Quote follow-up: when and how to chase an open quote
Follow up on an open quote twice: once around day 3 after you send it and once around day 7, then close it out politely if there is still no answer. Each message should come from the rep who owns the quote, cite the quote number, and ask one easy question. Stop the moment the customer replies.
Why do open quotes go quiet?
Silence after a quote rarely means no. The buyer is usually waiting on an internal approval, comparing two or three suppliers, or simply buried under the same inbox you are. A quote that nobody chases tends to lose by default, even when your price and lead time were competitive.
Speed and attention compound. A 2020 Paperless Parts survey of part buyers found that 67% expect a quote within 24 hours, and Harvard Business Review reported in 2011 that firms contacting leads within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify them. Responding fast gets you into the running. A steady follow-up keeps you there while the buyer decides.
The problem in most distributors is not willingness, it is capacity. Inside sales reps follow up when they have a spare minute, which means the oldest quotes and the smallest ones get forgotten first.
When should you follow up on a quote?
A simple, predictable cadence beats an aggressive one. Buyers in industrial supply see a lot of email, and two short, useful messages are more welcome than five pushy ones. Use the schedule below as a starting point and adjust for quote size and how urgent the buyer said the need was.
| Day | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Send the quote with PDF, validity date and lead times | Make the decision easy |
| Day 3 | First follow-up: confirm receipt, offer to adjust | Catch questions early |
| Day 7 | Second follow-up: one specific question or option | Surface objections |
| Day 14 | Close-out note: you will mark it closed unless they need more time | Get a clear yes, no or later |
| Validity date | Requote or archive | Keep pricing current |
Day 3 and day 7 are a common starting point, not a rule. Large or strategic quotes may justify a phone call in between.
What should a quote follow-up say?
A good follow-up is short enough to read on a phone and specific enough that the buyer can answer in one line. Avoid the empty ‘just checking in’. Give the buyer a reason to reply.
- The quote number and the main item, so the buyer can find it instantly.
- One useful detail: stock you can hold, a quantity break they almost reached, or an alternate part with a shorter lead time.
- One question with an easy answer: ‘Should I hold the 200 units until Friday?’
- The language the buyer wrote in. A buyer who sent the RFQ in French should get the follow-up in French.
- A clear exit: ‘If this project is on hold, just let me know and I will close the file.’
Worked example: what silent quotes can cost
Here is an illustrative example, not a benchmark. Picture a distributor that sends 50 quotes a week with an average value of $4,000. Twenty customers answer on their own. The other 30 go quiet.
If reps follow up twice on each of those 30 quotes, that is 60 messages a week. At about 4 minutes per message to find the quote, write a note and send it, that is 240 minutes, or 4 hours of rep time a week.
Now suppose those follow-ups turn just 3 of the 30 quiet quotes into orders. At $4,000 each, that is $12,000 in orders a week that would otherwise have stalled. Your own numbers will differ, so plug in your quote volume and average order size with the ROI calculator.
| Item | Illustrative value |
|---|---|
| Quotes sent per week | 50 |
| Quotes with no reply | 30 |
| Follow-ups per week (2 each) | 60 |
| Rep time at 4 min each | 240 min = 4 h |
| Quiet quotes recovered | 3 |
| Order value recovered at $4,000 each | $12,000 |
Sample follow-up messages
Keep a few templates and personalize one line each time. The examples below are deliberately plain. They work because they are specific, not because they are clever. If you also need a clean base for the quote itself, see our quote template.
- Day 3: ‘Hi Marie, following up on quote Q-10482 for the 3/8 in. hydraulic fittings. Did it come through clearly? Happy to adjust quantities or split the shipment if that helps.’
- Day 7: ‘Hi Marie, on Q-10482: we can hold the 200 units in stock until Friday. Would you like me to reserve them, or is the project still being priced?’
- Day 14: ‘Hi Marie, I will close Q-10482 on our side for now. If the project comes back, reply here and I will refresh the pricing the same day.’
Which follow-up mistakes cost the most?
- Following up only on big quotes. Small quotes often come from accounts that grow.
- Sending a follow-up after the customer already replied to someone else on the team.
- Changing the price in a follow-up without approval, which trains buyers to wait for a discount.
- Writing in English to a buyer who wrote in French.
- Never closing anything, so the open-quote list becomes useless for forecasting.
How does Merlin handle quote follow-up?
Merlin's Quote Follow-up desk drafts polite follow-ups on open quotes on the days you choose, by default day 3 and day 7, in the language the customer wrote in. It stops as soon as the customer replies, so nobody gets chased after they have answered.
Every follow-up is approved by a person before it goes out, the same as every quote drafted by the Quote Desk. Quote Follow-up is included in the Starter plan alongside the Quote Desk. To shorten the first response before you ever need a follow-up, read how to cut RFQ response time.
Frequently asked questions
How many times should I follow up on a quote?
Two follow-ups plus a polite close-out is a good default: around day 3, day 7 and day 14. Large or urgent quotes can justify a phone call in between.
Should a follow-up include a discount?
Usually not. Offer something useful instead, such as holding stock, a quantity break or an alternate part. Price changes should go through normal approval.
Who should send the follow-up?
The rep who owns the quote, from their own mailbox, so the buyer sees a familiar name and replies land in the right place.
When should I stop following up?
Stop as soon as the customer replies, says the project is on hold, or after your close-out note. Requote if they come back after the validity date.
Does Merlin send follow-ups automatically?
No. Merlin drafts them on the days you choose and a person approves each one. It stops drafting as soon as the customer replies.
