You’re giving quotes left and right. Now it’s time to learn how to follow up on a quote and land those jobs.
It would be nice if every time you gave someone a quote for janitorial services, they looked at it, signed on the line, and asked how soon you could start. That might happen now and then, but in most cases, you have to think about how to follow up on a quote if you have any hope of getting the job.
There are numerous reasons people don’t get back to you. They’re getting other quotes, they have to discuss quotes with business partners or the accounting department, or they just get busy and neglect to get back in touch with you. That means part of giving someone a quote is following up on that quote.
As you can imagine, there are some right ways and some, shall we say, not-so-right ways to do this. Your follow-up requires nuance. You need to consider timing, frequency, and the specific circumstances. Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Let’s take a look.
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How to follow up on a quote: 5 ways to win (or lose) the deal
You’ve done your walk through. You went over the details with the facility manager, and you’ve put together a competitive bid. Your bid includes a cover sheet telling your prospects about your company, your team, and the many certifications your employees have. Now?
1. Send an email right away. If you hand someone a hard copy of their quote, follow that with an email quote as soon as possible. A hard copy can be nice, as it gives some literal weight to your bid, but sending a PDF copy in an email makes it easy for your prospect to share with other decision-makers. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to sign on with your janitorial company.
2. Clean up your notes. Hopefully, as you did your walk-through, you took notes that may not appear on the proposal you gave your prospect. These might be notes from your conversation (for example, your prospect said they’re looking for a long-term contract or they need to find a new mechanic for their fleet vehicles). Reference these in your future conversations and offer solutions. (We offer discounts for long-term contracts, or you know a mechanic who specializes in on-site work for fleets.) These are the types of things that showcase your value as a resource, so be sure to clean these up and enter them into your own set of bullet points for conversations.
3. Pick up the phone. There’s plenty of advice for how to follow up on a quote by sending an email. Emails are great, especially since you can put things in writing. However! When you pick up the phone and talk to your prospect, there’s a personal connection you can’t reproduce through an email. A phone call gives you a chance to answer questions right away, and it can recreate the energy of your original meeting. How soon should you call? If your prospect gave you a timeline, follow that. For example, they told you they’re meeting in three days to go over proposals, so call on the fourth day. If they didn’t give you a timeline? Give them a day or two.
4. Be prepared to negotiate. When you do talk to your prospect, there’s a chance they will want to negotiate on the price. Certainly, this doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s better to be prepared. Your decision is ultimately up to you. However, there are ways to lower the price without compromising your rates. You could take some tasks off the proposal, decrease the frequency of your appointments, or use less expensive products. It’s also worth noting that this might not be the right contract for you. You can usually tell the difference between someone who is genuinely trying to work within a budget and someone who’s just trying to talk you down to the lowest price while still expecting a top-dollar deal. Be cautious with the latter.
5. Don’t overdo it. There’s a fine line between following up and being overbearing. You may have to use your best judgment here, but generally speaking, don’t call every day, and certainly don’t call multiple times in one day (unless there’s a specific reason to). Spread things out a little and give folks time to consider your bid.
While the follow-up is an art, it’s not difficult. The hardest part, sometimes, is making sure you’re organized enough to do it. Fortunately, we can help with that.
If you’re ready to increase the professionalism of your cleaning operation through better organization, easy access to important data, unparalleled tracking, and more, schedule a call with Janitorial Manager today!