How to Follow Up on a Quote Without Being Pushy

Most clients don't respond to quotes straight away. A timely, well-worded follow-up can make the difference between winning and losing the job.

Sending a quote is not the end of the process. Most clients need a nudge. The mistake most tradespeople make is either following up too aggressively or not following up at all. Both extremes lose jobs.

Following up well is a skill, and it's one of the easiest ways to win more work without changing anything else about how you quote.

When to follow up

If you haven't heard back within 24 to 48 hours, send a single follow-up. Don't wait a week. The job may have gone to someone else by then. Don't follow up after 6 hours either. Give the client time to think and possibly to discuss with their partner.

The 24 to 48 hour window is the sweet spot. It's long enough to feel respectful, short enough to keep you top of mind.

What to say

Keep it short, warm, and easy to respond to. Here's a template that works:

'Hi [Name], just checking you received the quote I sent yesterday for [job description]. Happy to answer any questions or adjust if needed.'

That's it. Three sentences. No pressure. No apology. No selling. The structure works because it gives the client three easy ways to respond: yes, no, or 'I have a question'.

What not to say

• Don't apologise. 'Sorry to bother you' is unprofessional.
• Don't add pressure. Don't mention other clients or fake deadlines.
• Don't write a paragraph. Long messages get ignored.
• Don't ask 'did you get my quote' if you can see they did. It feels passive aggressive.
• Don't restate the price. They have the quote.

Different scenarios need different follow-ups

A client who chatted with you for 30 minutes on site is different from a client who got a quote via WhatsApp without ever meeting you. Match your follow-up to the relationship. With a warm lead, be a bit more personal. With a cold lead, stay professional and brief.

If the client mentioned they were getting other quotes, reference it. 'I imagine you're comparing a few quotes. Happy to walk you through anything in mine if it would help.' This shows you respect their process and positions you as confident, not desperate.

What if they still don't respond?

One more follow-up after 3 to 5 days is reasonable. Make it warmer and more open. 'Hi [Name], just touching base in case the quote got buried. No pressure, just let me know either way if you'd like to go ahead or not.'

After that, let it go. Chasing a client who isn't interested wastes your time and damages your professionalism. The work that comes from respectful follow-up is always better than the work that comes from pestering.

How to know when they've read it

This is where digital quoting makes a big difference. When you send a quote via a shareable link, you can see when a client has viewed it. That changes everything about how you follow up. Build the quote from one of the free quote templates and you get that view tracking automatically. You know they've seen it, so a follow-up is appropriate. You know they haven't, so you might resend rather than nag.

It also tells you which quotes are getting traction and which aren't. If a client opened your quote five times in two days, they're seriously considering it. If they opened it once and never again, they've probably moved on.

Track your follow-up rate

If you start tracking how many of your quotes you actually follow up on, the answer will probably embarrass you. Most tradespeople follow up on less than half. Of those they do follow up on, a significant percentage convert that wouldn't have otherwise. Following up is one of the highest-leverage things you can do.

Price each job in a free quote calculator, send it as a branded link, and you can see exactly when the client opens it. QuoteGenio lets you create professional quotes in minutes.