Most quotes do not get a no. They get silence. The buyer is busy, waiting on a partner or a manager, comparing you with two other estimates, or stuck on a question they never asked. A follow-up that says “just checking in” gives them nothing to answer, so they do not.
A good follow-up has one job: make the next step easier than ignoring you. This guide covers when to write, what to say each time, and templates for email and text that you can adapt in a minute.
Before you follow up, check the quote itself
Some quotes go quiet because the document makes it hard to say yes. Before you send a second message, confirm the quote has:
- a valid-until date, so there is a real deadline you can mention later;
- what is included and what is not, in plain words;
- one obvious way to approve, not “reply to this email to confirm”;
- the payment terms and any deposit, so the buyer does not have to ask;
- the name of the person who decides, if it is not the person you spoke with.
If something is missing, fix it and resend. That is a follow-up with a reason.
When to follow up
Timing depends on the size of the job and how fast the buyer moves, but this cadence works for most quotes with a 30-day validity:
| When | Goal | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| The day you send it | Deliver it and point to what matters most | Email, plus a text if that is how you have been talking |
| 1 to 2 business days later | Confirm it arrived and opened correctly | Text or a short email |
| 3 to 5 business days | Answer the question they are likely to have | Email or call |
| 7 to 10 business days | Offer an option or new information | |
| 3 days before it expires | Remind them of the real deadline | Email or text |
| After it expires, or after a no | Close the loop and ask what decided it |
Two rules make the cadence work. Every message carries something new: an answer, an option, a date. And once the customer says no, or asks you to stop, you stop.
Email templates
Replace the brackets and cut anything that does not apply. Short is better.
1. The day you send it
Subject: Your quote Q-0142 for [project]
Hi [name],
Here is the quote for [project]: [link]. The total is $[amount], and it is valid until [date].
The main thing to check is [scope detail, for example “the second-floor windows, which I priced separately”]. You can approve it from the same link.
[Your name]
2. Confirm it arrived (1 to 2 business days)
Subject: Re: Your quote Q-0142 for [project]
Hi [name], did the quote come through all right? If anything in it is unclear, a two-line reply is enough and I will sort it out today.
Skip this one if you already know they opened it.
3. Answer the question they have not asked (3 to 5 business days)
Subject: About the timeline for [project]
Hi [name],
A question that usually comes up at this point is [timing / materials / warranty]. Short answer: [answer in one or two sentences].
Would a 10-minute call on [day] or [day] help, or is it easier to send your questions here?
4. Offer an option (7 to 10 business days)
Subject: Another way to do [project]
Hi [name],
If the full scope is more than you planned for right now, we could split it: [phase 1] for $[amount] now and [phase 2] later. I can send a revised quote today if that helps.
An option is not a discount. It changes what you deliver, not what your work is worth.
5. Before it expires (3 days before)
Subject: Your quote Q-0142 expires on [date]
Hi [name], a quick note that the quote for [project] is valid until [date]. After that, I would need to recheck [material prices / availability] before confirming the same total. If the timing does not work, tell me and I will update the date.
Only mention a deadline that is real. If prices will not change, say the date is when you release the crew’s schedule, or leave the reason out.
6. Close the loop (after it expires or after a no)
Subject: Closing out the quote for [project]
Hi [name], I will take this one off my list for now. If it helps us next time, was it the price, the timing, or something else? Either way, thanks for considering us.
This message gets more replies than any other, because it is easy to answer.
Text message templates
Texts work when the customer already texts with you. Keep them shorter than the email and always about the quote:
- “Hi [name], it’s [your name] from [business]. I just sent the quote for [project] to your email. You can approve it from the link.”
- “Quick question on the [project] quote: do you want me to include [option]?”
- “Hi [name], the quote for [project] is good through [date]. Want me to hold the [date] start?”
- “No problem, thanks for letting me know. I’ll be here if anything changes.”
Texts about a quote the customer asked for are part of the sale; marketing texts are a different matter. FCC rules ban autodialed texts to a mobile phone without the owner’s consent, require written consent for commercial texts, and let people opt out of those texts at any time and in any reasonable way. Text from your own phone, one person at a time, only to numbers the customer gave you for this job, and stop when they ask.
What not to write
- “Just checking in” or “Any updates?” There is nothing to reply to.
- A discount nobody asked for. It teaches the buyer that waiting pays, and it lowers the price of every future quote.
- A deadline you invented. Buyers notice when “today only” is still open next week.
- Guilt. “I haven’t heard back” is about you; make the message about their project.
- “I saw you opened it.” Use the signal to time the message, not as its subject.
Follow up on what the customer actually did
Guessing is where most follow-ups go wrong: you write on day 3 to a customer who has not opened the quote, or wait a week while they read it four times. Cord sends the quote as a link the customer can approve and pay from, and it records what the customer does with it.
On every plan: the first time your customer opens the link, the quote moves to Viewed and you can get an alert by email, Slack, or Teams. Only the customer counts: your team’s visits are shown as a preview, link previews generated by messaging apps are ignored, and the view is recorded only when the page is open and visible.
From the Professional plan, live tracking adds Viewing now, with the section the customer is on, and a Client attention block: opens, distinct devices per day, first and last visit, and time spent on each section of the quote. If the customer opens the link from outside the United States, some regions with stricter privacy rules only count the first open. Your customer reads a notice on the quote page saying that the sender can see when they open it and which sections they review.
Here is how to turn those signals into the next message:
| What you see | What it usually means | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Not opened after 2 business days | It went to spam, the wrong person, or a busy inbox | Template 2, by text or to another contact |
| Opened several times, mostly the line items | They are comparing scope or price | Template 3 about scope, or template 4 |
| Time on approval and payment | A question about terms or the deposit | A short note explaining the payment schedule |
| A message in the quote’s conversation | They asked you directly | Reply there, the same day |
| Opened once, then nothing for a week | Waiting on someone else | Ask who else needs to see it |
Two more tools save you from tracking dates by hand. The Quote about to expire alert reaches your team 3 days before the valid-until date if the quote is still open, and Modify and resend sends a new version at the same link with the validity restarted. If you want a reminder in your task list, a workflow can start when the client opens the quote, wait two days, and create a follow-up task. See what is included in each plan on pricing.
For the quote itself, Anatomy of a closing quote covers how to lay out a proposal that is easy to approve, and Configure quote validity explains how the valid-until date works in Cord.
Follow-up checklist
- The quote has a valid-until date, payment terms, and one way to approve.
- You know whether the customer opened it before you write.
- Every follow-up carries an answer, an option, or a date.
- Texts go only to numbers the customer gave you, about this quote.
- A deadline in a message is real.
- After a no, one closing message, then you stop.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait before following up on a quote?
One or two business days to confirm it arrived, then three to five business days for the first real follow-up. If you know the customer already opened the quote, skip the confirmation and go straight to the question they are likely to have.
How many times should I follow up before giving up?
Three to five messages over the life of the quote is usually enough, as long as each one gives the buyer a reason to reply. Stop after a clear no or when the customer asks you to stop, and send one short message to close the loop.
Is it OK to text a customer about a quote?
A one-to-one text about a quote the customer asked for, sent to a number they gave you for that job, is a normal part of the sale. Keep it about the quote, not promotions. FCC rules require consent for autodialed texts and written consent for commercial texts, and people can opt out of those texts at any time.
Should I tell the customer I saw them open the quote?
No. Use the signal to time your message and choose the topic, not as the topic itself. Cord tells your customer on the quote page that you can see when they open it, so there is nothing hidden, but the message works better when it is about their project.
How does Cord tell me a customer opened my quote?
On every plan, the quote moves to Viewed the first time your customer opens it and you can get an alert by email, Slack, or Teams. From the Professional plan you also see when they are viewing it right now and how long they spent on each section.