Quotation is usually sent to a customer who enquires about the goods and services on offer. A quotation comprises the prices set by the seller for the goods and services offered by him. On sending the quotation, the seller is committing himself to the prices quoted therein.
As the saying goes, “First impressions last.” When a potential client inquires about your goods and services on offer, your response has to dazzle him. This is achievable through an efficient, professional quotation template. There are various tools and web applications that help businesses make their quotation templates.
Softwares such as Microsoft Word, Excel and the like have various formats available for use. The template has to be of a professional standard, neat and easy on the eye, yet contains a comprehensive list of the offered goods and services. The template must also suit the relevant industry, be it construction, textile or the FMCG industry.
The client’s details, including the business name, address, contact details, email address and related details, must be cued in. Additionally, information regarding your company such as the company name, business address and contact details will have to be included in the quotation. Adding the company logo to the quotation could make for a neat finish. The point of contact’s details will also have to be added if there is such a case.
Providing the list of goods and services on offer as line items constitutes a neat and detailed approach. Details such as quantity, rate per unit and total cost may also be added for more clarity. If the list is service-centric, then the various stages and processes must be distinguished and provided accordingly.
Separating the material, labour, and overhead costs enables the client to understand the quotation itself better. While mentioning the prices of the products and services, ensure that no charges are left out whatsoever. Once the total amount is arrived at, the applicable taxes and cess are to be charged to arrive at the grand total.
Today, there are various software that are used to generate quotations. The quotation number is a unique serial number for each quotation document created, primarily generated for identification purposes. It helps the company in tracking and identifying the quotation with ease, thus saving time.
The date of issue of the quotation has to be recorded appropriately, especially since quotations are often time-specific. The prices quoted in the quotation are often valid only for a specific period, such as 60 days from the date of issue or 30 days from the date of issue, as the case may be.
This includes the terms and conditions with regard to the payment, the work done, the time taken for the project, scenarios that could result in delays, the variation in the prices of the material or labour involved, and any other incidental charges applicable.
The terms and conditions with regard to payment will answer the following questions-
The comments section proves to be very useful to cue in any additional information with regard to the project and its scope. In this section, you may also inform the client of the expected date of the project, the timelines for completion of various stages of the project, the time limit for the validity of the quoted prices in the quotation, etc.
The notes section is also often used as a box of gratitude. The business expresses its gratitude towards the potential client for inquiring about the products and services on offer and an expression of hoping to work with them soon.
Quotations are essential for potential customers, created using professional templates and detailed with all company and client information, services, costs, terms, and conditions. The process includes selecting a template, filling in client and company details, listing services and costs, adding quotation number and dates, specifying terms and conditions, and including additional notes.