So, I wrote over 1000 quotes last year. Maybe more, I am not certain. I am largely a full-time estimator these days, and I will share some of what I do.
I like how you started out, everything should be written in a way that the customer understands what is going to be done, and the crew can interpret it properly as well, so there are no misunderstandings.
I also have my standard lectures all saved up for when someone tells me their tree is “too tall” or they want to have it “topped”. I also learned to ask why they want to do such a thing, and what their specific concern is. Also, I will ask them to define their terms, many people use the word “topped” to mean something completely different, because they don’t know what it actually means.
Try to use words that people can understand, but don’t be afraid to drop in some science now and then, it goes a long way to prove you know what you are talking about. If they don’t quite understand everything you say, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You are supposed to be the expert, and experts are supposed to talk with big words on occasion. Also be sure that you speak with confidence, even if you are not entirely certain what you are talking about sometimes. I heard an old salesman‘s “years ago that does prove true, “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull“.
A touch of confident arrogance is actually not a bad thing, people expect an expert in their field to speak with a bit of confident arrogance, would you expect to go to a high-end jewelry store, and be coddled? More likely, you would be told off when you walked in the door and you would buy it from them anyway.
I always send quotes by email as well, and do not give numbers in the field. I don’t like to do that, however, I write the quote while I’m sitting in my truck in their driveway, and send it before I pull out. That make sure I don’t forget any details, and it keeps me from having hours of work when I get back to my office. I will often write 15 quotes in a day, so, there’s no way I’ll remember at all when I get back at the end of the day.
Also, every quote we send has a copy of our insurance certificates attached. That shows we actually have insurance, unlike 2/3 of the companies in this area. I’m not convinced it makes a real big difference, but it does show our legitimacy right off the start, which is important because most of our customers never actually meet with me when I’m quoting, the vast majority of my quotes written without ever seeing the customer in person.
If you have any more specific questions, please ask away, I will do my best to answer them for you.
