In B2B Quote Tool, Sales

Many businesses win new business by utilizing Sales Quotes (also known as price quotes) that generate a Purchase Order (PO). However, many may not realize that the speed and accuracy of quote generation my negatively impact winning the business. Worse yet are those organizations that don’t follow up on sent quotes…they are just burning money.

Here are a few easy tips to improve the effectiveness of your free sales quote tool:

1. Ensure your sales quotes are properly constructed

A sales quote is often the first impression prospective customers get of your business. Every quote that you send out should tell the client a little bit about your business. It should detail the prices (or range of pricing if budgetary), costs and services that they’re expected to receive. You may want to include terms and conditions as well.

Make sure the branding of the quote is consistent with your business’s brand (different looks and experiences may confuse your clients, especially if your are using a free quote tool). And, most importantly, use a call to action at the end (if applicable). A clear and simple quote increases the chance of a sale the first time and reduces confusion.

2. Send a quote within 10 minutes

It’s a good idea to use cloud software, like free quote software to quickly prepare and send quotes on the spot or immediately after an initial meeting. Some tools are so efficient that you can generate a quote while a prospective client is on the phone. This efficiency helps you to respond to an opportunity anytime, anywhere – without the need to return to the office to generate a quote.

3. Embed a free quoting tool on your website

You may not always be able to meet your client in person. But a quoting engine on your site speeds up the process and allows customers to do business with you 24/7. If you sell complex products (like many B2B companies), you may want to use an approval based tool like EchoQuote that allows customers to request pricing but keeps you in control of approving/sending the quote.

4. Follow up within an hour of sending

Sometimes, business or industry protocol dictates when you should follow up. However, it never hurts to simply follow-up via email within the first hour while the prospective customer is still thinking about your project. Here’s a simple follow-up email:

“Thank you for your interest in our solutions. As promised, I approved your quote request and it has been sent to your email inbox. If you have not received it, please check your spam filter or access the copy I’ve attached.

My I ask you for a quick favor?

Would you please reply to this email so I know you received it and provide brief answers to the questions below?

Thank you for your time.

Have you defined the requirements for your project?

Is there a specific timeline you are trying to meet?

Sincerely,

Sales Rep”

it is always best that you strike while the iron’s hot. Once you’ve quoted, follow up between 10-15 minutes after to ensure that the client has received and understood the quote. This is a good way to get in front of your client and give the quote every chance of being accepted.

5. Don’t Call the prospect unless they specifically ask you to

Most potential customers are just looking for a rough idea of the cost and they don’t want to get bogged down in a lengthy sales conversation. The email that goes with the quote could very well start a deeper conversation but respect the prospects time.

Good luck and good selling!