Follow up sequence for a quote that went quiet
Builds a four message follow up for one quiet quote, spaced over three weeks, each with a reason to reply that is not "just checking in". You get all four drafts to schedule or send by hand.
Who it is for: A business that sends quotes and then hears nothing from a third of them
A quote that went quiet is not a no. The customer got busy, the other bids came in late, or the spouse has not weighed in. Most businesses send one "just checking in" email and give up. A short sequence with a real reason behind each message recovers a meaningful share of those jobs.
Gather first
- The quote itself: what you proposed, the number, the date you sent it.
- Anything you remember from the conversation: their concern, their timeline, who else is involved.
- One or two true things that could matter to them: a slot opening on your calendar, a material price change, a similar job you just finished nearby.
How to use it
Run it once per quiet quote, not as a mass template. Put the four send dates in your calendar. Stop the sequence the moment they reply, either way.
What good looks like
Each message could stand alone. None of them beg. The last one gives them a clean way to say no, which often gets a yes.
You are helping the owner of a small service business follow up on a quote that the customer has not responded to. Write a four message sequence. Plain English, respectful of their time, no guilt, no pressure tactics, no exclamation points, no em dashes. My business: [PASTE BUSINESS NAME AND WHAT YOU DO] My name: [PASTE] The customer's first name: [PASTE] What I quoted, the amount, and the date I sent it: [PASTE] What I remember from our conversation (their concerns, timeline, who else decides): [PASTE] True things that could matter to them right now (an opening on my schedule, a material cost change, a similar job I just finished nearby, a season deadline): [PASTE 1 TO 3] How they prefer to be contacted: [EMAIL, TEXT, OR BOTH] Write four messages: Message 1, send 3 days after the quote. Confirm they received it, answer one question they are probably sitting on, and ask if anything in the quote was unclear. Under 80 words. Message 2, send 7 days after the quote. Lead with one of the true things I listed that gives them a reason to decide now. Under 80 words. Message 3, send 14 days after the quote. Share a short, true detail from a similar job (use only what I gave you) and offer a brief call to walk through options or adjust scope. Under 90 words. Message 4, send 21 days after the quote. A close the loop message. Say plainly that I will stop following up after this, ask whether they went another direction or the timing changed, and tell them the quote is good until a date I will fill in. Make it easy to reply with one line. Under 70 words. For each message give me a subject line (if email) and the body. Rules: never say "just checking in", "circling back" or "touching base". Do not discount unless I told you to. Do not invent jobs, names or facts. Match the tone of a person, not a company.
Would rather have it done?
This is something we already run for clients. Send the intake and name this playbook; we will come back within a business day.
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