We get it, quoting for a job isn’t the most exciting thing – there’s always a lot of work to put in at your end and then the inevitable response from the client wondering if there’s aaaany way you could cut it down, just a little? Or the more blunt response that they’re flat out not paying that. Well in the tradie world, getting quotes sorted means getting paid, so we’ve put together a few handy tips for giving quotes to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Ask all the questions
As time-consuming as it is to be on the phone longer than necessary, you’ll definitely save valuable time if you know as much as you can before checking out the potential job site. If the client doesn’t really know sh*t about what they actually want, you may need to spend more time talking them through the process. If they’re wanting something insanely complicated or not within your scope, at least you can let them down easy over the phone instead of wasting your time heading all the way out there.
Get in quick
We know you would rather spend your time working on something that’s actually making you money vs. spending hours putting a quote together that may not turn into a job. The thing is, the quicker you are to quote, the quicker you’ll win the job, or at least know whether it’s yay or nay. With the way clients are these days, wanting everything yesterday, it’s a good idea to quote as quickly as you can so they don’t have as much time to check out other businesses. Quoting quickly also means that everything will be fresh in your mind and you can move onto the next client when it’s done.
Give a ballpark
If you really just don’t have the time to do a quote after every site visit, see if you can put together a ballpark range for your clients. It’ll give them something to go on while you get the exact quote sorted. Granted, it’s not always easy to even give a ballpark sometimes, but if you put together a general list of jobs and materials and average costs, you’ll be able to give a pretty good estimate. Just remember to mention that this ballpark figure is just based on what they’ve told you – if the job takes longer or there’s more work involved than what they’ve said, the job may be more expensive.
Get the deets right
The more details you have on a quote, the less room for complaint or disagreement. Yes, this might mean less wiggle room for you in terms of pricing, but at least you and the client will both be on the same page. Always include whether it’s a proper quote or just an estimate (again, probably a good idea to include a disclaimer here that it could go up depending on final plans, etc.), how long the quote is valid for (gives you some breathing room to let them think on it and follow up when it’s about to expire), and make sure the cost of everything is broken down so the client knows exactly what’s what.
Happy quoting!