Supplier community
How Do I Send the Perfect Quote?
Written by
Josh Ebsworth
Supplier Community Manager
With 10 years of experience across the events industry, Josh, Togather's Supplier Community Manager, brings a unique perspective to his role. Having both run his own catering company and worked on event technology, Josh possesses a deep understanding of both the supplier and platform sides.
As an early Togather adopter, his insights are invaluable in ensuring our supplier community thrives.
Published on Tue 17 October 2023
We recently looked at thousands of quotes to see what was really captivating our customers and getting them through to make that booking. Suppliers who've had the most success on Togather all exhibit similar traits when putting together that all important quote. To build a quote that stands the best chance of getting a response from a customer, we recommend the five following tips.
1. Speed: The Need for Rapid Response
The speed at which you respond to a customer's message can be a game-changer. A rapid response, underpinned by a quick quote turnaround, is critical for converting potential customers once their interest is piqued. To stand a good chance of converting a request, respond to a customer's message within the first hour.
2. Price: Meeting the Customer's Budget
The closer your quote aligns with the customer's budget, the higher the chances of conversion. It's crucial to understand your customer's financial constraints and tailor your quote to meet their expectations. A quick dive into the data suggests being within +/- 20% of a customer's budget is the sweet spot. Remember, customers rarely book the cheapest or most expensive option. Here's a handy guide to pricing yourself that explains this in more detail.
3. Clarity: From Start to Finish
It sounds simple, but making sure every aspect of your quote is clear can significantly impact conversion rates: remember, customers aren't as familiar with your business and costs as you are. When customers can quickly find the information they need, they are more likely to move forward in the decision-making process. Ideally, your quotes should contain a small paragraph explaining the best bits about your business, and then an easy to understand menu or list of services. Lists, headings and bullet points work really well when formatting your menu/services on Togather.
4. Presentation: A Matter of Professionalism
The way you present your business matters, especially in a head-to-head buying decision if customers are comparing multiple quotes. The quality of your profile, particularly imagery, is critical in the decision making process for customers picking which quote to progress with. Your quote should also reflect your professionalism and competence. Spelling mistakes, bad grammar & formatting can be big turn-offs for customers, who want to make sure they are booking professionals with great attention to detail. If in doubt, contact Togather, and we'll give you honest feedback on your quotes.
5. Relevance: Make Sure You're Right for the Event
Providing consistent, up-to-date, and fully accurate information is essential. This includes details like dimensions, documents, set-ups, and tags. Inaccurate or outdated information can be really frustrating for the customer, particularly if it means that their budget requirements can't be met as a result. Make sure that you're only quoting on events that fit your tags; quotes from outside a customer's desired tags rarely get booked.
And there you have it. If you're still struggling to have your quote read, you can book in time with Josh, our supply specialist to go through your profile and get some personalised advice.