A customer asks for a price. You open an old quote, copy it, change a few lines, and hope you did not leave the last customer’s name or price in it.
That is an easy mistake to make when every quote starts from scratch. A small template can give you a safer starting point. It will not decide the price for you. It simply reminds you what to check.
Start with the parts that stay the same
Make one blank document for the kind of work you do most often. Give it spaces for:
- Your business name and contact details
- The customer’s name
- What you will do
- What is included and what is separate
- The price and any extra costs
- When the work could start or finish
- How and when payment works
- How long the quote is open
- What the customer should do next
Keep the language short. A customer should be able to see what they are buying without calling to decode the document. Business.gov.au’s guide to written quotes also recommends a clear description, costs, payment terms, dates, and an expiry date. It is general guidance; use the terms that fit your work and location.
Fill in this job, not the last one
A template is only the starting page. Before you send a quote, write down what this customer actually asked for. If a task is outside the price, say so. If the price depends on seeing the job first, say that too.
For example, “Website setup” is vague. “Business website with a contact form, mobile layout, and one year of hosting; domain name separate” tells the customer much more. The exact work and price still need to match your proposal.
Check the numbers and the name
Read the quote once as if you were the customer. Is the name right? Is the work clear? Does the total match the items? Do the dates still make sense? Are you sending it to the right person?
This review matters even if a tool filled in part of the document. AI can help draft words from an approved template, but a person should check the customer details, scope, and price before anything goes out. NIST’s generative AI guidance notes that organizations may need human review and oversight for AI output.
Then make the next step easy
End with one clear action: reply with questions, approve the quote, or book a call. Store the final quote where you can find it later. If the customer asks for a change, update the quote and check it again before sending the new version.
If you send many similar quotes, Clawser can help you set up a reusable document or explore an AI-assisted first draft using your approved wording. You stay in control of the price and the final send.
Want to make your quoting process simpler? Talk to a human 🙂 and tell us what takes the most time.
Illustration: AI-generated image.