Before you copy: the three rules
An effective follow-up is short (six to eight lines), factual (it recalls the job and the date the quote was sent), and ends with an open question that is easy to answer. It goes out three to five days after the quote, never in the evening, never on a Sunday. And it stops as soon as the customer replies: the full method is in our guide to following up a quote that got no reply.
Template 1: the first follow-up (D+4)
Subject: Your quote of [date]: any questions? Hello [First name], I'm getting back to you about the quote for [the job / the service], sent on [date]. Do you have any questions about the content or the timescales? If something is missing for you to decide, just tell me. Have a good day, [First name, company, phone]
Why it works: no pressure, a real service given. The customer torn between three tradespeople remembers you at the exact moment they compare. It is the follow-up that suits a plumber as much as an electrician.
Template 2: the second follow-up, with an offer (D+10)
Subject: Quote for [job]: shall we come and see it on site? Hello [First name], With no reply to the quote of [date], I am sending one last follow-up. If the costing raises questions, I can come and see it on site this week to adjust it: it is often easier face to face. Otherwise, tell me whether the project is postponed or dropped, and I will stop bothering you. Best regards, [First name, company, phone]
A concrete offer (coming to look, adjusting an option, splitting it into stages) restarts the conversation better than any turn of phrase. And the way out you give them ("tell me if it's off the table") often triggers a reply out of plain politeness: that is all it takes.
Template 3: the fixed-date event (wedding, reception, planned job)
Subject: Your [event] on [date]: shall I hold the date? Hello [First name], I'm still holding [date] on my side for your [event], but I will soon have to confirm it or release it for other requests. Would you like me to reserve it for you, or shall I adjust the proposal first? Kind regards, [First name, company]
Here the urgency is real, not manufactured: a date gets booked. This is the model used by caterers, photographers and event suppliers, and it works just as well for a scheduled job slot.
The phrases that kill a follow-up
“If I have no reply from you within 48 hours, I will assume that...”: a threat. “I am following up with you for the umpteenth time”: a reproach. “Did you receive my quote?”: a closed question that invites a “yes” and nothing else. “Do not hesitate to get back to me”: nobody hesitates, nobody gets back. Replace all of that with a precise question and a dated proposal.
And the version that sends itself
The hard part is not writing these emails, it is sending them at the right moment, for every quote, without missing a single one. That is exactly what we automate for quotes: your templates, your tone, sent at D+4 then D+10, stopping immediately as soon as the customer replies. You price the job, the follow-up runs itself, and you are never again the tradesperson who does not call back. We show you on your own quotes, over a coffee.