How to follow up a quote (with texts that work)

You priced the job, wrote it up and sent it. Then nothing. No yes, no no, just silence.

Most of the time that silence doesn’t mean no. People are busy, they’re waiting for another quote, they meant to reply and forgot, or they want to say yes but have a question they haven’t asked. A polite, well-timed follow-up wins some of those jobs back, and plenty of trades never send one.

Here’s exactly what to send, and when.

Before you send the quote: make the follow-up easy

The best chase starts with the quote itself.

• Send it quickly. A quote that arrives the same day or the next shows the customer how you’ll run the job.
• Say what happens next. “If you’re happy, reply yes and I’ll pencil you in for the week of the 14th” gives them one easy step.
• Say how long the price stands. “This price is good for 30 days” gives a natural reason to get back in touch later.
• Tell them you’ll check in. “I’ll drop you a text on Thursday in case you have any questions.” Now your follow-up is expected, not a surprise.

The three-message follow-up

Message 1: two days after the quote

A friendly check that it arrived, with an open door for questions.

Hi Sarah, it's Matt from Riverside Tree Care. Just checking the quote for the oak came through OK. Any questions at all, just ask. Thanks, Matt

Short, no pressure, and easy to answer. Jobs are often won right here, because the customer had a small question they hadn’t got round to asking.

Message 2: about a week after the quote

A nudge with something useful in it: a date, a detail, or an answer to a worry they might have.

Hi Sarah, Matt again. I've got a gap the week of the 14th if you'd like the oak done before the leaves drop. Happy to hold it for you for a few days. Matt

Other good second messages:

Hi Mark, just a quick one on the driveway quote. If it helps, we can split the cleaning and sealing into two visits. Let me know either way. Thanks, Josh

Hi Priya, following up on the clearance quote. If the price is the sticking point, tell me and I'll see what I can do on timing. Thanks, Tom

Only offer something you’re genuinely happy to give. Never knock money off unprompted: it teaches customers to wait for a discount.

Message 3: about two weeks after the quote

The polite close. It’s often the one that gets a reply, because it asks for a simple answer.

Hi Sarah, I don't want to keep pestering you about the oak. Shall I close this one off for now, or would you still like it done? Either is fine. Thanks, Matt

People find it easy to answer that question, and a “yes, still want it, sorry, been mad busy” isn’t unusual. If they say no, you can ask why in one line: “No problem at all. Was it the price or the timing, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Then stop. Three messages over two weeks is attentive. More than that starts to feel like pressure.

Big jobs: slower, and ring instead

For extensions, roofs, kitchens and other big-ticket work, people take longer to decide and often have proper questions. Space the messages out (four days, ten days, three weeks) and make at least one of them a phone call. A five-minute chat about the job is worth more than any text.

What we have seen

A.P. Berrystone (a family firm: Adrian Berrystone is Tyler’s dad), a Swindon builder since 1989, chose not to have automatic follow-ups at all. Every enquiry goes straight to Adrian and he rings them back himself. Read his case study.

For big jobs that’s a perfectly good way to chase, as long as it actually happens every time.

Email versions

For commercial customers, or when the quote went by email, the same three steps work as short emails. Keep the subject line the job: “Quote for the oak at 12 Mill Lane”.

Subject: Quote for the oak at 12 Mill Lane

Hi Sarah,

Just checking the quote for the oak reached you OK. If you have any questions about the work or the timing, reply here or ring me on 07700 900000.

Thanks,
Matt
Riverside Tree Care

What makes a follow-up work

• Short. Two or three lines. Nobody reads a paragraph on their phone.
• From a person. Your first name, not “The Team”.
• About their job. “The oak”, “the driveway”, “the loft clearance”, not “your recent enquiry”.
• One easy question. Any questions? Still want it? Shall I close it off?
• Sent at a sensible time. Weekday daytime or early evening, not 10pm.

Keep a list, or it won’t happen

Following up only works if it happens every time, and on a busy week it won’t unless something reminds you. At the very least, keep a list of every quote you send with the date, and check it each morning. Better still, put the three messages on a timer so they go out on their own, in your name, and stop the moment the customer replies.

How we do it, and why it works

Chasing quotes is part of the “Answered” side of what we do for trades. When a quote goes out, the follow-ups go out in your name, worded the way you’d say it, on a timer, and they stop the moment the customer replies. Anyone who goes quiet is followed up until it’s a yes or a no. Calls still ring you; we never answer your phone or book into your diary.

Then, after each enquiry, we send you one text: did you win it, and for how much? Your answer goes in your tracker, and once a month you get one page showing what came in, what you won and what it was worth. That’s how you find out what chasing is actually worth to you, in pounds, instead of guessing.

It sits alongside the rest: getting you found on Google, replying to every enquiry, and texting back every missed call. You pay nothing until you’ve won £500 of work through us. The free check is the place to start: it shows who Google lists for your trade in your town, and where you sit.