Chasing a Quote That's Gone Quiet, Without Sounding Desperate
You sent the quote on Friday afternoon. A rebrand job, £1,200, a client who seemed keen on the call. By Wednesday you've refreshed your inbox more times than you'd admit and there's still nothing. You don't want to look needy, but you also don't want to lose a week's work to silence.
This happens to almost everyone who sends quotes for a living, whatever the job. The client isn't necessarily saying no. They might be waiting on a partner's view, comparing a couple of quotes, or simply snowed under. The trouble is you can't tell which from an empty inbox, so the quote just sits there.
How long to wait, and what to say yourself
A few rules of thumb that work for most independents and small businesses:
- Give it three to five working days before the first nudge. Any sooner and you risk looking impatient, any later and the client has often moved on mentally.
- Keep the first message short and low pressure. You're checking the quote arrived and giving them an easy way to ask questions, not chasing a decision.
- If there's no reply after a second message, give a gentle deadline (ten days is common) so you both know where you stand, and so you can close the quote in your own records if needed.
- Always offer a quick call or a question, not just a yes or no. People are more likely to reply to "happy to talk it through" than to "any update?".
A simple script if you're chasing by hand
You don't need anything clever. Something like this, by email or text, does the job:
Hi [name], just checking the quote I sent on [date] came through alright. Happy to talk through any of it or adjust the scope if that's useful. No rush, just let me know where things stand.
If a week or so passes with no answer, a second message can be a little more direct:
Hi [name], following up on the quote for [job]. I'd like to pencil in the work if you're still keen, so let me know by [date] and I'll hold the slot. Otherwise no problem at all, just flag if your plans have changed.
Note what both messages avoid: no guilt, no hard sell, no repeating the price as if they'd forgotten it. You're giving the client a reason to reply and a clear point at which the quote either moves forward or quietly closes.
How Edwin handles this for you
The part most people put off isn't writing the message, it's remembering to send it. Between site visits, calls and the actual work, a quote from ten days ago is easy to forget until a client mentions it was turned down by someone quicker off the mark.
Edwin keeps track of quotes that have gone quiet and sends the follow up for you, on the timing you'd choose yourself. Once a client accepts, Edwin can send a Stripe or PayPal payment link straight away, so there's no gap between "yes" and getting paid. You stay in control of the wording and the decision, Edwin just makes sure nothing sits forgotten in a sent folder while you're busy with the next job.
If you'd like to see how this fits alongside the rest of your day, from emails to call reminders, you can see how Edwin works.