Keptrow

How to Follow Up After Sending a Quotation: Email and WhatsApp Lines to Copy

By Keptrow · · 6 min read

How to follow up after sending a quotation: a simple email and WhatsApp schedule for exporters, with lines you can copy and one rule for each message.

You sent the quote. The buyer asked good questions, said "thanks, will check", and went quiet.

Silence after a quote rarely means a firm no. More often the buyer is comparing three suppliers, waiting on their boss, or simply buried. Your job is to stay easy to say yes to, without becoming the supplier who sends "Any update?" every two days.

This guide is for small exporters and B2B sellers quoting physical products to overseas buyers. If you met the buyer at a trade show, start with our Day 1–90 trade show follow-up plan first. This post picks up at the point where a quotation has gone out.

Before you send: make the quote easy to follow up

Most follow-up problems start in the quote itself. Before you hit send, check that it states:

  • Trade term and port: FOB, CIF or EXW, and where.
  • Minimum order quantity and the price at one or two higher quantities.
  • Lead time from deposit or sample approval.
  • Payment terms.
  • A validity date: "Prices valid until [date]."
  • One next step: "Reply with your target quantity and I'll confirm the delivery date."

The validity date matters most. It gives you an honest reason to write later. That's very different from a fake "price going up tomorrow" message.

Also tell the buyer when you'll check in: "I'll follow up on [day] in case you have questions." Then the follow-up is expected, not intrusive.

The schedule: who gets what, and when

Use email for anything with numbers or attachments. Use WhatsApp for short nudges, but only if the buyer has already chatted with you there. Unsolicited WhatsApp messages feel like spam.

  • Day 2–3, email: check the quote arrived and was clear. One question.
  • Day 2–3, WhatsApp (optional): a one-line heads-up that the email went out, if they use WhatsApp with you.
  • Day 7, email: add one new thing they didn't have before.
  • About 3 days before the validity date: a factual reminder of the date.
  • After the validity date: close the loop politely and offer to re-quote.

Count working days in the buyer's time zone, and send in their morning. A message that lands at 3 a.m. their time sits under everything that arrives after it.

Stop the schedule the moment they reply. Then you're in a conversation, not a sequence.

What to say: lines you can copy

Change the words in brackets. Keep every message short. The quote document holds the detail.

Day 2–3: did it arrive?

Subject: Quotation [QT-104] for [product]: any questions?

Hi [Name],

Just checking that our quotation for [product] reached you and is clear. If it helps, I can also quote [a second quantity / a different packing option].

Is [target quantity] still the right quantity for your first order?

WhatsApp version, if you already chat there:

Hi [Name], it's [your name] from [company]. I sent the quotation for [product] to your email on [day]. Happy to answer any questions here.

Day 7: add one new thing

Pick one, and only if it's true:

  • A photo or short video of the exact item, packing or label they asked about
  • A spec sheet or test report for the material
  • Confirmed production slot or lead time for their quantity
  • An alternative that solves a concern they raised, such as a lower MOQ in one color

Subject: [Product]: [the new thing] for your review

Hi [Name],

You mentioned [their concern, e.g. the carton size]. I've attached [photo / spec / video] so you can check it before you decide.

Would a sample help, or would you prefer to compare the full specs first?

Before the validity date

Subject: Quotation [QT-104] is valid until [date]

Hi [Name],

A quick note that the prices in quotation [QT-104] are valid until [date]. If you need more time, tell me and I'll check whether we can extend it.

Only say prices may change if that's genuinely the case. Never invent urgency. Buyers who compare suppliers can usually tell.

After it expires: close the loop

Hi [Name], I haven't heard back about [product], so I'll assume the timing isn't right and close this quotation on my side. Could you reply with the number that fits?

  1. Still interested, please re-quote in [month]
  2. We chose another supplier this time
  3. Only send me new products

A "2" is useful. You stop guessing, and you can ask what decided it.

When the buyer replies "too expensive"

Don't cut the price in your next message. A fast discount teaches the buyer that waiting pays. Ask a question first:

Thanks for telling me. To see what we can do, could you share your target price and quantity? Sometimes a change in packing, color count or order size gets closer without cutting quality.

Then you're negotiating on facts, not guessing.

Five mistakes that kill quotes

  • "Just checking in" with nothing new. Answering it gives the buyer nothing. Every message needs a question or a new piece of information.
  • Following up daily. Two to four touches over the validity period is plenty for one quote.
  • Switching channels without a reason. Email first. WhatsApp only where they've already talked to you.
  • Discounting in the first follow-up. See above.
  • Losing track. You quoted 20 buyers last month. Which ones are due today? If you can't answer in ten seconds, follow-ups get missed.

Keep track without a CRM

The last mistake is the expensive one. A simple sheet fixes it. Give each buyer a row with the quote date, what they asked about, what you promised to send, the next follow-up date and a status (following up, replied, won, not pursuing). Then each morning, filter for today and overdue.

Want the tracking part already built? Start free

The Free Lead Follow-Up Tracker (Lite) has room for 5 leads and two follow-up steps (Day 1 and Day 7). You can see how the Today list and pre-written email and WhatsApp messages work before you use it on real buyers. It opens on a computer in Excel or Google Sheets.

Get the free tracker

Need more room? The full version ($12) holds 300 leads with 7 follow-up steps (Day 1 to Day 90), A/B/C grades and 7 editable templates, and you can change the days on the Settings tab.

Neither version sends anything for you. You check each draft and send it yourself.

Still putting the quote itself together? The Free Export Quote Template puts price breaks, MOQ, lead time and deposit on one A4 page, for Excel and Google Sheets.

FAQ

How long should I wait to follow up after sending a quotation?

Two to three working days in the buyer's time zone for the first check-in. Then about a week later, with something new.

Should I follow up on WhatsApp or email?

Email for anything with prices, specs or files. WhatsApp for short nudges, only if the buyer already uses it with you.

How many times should I follow up on one quote?

Two to four times before the validity date runs out, then one closing message.

What if the buyer says the price is too high?

Ask for their target price and quantity before changing anything.

Questions? Email keptrow@proton.me. We usually reply within 2 business days.

Also published on the Keptrow Gumroad store.