Quote Follow-Up Tracker

Who this is for

The quotes that went out, and what happened next. One line per quote with the customer, the value and the date it was sent, a column for the day you chased it and an outcome you set yourself. The days since sending and the value won are worked out for you.

Trades and small firms who quote more work than they win and lose track of which quotes are still live, and anyone who has found an unanswered quote three months later and wondered whether a phone call would have landed it.

What this helps you track

• Every quote you have sent, with its reference and value
• How many days have passed since each one went out
• When you last chased, so nobody is rung twice in a week
• Which quotes are won, lost or still waiting on a reply
• The value quoted and the value won across the period

How to use it

1. Write your business, the period and the currency at the top.
2. Add a line as each quote goes out: your own reference, the date sent, the customer and a few words on the job.
3. Put the quoted value in the amount column, exclusive or inclusive of tax as you prefer — be consistent, and say which in the notes.
4. Leave the outcome as sent until you hear back, then set it to chased, won, lost or no reply.
5. Write the date each time you chase. The days since sending, the value won and the totals are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, count forward and add down.
6. Read the summary at the end of the period and carry the unanswered lines onto the next sheet.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How long should I leave a quote before chasing?

The sheet does not say, because it depends on the trade, the customer and the job. It shows how many days have passed since each quote went out and when you last rang, and leaves the decision to you.

What does the value won figure include?

Only the rows whose outcome is set to won. Everything else counts as nil, so a quote sitting at sent or chased does not flatter the total.

Is the share of value won a useful measure?

It is the won value divided by everything quoted in the period, which tells you something about pricing and something about the work you are bidding for. It is a measure, not a target, and there is no figure here saying what it ought to be.

Should the amounts include tax?

Either, as long as it is the same on every row. Most people track quotes at the figure before tax because that is what the job is worth to them.

What happens to a quote that is revised?

Overwrite the amount and note the date in the notes column, or add a second line with a new reference and mark the first one lost. Keeping both is more honest if you want to see how often you rework a price.