If you send ten quotes and cannot name which three are still open, the leak is process — not marketing.
This spoke supports running your SA business from your phone. It sits after you know how to write a clean quote and send it on WhatsApp without losing the numbers.
Direct answer
Keep a short still open list: customer, job, total, valid-until, last touch. Follow up once with a clear ask. Then mark won, lost, or awaiting payment — do not leave quotes floating in chat forever.
Why open quotes go dark
Typical solo-operator pattern in South Africa:
- Quotes leave as WhatsApp PDFs or voice-note totals.
- A week later you remember “someone in Midrand” but not the amount or the validity date.
- You send a soft “just checking in” with no link to the original numbers.
- They remember a lower total from an earlier thread. You remember the one that still made margin.
Marketing did not fail. Status failed.
The still-open list (minimum fields)
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Customer / site | So you know who to ping |
| Job one-liner | Bathroom redo vs fence — not “quote” |
| Total + VAT label | The number you will defend |
| Valid until | Natural follow-up deadline |
| Last touch | When you last messaged or called |
| Status | Open · Won · Lost · Awaiting pay |
If your tool cannot show this, a phone note or sheet with those columns beats nothing — until the sheet becomes the second source of truth (spreadsheet quoting problems).
A follow-up rhythm that fits trades
- Day 0 — Send the saved quote with total + valid-until in the cover message.
- Day 2–3 — One follow-up if they requested the quote and went quiet.
- Day before valid-until — “Quote stands until tomorrow; happy to revise if scope changed.”
- After valid-until — Archive as lost, or issue a new dated quote if they revive the job.
Do not run a daily “just checking” loop. It trains customers to ignore you and fills chat with noise.
Message templates (keep them short)
First nudge
Hi Thabo — checking if you still want the bathroom quote (R12,480 incl VAT, valid Friday). Happy to adjust scope if something changed.
Before it expires
Reminder: that quote is valid until tomorrow. Reply yes to book the deposit, or tell me what to change and I’ll send an updated quote.
Close the loop
I’ll archive this quote as not going ahead for now. If the job comes back, I’ll send a fresh quote with today’s prices.
Always point at the document, not a new number invented in the thread. If they negotiate, edit and resend — same rule as the first send.
Open vs awaiting payment
| State | Meaning | Cashflow |
|---|---|---|
| Open | They have not accepted | Not cash — pipeline only |
| Won / accepted | Job is yours; pay may be pending | Track under awaiting payment |
| Lost / archived | Dead for now | Out of the open list |
| Paid | Money in | Income bucket |
Mixing “still deciding” with “still paying” is how you buy materials on hope. See cashflow basics for trades and quote vs invoice.
Habits that take ten minutes a week
- Every Friday: open the still-open list. Nudge, win, lose, or extend with a new quote.
- Cap active opens (for many solos, 5–15 is plenty). New quotes means closing old ones.
- Never follow up from memory of the total — open the saved quote first.
Free checklist
Before you send (and before you chase): SA micro-business quoting checklist.
Vlyt keeps quotes editable with a clear history so follow-up starts from the saved record — free while we grow for South African solo operators on Android.