Resources/Conversation examples
Quote follow-up overdue
A number went out days ago, the customer never replied, and the follow-up that was promised never happened.
You sent me numbers last week and I never heard anything after that.
What to do when you spot it
Work the oldest quotes first, call with something new, ask what the customer thought of the number, and offer two times.
Practice a response
Synthetic practice exampleReply to the example above out loud, then compare your words with this sample.
"I owe you a call. Two things changed since that number: the price holds through the end of the month, and we can now offer a shorter term. Can I show you both at 11 tomorrow?"
Coaching and context
Taking the next step
Work quotes by age every morning, oldest first, and call before you text. Bring something that was not in the last message: the price still holds, a different term, a fee they did not know was included, another option at the same monthly cost. Ask what they thought of the number, then offer two times. If they bought somewhere else, ask what the other company did differently and write the answer down, because that is the cheapest market research a team ever gets.
Why it matters
Quotes go stale quietly. The team built the figure, the rep sent it, the customer did not answer, and the thread went cold while everybody moved on to new leads. Reps avoid these calls because there is no news, and no news feels like nothing to say. Meanwhile the customer read the silence as the end of it. The work here is already paid for: the lead cost money, the number took time to build, and the only thing missing is somebody making contact with a reason worth answering.
How to coach it
Pull the rep's oldest open quotes and read the last message in each thread together. The pattern is obvious and nobody argues with it. Practice the opening line until it stops being just following up, which gives the customer nothing to answer. Agree that every number sent carries a dated next step at the moment it goes out, so this list stops refilling. Then check the age of the oldest quote next week, because that one number tells you whether the habit stuck.
Practice the conversation
The manager plays the customer. The rep responds, then you review it together.
The customer says
"You sent me numbers last week and I never heard anything after that."
Your goal
Bring something new to the call instead of a check-in, and turn it into a time.
Feedback after the call
- You opened with just following up, which gave them nothing to answer.
- You recovered with a real reason for the call.
- You never asked what they thought of the number.
- You ended the call without a time.
Questions and answers
How old is overdue?
Older than the plan you set when the number went out. If the rep said Thursday and it is Monday, that is overdue no matter how fresh the quote feels to the team. Where nothing was promised, work quotes by age and start with the oldest one.
What do you say when there is no news?
Bring something that was not in the last message: the price still holds, a different term, a fee they did not know about, another option at the same monthly cost. Just following up gives the customer nothing to answer and teaches them to ignore the next call.
What if they bought somewhere else?
Ask what the other company did differently and write it down where the team can read it. Customers are candid once the decision is behind them, and it costs you one question. Then ask when their new contract renews, because that date is your next reason to call.