Automate Quote Process Example
Learn how to auto-generate quotes for clients with a beautiful PDF.
Wondering how you can automate your quote process? Review this example with a form builder and Monday.com
The Purpose
What happens when you send a client a quote?
First, they request a quote
Then, you have a chat to understand their requirements
Next, you put a proposal together and send it
But, you’re not done - now you have to negotiate the proposal
So, you put together another proposal
Then, they ask for a few minor tweaks
Finally, you agree on a final proposal and they pay
And, how much time does this process take? For many consultants, this entire process can take ~2 hours, give or take. Sometimes this process falls through in the middle, and takes 1 hour of your time. To make matters worse. She was scheduling walk-throughs with every client. Taking time our of her day to view their property without knowing their budget. Sometimes clients in high-end homes or areas were tightwads that were not willing to spend what was required to decorate their large homes. Sometimes, homes of smaller or less desirable homes were willing to invest a higher fee to make their home more appealing to prospective buyers, especially if it was difficult to sell. So, there was no way to know what a client would pay without asking their budget. That’s built into the form, too.
The purpose of this form was to automate the entire quote process. Generate an itemized quote, send it to the customer, and add it to your tasklist for optional follow-up later.
The Scenario
I created this quote after meeting with an interior design consultant that told me she had to end our meeting, so she could spend 2 hours creating a quote for a prospective client. Two hours? For a client that may not even book your services? That’s crazy! But, alas, she did it 3 times a week. And only 1 person on average would book services. I told her there has to be an easier way. I can automate this, and so the work began. Here’s how I did it.
Form Logic
60 Variables
After getting the basics out of the way, the form uses over 60 variables and price variation options to calculate the cost of services.
First, clients enter their square footage according to the following categories:
< 1,000 sq.ft., usually for guest houses or tiny homes
1,000 - 2,500 sq. ft for small homes
2,501 - 3,500 sq. ft. for averge homes
3,501+ sq ft for large homes
Second, choose a package:
Basic
Intermediate
Luxury
This set a base price for services.
Next, clients are able to add additional rooms to decorate:
Kitchen
Bedroom
Living area (living room, bonus room, basement)
Office
Each room came with a base price that was multipled based on the number of rooms. These rooms were added as an itemized ticket to each invoice. For no additional rooms, it was listed as zero.
Budget
Prospective clients enter their budget
Calculations
Each package fee is calculated based on square footage. This is a flat fee.
Additional rooms are entered as a per room fee
Clients enter their budget to determine if it’s higher or lower than the average rate
Meetings
Clients with a budget greater than or equal to the estimated project fee are redirected to a screen where they can book a walkthrough. These are high priority clients who don’t require haggling or negotiation as the fee is already within their budget. Since budget is a blind-item and asked before the estimate is provided, the clients are likely to move forward with services and it makes sense to invest in a walkthrough.
Automations
PDF to Customer
The biggest benefit of the form is that it sends a branded and designed PDF quote to the customer IMMEDIATELY. The quote is itemized, allowing customers to see just what the big ticket items are, and what they may want to negotiate or remove, whether the overall package or fees to decorate additional rooms. This eliminates the need for negotiation as clients can negotiate for themselves. Furthermore, the PDF has a disclaimer informing the customer that the itemized quote is indeed only an estimate until confirmed via walkthrough.
Project Management
When you’re busy, the quote form allows clients to generate their own quote with instructions to follow-up if interested. The meeting scheduler integrates with the calendar, and is a well-oiled machine allowing clients to book when their interested. Conversely, if business is slow, you can follow up with each and every lead to get more business. The form integrates with Monday.com (and can also integrate with Notion and other hubs) to alert you to new quotes.
Ready to automate your quote process?
If you’re ready to automate your quote process, get in touch to learn how to never invoice again.