An estimate that goes quiet is usually a customer who has not decided yet, and a short follow-up plan, set before the estimate goes out, wins work that would otherwise drift. Being pushy is sending the same nudge again and again. Being helpful is sending something useful each time, then stopping.
This guide covers why estimates stall, a follow-up schedule you can copy, what to say in each message, the rules that apply when a customer signs at home, and how to see which quotes need attention.
Why estimates go quiet
Your estimate is rarely the only one on the table. The Federal Trade Commission's guide for homeowners tells them to get written estimates from several firms, not to automatically choose the lowest bidder, and to ask for an explanation when prices differ.[1]
That is useful to know. Customers are told to compare, and they are told to ask why prices differ. A good follow-up answers that question before they ask it. Silence after an estimate usually means the customer is busy, waiting on a partner, or still collecting quotes.
Make the first estimate easy to say yes to
Follow-up starts with the estimate itself. Send it the same day as the visit if you can, while the customer still remembers your face and your explanation. Keep the line items clear, put the total and what it includes near the top, and say how long the price holds.
Then make accepting it one step. With our estimates and proposals, the customer opens the quote, accepts it online, and can pay the deposit from the same page. Once they say yes, it becomes an invoice without anyone retyping the line items.
A follow-up schedule you can copy
There is little good research on follow-up timing for trades and service quotes, so treat this as practice rather than proof. It suits most quotes between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars. Shorten it for urgent work and stretch it for large projects.
- Same day: send the estimate with one line on what happens next.
- Day 2: a short check that it arrived, with an offer to answer questions.
- Day 5 to 7: something useful, such as a photo, a timing update, or a cheaper option.
- Day 14: a polite last message that closes the file and leaves the door open.
Four messages over 2 weeks is enough. If the customer replies at any point, the schedule stops and a person takes over. If they say no, thank them, ask what tipped the decision if they are happy to say, and mark the quote as lost.
What to say in each message
Each message should give the customer a reason to read it. A plain example of each step follows. Change the wording to sound like you.
- Day 2: "Hi Sam, it's Alex from Northside Plumbing. Just checking the estimate for the water heater came through. Happy to answer any questions by text or call."
- Day 5 to 7: "Hi Sam, a quick note on the water heater quote. We have an opening next Thursday if you want it done before the cold weather. I can also price a smaller tank if budget is the worry."
- Day 14: "Hi Sam, I'll close this quote for now so I'm not filling up your phone. If you want to go ahead later, reply here and I'll update the price and dates."
The names and business are made up, not from a real company. Notice what each message does. It names the job, offers something new, and makes replying easy. None of them asks "Did you make a decision yet?", which puts the customer on the spot.
Texting a quote follow-up: the consent line
The CTIA messaging principles, which US carriers follow, treat a text as informational when the customer gave you their number and asked to be contacted, and that needs the customer's agreement to texts for that purpose.[2] A follow-up about a quote they asked for fits that description.
The same principles say that adding a sales call-to-action, such as a coupon code, may move a message into the promotional category, which needs express written consent.[2] So keep quote follow-ups about the quote. If you want to offer a discount by text, make sure the customer agreed to marketing texts first. Our guide to business texting registration covers the rest.
When the customer signs at home
This part is general information, not legal advice. If you sell or sign contracts in customers' homes often, ask a lawyer to check your paperwork.
The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule covers sales of $25 or more made at the buyer's home, and $130 or more at other places away from your business. In those sales the buyer can cancel until midnight of the third business day, and you must give them a written cancellation notice and tell them about the right out loud.[3] There are exceptions, including when the customer asked you to visit to repair or maintain their own property.[3]
The FTC's homeowner guide also notes that some state laws limit how large a down payment a contractor can ask for, and how far the final bill can go above the estimate without the customer's approval.[1] Check your state's rules before you set deposit amounts.
Track the quotes that stall
Most follow-up fails because nobody can see which quotes are waiting. A board with columns such as Estimate sent, Followed up, Won, and Lost fixes that. Every open quote sits on the board as a card with its value, and the total at the top of each column shows how much work is in play.
A saved view of quotes with no movement in 14 days gives you a short list to work through each week. With automations, moving a card to Estimate sent can start the follow-up on its own: a text, a wait, an email, and a call task if there is still no reply.
Once a month, count quotes sent and quotes won. As an illustration, not data from a real business: a heating company that sends 60 estimates and wins 21 has a win rate of 35%. If a follow-up plan lifts that to 27 wins at an average job of $1,200, that is $7,200 more work in the month. Use your own numbers.
Trades send more quotes than most businesses, and lose the most to silence. See how a home services business runs quotes, follow-up, and deposits in one place.
Want your quote follow-up set up for you? On Grow and Scale our team builds the board and writes the messages. Book a walkthrough or compare plans.
Sources
- Hiring a ContractorFederal Trade Commission, consumer guide, March 2014
- Messaging Principles and Best PracticesCTIA, May 2023
- 16 CFR Part 429, Rule concerning cooling-off period for sales made at homes or at certain other locationsUS Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Trade Commission rulesDefinitions and exclusions in 429.0, the cancellation notice in 429.1.