6-minute read · by Philippe, who runs a home-service business in Québec
You drove out, measured, priced, sent the document. The customer does not answer. You move on.
It is probably the easiest leak to plug in a service business, because the hard work, finding the customer, driving, estimating, is already done and already paid for with your time.
No answer is almost never a no
Someone who asked for a quote had a project. If they do not answer, they usually opened the email between two things, meant to look at it that evening and never did. The project still exists. That is why a short follow-up works so well: it does not have to convince, just put the topic back in front of someone who lost sight of it.
When to follow up, and what to write
Two follow-ups are enough: at three days, then at eight. Beyond that, it becomes pushy and returns drop. The first: two lines recalling the quote with a simple question, “Does the price work for you, or is there something to adjust?” An open question gets more replies than “Have you decided?”, which invites a no. The second: shorter still, closing the file. “I am closing the file on my side; if it comes back up, write to me.” It frees the customer from having to answer, which is exactly why many do.
Why nobody does it
Not laziness. Following up by hand needs a list of who got what and when, and that list does not exist without a system. Automated, follow-up needs no discipline: it goes out on its own and stops when the customer answers. And while you are at it, offer recurring service in the follow-up when the work allows: the customer has the topic in mind.