Why your quoting process is losing you 30% of jobs

Your prices are competitive. Your work is good. Customers like you. But you're still losing jobs you should win. The problem usually isn't the quote — it's the process.

The five leaks

1. Response time. Customer emails Monday morning. You quote Thursday afternoon. They booked someone else on Tuesday.

2. No acknowledgement. Customer sends an enquiry and hears nothing for days. They don't know if you got it, if you're interested, or if you're even in business. An instant "Got your enquiry, will have a quote to you by [date]" costs nothing and changes everything.

3. Unclear scope. Your quote says "$4,500 for solar installation." Their question: does that include the inverter? The panels? The electrical certificate? Ambiguity creates doubt. Doubt kills conversions.

4. No follow-up. Covered this in detail here. The short version: one follow-up within 48 hours increases close rates by 15%.

5. No easy way to accept. "If you'd like to proceed, give me a call or send an email." That's friction. A "Click here to accept and book your install date" button converts better.

Fix the process, not the price

Most trade operators who feel the need to discount are actually losing jobs to faster, more professional competitors — not cheaper ones. Fix the five leaks and your close rate improves without touching your margins.

See how AI streamlines trade business operations →

Further reading

• InboxAgents: AI-powered quote management