Quote and Proposal Email Templates: Send, Follow Up and Close

Most quotes are lost between "sent" and "signed", not on price. The prospect meant to reply, the email sank, and a competitor who followed up got the job. These templates cover the whole arc: sending the quote so it is easy to say yes to, following up without nagging, answering the price objection, and closing with a date. Send them from your own domain so the quote is trusted and lands in the inbox rather than the promotions tab.

Quick summary

• Put the total, the validity date and the next step in the email body, not only in the attached PDF. Many people read on a phone and never open attachments.
• Name the file clearly: "Quote-1042-[Client]-[Your company].pdf".
• Quote from billing@ or your name@ address on your domain, and set the reply-to to the person who can answer questions. A quote from a free webmail address gets questioned by finance teams.
• Keep a copy in a "Quotes - open" folder and diarise the follow-up before you hit send.
• "Quote [number] for [project or product] - valid until [date]"

Before you send

• Put the total, the validity date and the next step in the email body, not only in the attached PDF. Many people read on a phone and never open attachments.
• Name the file clearly: "Quote-1042-[Client]-[Your company].pdf".
• Quote from billing@ or your name@ address on your domain, and set the reply-to to the person who can answer questions. A quote from a free webmail address gets questioned by finance teams.
• Keep a copy in a "Quotes - open" folder and diarise the follow-up before you hit send.

Subject line options

• "Quote [number] for [project or product] - valid until [date]"
• "Your [service] proposal from [Company]"
• Follow-up: "Quote [number]: any questions?"
• Closing: "Quote [number] expires [date] - shall we go ahead?"

Template 1: sending the quote

Subject: Quote [number] for [project] - valid until [date]

Hi [First name],

Thanks for talking through [project] on [day]. Attached is our quote, and here is the summary so you do not need to open the PDF on the go:

- Scope: [one or two lines]
- Total: [amount] [currency], [including / excluding] VAT
- Timeline: [start] to [finish], assuming a go-ahead by [date]
- Payment: [e.g. 50% deposit, balance on completion, 14-day terms]
- Valid until: [date]

Two things I would flag: [one assumption or exclusion], and [one option they could add or remove to change the price].

If this looks right, reply "go ahead" and I will send the agreement and deposit invoice the same day. If anything needs adjusting, tell me and I will revise it within 24 hours.

Best regards,
[Full name]
[Title], [Company]
[name]@[yourdomain].com | [phone]

Template 2: first follow-up (3 to 4 working days later)

Subject: Quote [number]: any questions?

Hi [First name],

Checking you received the quote for [project] sent on [day]. No pressure on timing; I mainly want to make sure nothing in it is unclear.

If it helps, the two questions people usually ask at this stage are [common question 1] and [common question 2]. Short answers: [answer 1]; [answer 2].

Is there anything you would like changed, or a good time for a ten-minute call to walk through it?

Best,
[Full name]

Template 3: answering "it is more than we expected"

Subject: Re: Quote [number] - options

Hi [First name],

Thanks for being straight about the budget; that makes this easier.

Three ways we could bring the number down without cutting corners:
1. [Remove or defer item] - saves about [amount].
2. [Phase the work: do X now, Y next quarter] - first phase would be [amount].
3. [Change scope or spec] - saves [amount], with the trade-off that [consequence].

What I would not recommend is [thing that looks cheaper but costs more later], because [reason].

Tell me which direction feels right and I will send a revised quote today.

Best regards,
[Full name]

Template 4: closing before the validity date

Subject: Quote [number] expires [date] - shall we go ahead?

Hi [First name],

Our quote for [project] is valid until [date], after which [reason: supplier prices / our schedule] means I would need to re-quote.

To lock in the price and the [start date] slot, I just need a reply saying "go ahead". I will then send:
- the agreement for e-signature
- the deposit invoice for [amount]
- a kick-off date

If the timing is wrong this quarter, tell me and I will note a date to check back rather than chase you.

Thanks,
[Full name]
[Title], [Company]

Timing that works

Send the quote within 24 hours of the conversation while the need is fresh; a quote that takes a week signals how the project will run. First follow-up after three or four working days, second after another week, closing email two or three days before the validity date. After the validity date, one final note offering to re-quote, then move the thread to "Quotes - closed". Do not send more than four emails in total; if they wanted to say yes, they have had enough chances.

Mistakes that lose quotes

• Sending the PDF with a one-line "please find attached" and no summary, so the reader has to work to understand it.
• No validity date, which removes any reason to decide.
• Discounting in the first follow-up before anyone mentioned price.
• Following up with "just checking in" and nothing useful.
• Quoting from a personal address so the client's accounts team cannot match it to your invoices later.
• Not saying what happens next after "yes", which creates a second round of emails before any work starts.

Common questions

Should the quote be in the email or a PDF?

Both. Summary and total in the body for phone readers, full terms in the PDF for the file. If you use quoting software, make sure it sends from your domain over SMTP rather than from the software vendor's address.

How many follow-ups are too many?

Four emails including the original is the ceiling. Beyond that you are training the prospect to ignore you and risking a spam complaint.

What if they ask for a discount with no reason?

Trade, do not give. Offer a lower price for a longer commitment, faster payment, a smaller scope or a testimonial. Free money teaches clients to ask for it every time.