Six practical tips for drawing up a correct quotation
August 2024 - As a business owner, you can build trust and transparency with your customers by drawing up a properly drafted quotation. A clear document avoids misunderstandings and guarantees clear agreements. Some practical advice?
Tip 1: Make sure you have all the information you need
Before you make an offer, you need to have a clear idea of the task in hand and the customer's requirements. Are there any questions that are not yet clear? Pick up the phone and talk to your customer about them. This shows that you're treating their request with all due diligence. When would the customer like the work done? Is price a determining factor? And are you sure that you are in contact with the decision-maker who will ultimately sign your document?
Tip 2: Don't forget to include a few essential elements
Unlike an invoice, you don't have to take legal requirements into account when preparing a quotation. Nevertheless, it's in your interest to prepare this document as completely as possible. The following elements should absolutely not be missing: contact details for your company and your customer, the date on which the quotation was prepared, a quotation number, a detailed description of the work to be carried out or the services to be provided, a clear price quotation with an hourly rate or total price (including the timetable and period of validity of your quotation)... And don't forget to include your general terms and conditions.
Tip 3: Avoid language and spelling mistakes
This tip seems obvious, but in practice the basic rules of language and spelling are often flouted. Sometimes through carelessness, often through lack of time. With a poorly formatted quote riddled with embarrassing linguistic errors, you're certainly not giving your (future) client a good impression. That's why it's always a good idea to have the document proofread by someone who is careful to ensure that the language is used correctly. Also adapt your language to the customer: a bank or a large insurance agency requires a more formal approach than a marketing agency or a plumber, for example, where the writing style can be more relaxed.
Tip 4: Provide an accompanying text tailored to your customer's needs
A professionally drawn up quotation should be accompanied by a personal e-mail or a traditional letter tailored to the customer's situation. This approach has a number of advantages: you show the customer that you are consciously devoting time to their request, you can reconfirm mutual wishes and agreements in writing, and you can highlight your company's strengths. A covering letter often helps to convince hesitant customers.
Tip 5: Estimate the return on investment
As soon as a customer receives your offer, they start to calculate: what will be the total cost of buying a product or service and what will be the return on this investment? If, as a supplier, you can already calculate the payback period and the return on investment, it's a good idea to include this in your offer... In this way, you show that you can correctly estimate the costs and revenues of your product or service, and you save your customer a lot of extra calculation work. In this way, you make it easier for them to approve the offer!
Tip 6: Opt for an efficient approach
Of course, Word and Excel are excellent tools for drawing up estimates and making the corresponding calculations. But you can save precious time by using software specially designed for this purpose. A package like this takes a lot of the work out of your hands, thanks to central control of customer data, price lists, template texts and calculation methods, among other things. With quotations always available online and automated tracking of open documents, you can also be sure that every customer you contact is properly followed up.
