How to Follow Up on a Quote Without Being Pushy
Sent a quote and heard nothing back? Most jobs are lost in the silence after the price lands. Here's how to follow up without feeling like a pest.
You've been out, measured up, worked out a fair price and sent it over. Then… nothing. It's the most frustrating part of the job — and it's where a huge amount of work quietly slips away. The good news: a simple, polite follow-up wins more of these than you'd think.
Why silence doesn't mean no
When a customer goes quiet after a quote, it's easy to assume they've gone elsewhere. Usually they haven't. More often they:
- Got busy and forgot to reply.
- Are waiting on a partner, a payday, or another quote to compare.
- Have a question about your price but haven't got round to asking.
None of those are a "no". They're a "not yet" — and a gentle nudge is often all it takes to turn it into a "yes".
When to follow up
Don't leave it two weeks. By then they've forgotten you or booked someone else. A good rhythm:
- Day 2–3: a friendly check-in.
- Day 7: a second nudge, ideally with a reason to reply.
- Day 14: one last message to close the loop.
Three touches is plenty. If they've not bitten after that, leave the door open and move on.
What to actually say
Keep it short, warm and easy to reply to. A couple of examples:
The check-in: "Hi Sarah, just checking you got my quote for the bathroom OK? Happy to talk through anything if it helps. No rush."
The nudge with a reason: "Hi Sarah, I've got a gap opening up week after next if you'd still like to go ahead — thought I'd check before I fill it. Let me know either way!"
Notice there's no pressure and no guilt. You're making it easy to say yes, and easy to reply even if it's a no.
Make it effortless to reply
The reason follow-ups work over text is the same reason replying fast wins jobs: people will fire back a one-line text when they'd never pick up the phone or write an email. Always end with a simple question they can answer in a few words.
And keep a list of open quotes somewhere — phone notes, a whiteboard, whatever. You can't follow up on a quote you've forgotten you sent.
The bottom line
Most lost quotes aren't lost to a cheaper price — they're lost to silence. A couple of polite, well-timed texts will win back more work than almost anything else you do this month.
ReplyBack keeps every enquiry and reply in one tidy thread, so you can see who you still owe a follow-up and pick the conversation straight back up. Try it free for 14 days.
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