price holds. A validity date on the quote is a natural point to check in.
Then put the follow-up in the diary straight away, with a named owner. A follow-up that relies on somebody remembering is the one that does not happen.
When to follow up
There is no single right interval, but a simple pattern works for most quotes:
- A few working days after sending. Check it arrived, that it makes sense, and whether there are questions.
- Around the decision date the customer gave you. Ask where they have got to.
- Before the quote expires. Let them know the price is due to change, and offer to hold it or update it.
For large or long-running enquiries, agree the next contact at the end of every conversation, so there is always a date in the diary.
What to say
A follow-up should be useful to the customer, not just a nudge. Good reasons to get in touch:
- to check the quote answers what they asked, and whether anything needs changing;
- to offer an option, such as a different quantity, material or delivery date;
- to answer a question from somebody else involved in the decision;
- to let them know when the price or lead time is due to change.
Ask open questions: "Where have you got to with it?" gets a better answer than "Have you decided yet?". If they need a change, revise the quote rather than starting a new one, so you keep a history of what was priced.
How many times to try
Three or four contacts over the life of a quote is reasonable for most manufacturers, spread across email and phone. If there is still no answer after that, send a short, friendly message saying you will close the quote for now and that you are happy to pick it up again. It often gets a reply, and if it does not, you have a clean record.
Record the outcome, and the reason
Every quote should end as won or lost, never just open for ever. When it is lost, note why: price, lead time, specification, a competitor, or no decision. After a few months, those reasons tell you more about your prices and your market than any single deal.
They also make your win rate meaningful. Our guide to measuring your quote win rate explains how to count decided quotes properly.
Make it a system, not a memory test
Following up only works if it happens every time, whoever is busy. That means a task with a date and an owner for every open quote, and a list everybody can see of what is overdue.
In ManufactIQ, the chase-up is a task with a date, and the team can see what is overdue across every enquiry. A Microsoft Teams alert tells the team when a quote goes out, and on Pro, automations remind the owner before a quote expires. See how enquiries work.