What buyers actually want
A buyer wants to know three things quickly: can you supply it, at what price and lead time, and on what terms. A reply that says "please send details" costs a day. A reply that confirms what you can supply and asks only for what is missing keeps you in the conversation.
From enquiry to quote in six steps
Read the enquiry
Pick out the product, quantity, location and any specification.
Check it is complete
Ask for anything missing, in one short message.
Match your catalogue
Find the right item, size or variant.
Apply your price rules
Slabs, freight and tax rules produce the draft quote.
Approve
The owner approves, or the system sends automatically within limits you set.
Send and follow up
The quote goes out and the next follow-up is scheduled.
Where manual quoting goes wrong
- Prices quoted from memory when the team is rushed.
- Two people quoting the same item differently.
- Freight forgotten or guessed.
- Enquiries buried in an inbox nobody opens until Monday.
- No follow-up after the first quote.
Put the rules in the workflow, not in the AI
The AI reads the enquiry and writes the message. The workflow holds the prices, slabs and freight rules, so prices come from your rules, not from the AI. Anything outside your rules is held for approval.
Follow up on a schedule
Many orders are not decided on the first message. Set a follow-up rhythm that suits your product, record the outcome of each quote, and use the reasons you lose to improve the next one.
What to measure
- Time to quote
- From enquiry arriving to quote sent.
- Complete at first message
- Share of enquiries that arrive with everything you need.
- Approval time
- How long quotes wait for an owner decision.
- Quote to order rate
- The number that tells you whether quotes are working.