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What to do when a client doesn't reply to your quote

After sending a quote, first check it arrived, then propose a concrete next step. Three ready-to-copy message templates and what to log in your CRM.

Published: 16 October 2026·Updated: 22 October 2026·Author: Kevin Jazbinšek

When a client doesn't reply to your quote, first check that the quote arrived and that the client has everything they need to decide. Then propose a clear next step: a short call or an agreed date to follow up. In your message, refer back to the conversation, the scope of the project or the deadline you agreed.

Silence alone doesn't tell you why the buyer hasn't decided. There may be an open question about price, scope or timing. Their priorities may also have changed. The point of following up is not to apply pressure, but to find out what is going on and how to proceed.

When should you follow up after sending a quote?

If you agreed a date when you sent the quote, work from that. If there is no date, propose a time for a short call in your next message.

We don't present follow-up frequency as a universal rule or a measured best practice. Adapt it to the type of deal, how urgent the project is and how the buyer responds. With future quotes, say when you will be in touch again at the moment you send them. If the buyer suggests a different time, record it together with the person responsible.

What should you check before sending a message?

  • Whether the quote went to the right address and the attachments open.
  • Whether the scope and the way of delivery match the conversation.
  • Who is involved in the decision and whether they need further explanation.
  • What the last agreement was and whether the deadline has already passed.

Which message should you send to a client who doesn't reply?

Below are three templates, each for a different situation. Copy one, replace the square brackets and send it. You don't need to send all three in a row: choose the one that fits your last conversation.

1. Checking receipt

Hello [name]. I sent you a quote for [project]. Have you had a chance to open it? If you need any more information to review it, let me know and I'll add it.

Use it when you have no confirmation of receipt. If the client has already commented on the quote, refer to their open question instead.

2. Clarifying an open question

Hello [name]. About the quote for [project], I'd like to check what else you need to make a decision. Is there an open question about the scope, timing or delivery? I suggest we clear it up in a short call.

When the buyer replies, record the specific obstacle. If they need an explanation, provide it. If the scope has changed, check whether the quote needs adjusting.

3. Agreeing how to proceed

Hello [name]. Is [project] still on your agenda? If you're postponing it, let me know when it makes sense to get back in touch. If you've chosen another solution, please let me know so we can close the quote properly.

This message is also a fair way out for both sides. The buyer doesn't have to say "no" to a question you never asked, and you don't keep chasing a quote that is already dead.

What should you log in the CRM?

For every quote, record:

  • the person responsible,
  • the value of the quote,
  • the status,
  • the date of the last contact,
  • the next activity,
  • the buyer's open question,
  • on closing, the outcome and the reason.

If the buyer postpones the project, record the agreed date to get back in touch. If they choose another provider or withdraw, close the quote. For quotes with no response, the team should have one shared process for following up and closing. Without it, every salesperson does things their own way and the manager doesn't know which quotes are still alive.

How should a team organise quote follow-up?

Every quote needs a person responsible and a next step. At a regular review of open quotes, check that both are recorded and that the agreed activity has been done. That way you quickly see the quotes that need action.

This was exactly the problem at Naitors: a team of five salespeople handled enquiries in Excel and nobody knew who had last called a contact. Since the CRM was introduced, every enquiry has an owner and a status (Naitors case study). When a spreadsheet stops being enough is covered in the article Excel or CRM.

If quotes get lost between messages and spreadsheets in your company, let's look at how you work. With CRM implementation we set up responsibilities, statuses and next activities so the team can see what it needs to do with each client. If you first just want a view of where you stand, the free review of enquiries and quotes shows where your follow-up stalls.

Sources: HubSpot, HubSpot's default deal properties (accessed October 2026) · Pipedrive, Lost reasons (accessed October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

When should I follow up after sending a quote?

On the date you agreed when you sent the quote. If there is no date, propose one in your next message. We don't give a universal number of days, because it depends on the type of deal, how urgent the project is and how the buyer responds.

How many messages should I send to a client who has gone quiet?

As many as the situation calls for, not a fixed sequence. The three templates in the article cover receipt of the quote, an open question and whether the project is still live. Choose the one that fits your last conversation. You don't need to send all three in a row.

When should I close a quote?

When the buyer withdraws, chooses another solution, or the quote is inactive under your team's rule. The team should agree the rule in advance, and the outcome and the reason for closing should also be recorded.

What should I log in the CRM after sending a quote?

The person responsible, the value, the status, the date of the last contact and the next activity. Add the buyer's open question and, on closing, the outcome and the reason.