How to follow up on a quote without chasing your client

Most quotes aren't lost on price: they're lost in silence. The client opens it, gets distracted, leaves it for later, and by the time you write again they've hired someone else. Good follow-up isn't pushing harder: it's writing at the right moment, with something useful to say.

Send it fast — the same afternoon if you can. Give it a clear validity date, which gives the client a reason to decide. And end it with a single action: “if you agree, accept it by signing here.” A quote that ends with “let me know your thoughts” invites nobody to do anything.

Following up without knowing whether the client saw the quote is writing blind. A client who never opened it — maybe it landed in spam or another inbox — is not the same as one who read it and didn't answer. The first needs it resent or sent another way; the second needs help deciding.

If they haven't opened it after two days: “Hi Ana, I sent you quote QT-0042 on Tuesday. Resending it in case it didn't reach you — you can review and accept it from this link.”

If they opened it and didn't reply: “Hi Ana, I saw you had a chance to look at the quote. Any questions about the scope or terms? Happy to adjust it.” Ask about questions, not the decision: it's easier to answer.

Before it expires: “Quote QT-0042 is valid until Friday. If you accept before then, we keep the price and the start date.” It's a real reminder, not invented pressure.

After two or three attempts with no answer, close it politely: “I understand it may not be the right time. I'll consider this quote closed; if you need it later, I'll prepare an updated one.” A lot of replies come in right after that message.

A “no” with a reason is worth more than silence. If the client says the price is high, something's missing or the timeline doesn't work, you know exactly what to adjust: drop an item, change the scope or offer installments.

Prepare a new version instead of editing the old one: what the client already saw stays as it was, and the new one gets its own number. That way nobody argues later about which version was agreed.

Two numbers are enough: what share of your quotes end up accepted, and how many days a client takes to accept. If almost all are accepted within the first week, a quote with no answer after three weeks is already telling you something, and your time is better spent on the next one.

In Firmiu every sent quote shows its status without you having to ask — sent, viewed by the client, accepted, declined or expired — and the list updates on its own when the client signs. If they decline, they have to write the reason, which you see next to the quote. One click duplicates it so you can send the adjusted version with a new number.

On paid plans and during the free trial, the client also gets automatic reminders every 48 hours during the first week if they haven't signed yet. And from Documents you can resend the link or share it on WhatsApp.