Quote automation: from a qualified need to payment, without re-typing anything

What a quote must contain

Before sending quotes automatically, you need to know what you are producing. For consumers in France, the DGCCRF (the French consumer protection authority) points out that a quote informs the customer about the price of a service, that it is compulsory for some services, that it must state how long it is valid, and that it binds both parties once accepted. Its practical guide to quotes (in French) sets out the cases and the expected content. Check the rules specific to your country and your sector too.

Between businesses, requirements vary, but good practice stays the same: a clear scope, a detailed price, a validity period and an easy way to accept.

Step 1: a single catalogue

An automatic quote is only as good as the prices it uses. Gather your services, options and prices in a single, up-to-date catalogue that everyone uses: you, your colleagues and the tool. With two price lists that drift apart, sooner or later a quote will be wrong.

For each line, state what is included, what is not, and the conditions that apply.

Step 2: written pricing rules

Discounts, travel costs, options, minimum orders, rounding: write each rule down once. A tool applies the rules it is given, to the penny, but it cannot guess the ones that only exist in your head.

Separate the automatic rules (an option always adds a given amount) from the decisions that are yours (an exceptional discount, a price outside your price list).

Step 3: start from a qualified need

An accurate quote starts with the right questions: what, how much, by when, where. If the need is vague, the quote will be too. That is why qualification comes before calculation: a few well-chosen questions avoid a quote that has to be redone.

Step 4: approve at the right point

Not everything needs to go through you. Set a threshold: below it, the quote goes out as soon as it is ready; above it, or for a special request, it waits for your approval. You stay in control of the files that matter, without becoming the bottleneck for small quotes.

Step 5: make acceptance simple

A client who has decided should be able to act straight away. Attach a secure payment link, tied to the order, to the quote. One essential rule: the sale is only confirmed once the payment has been verified with the payment provider. A screenshot or an ‘I’ve paid’ is never enough.

Once the payment is verified, the invoice can go out, and delivery or the service can begin.

Step 6: follow up, then stop

A quote with no reply deserves one or two useful follow-ups, then a closing message. Follow-ups stop as soon as the client replies, declines or pays. We cover the pace and tone in our article on automatic quote follow-ups.

An example journey (fictional)

Take an imaginary freelance graphic designer. One Monday, a company writes to her about a logo and a simple brand guide. The qualifying questions go out in the reply: preferred deadline, number of proposals, files expected. The client answers the next day.

The quote then builds itself from the catalogue: the ‘logo and brand guide’ service, the ‘social media versions’ option, the standard lead time. The amount is below the designer’s threshold, so the quote goes out with its validity date and its payment link. Four days later, with no reply, a short follow-up reminds the client what is included.

The client then asks for a shorter deadline than planned. That is a special condition: the request is passed to the designer, who agrees in return for a supplement. The updated quote goes out, the client pays, the payment is verified and the invoice follows. The designer only stepped in once, at the moment her decision mattered.

What Alex does for your quotes

With the Quotes + Stripe payments module (€794), Alex:

• prepares an accurate quote from your prices and rules, with calculations to the penny;
• records the acceptance and creates the order;
• generates a Stripe payment link and verifies the payment with Stripe;
• passes any request for a discount or special terms to you, without deciding in your place.

The Invoicing module (€297) then produces the invoice linked to the order, and the Follow-ups module (€197) handles quotes that have gone unanswered. These three modules are part of the complete pack, at €2,797 instead of €3,576 (save €779, −22%), together with the Email sales agent, Appointment booking, Delivery and After-sales support. All prices: VAT not applicable, art. 293 B of the French General Tax Code (CGI). The details are in the Pricing section.

Mistakes to avoid

• Running quotes from a wrong catalogue: the tool will repeat the error on every quote.
• Letting the tool negotiate: a discount is a business decision, and it is yours.
• Confirming a sale without a verified payment: it is the most common cause of unpaid deliveries.
• Forgetting the validity date: it gives the client a reference point and protects you from outdated prices.
• Following up endlessly: two useful follow-ups and a closing message are enough.

Frequently asked questions

To see how Alex prepares quotes in your trade: freelancers, agencies, service businesses and trainers.