Time is one of your scarcest resources as a tradesperson. Every minute spent chasing a quote that was never going anywhere is a minute not spent chasing one that could actually get booked this week.
The A-B-C Priority System
Split your open quotes and customers into three simple tiers:
Priority A — Your Best Opportunities
These are your biggest or most likely jobs. Good value, clear interest, ready to make a decision. Chase these first, every time.
Signs a quote is Priority A:
- They’ve actively asked for a quote and seem keen
- They’re responsive when you call or text
- They’ve given you a rough idea of budget
- They want the work done fairly soon
Priority B — Steady Ones
Your bread and butter. Solid opportunities that need regular but not urgent chasing. Follow up on these once your A’s are handled.
Signs a quote is Priority B:
- Interested but not decided yet
- Still comparing you against other quotes
- Needs a bit more info before committing
- Good fit for your work, but no rush
Priority C — Long-Term
Early enquiries or smaller jobs. Worth keeping warm, but not at the expense of your A’s and B’s.
Signs a quote is Priority C:
- Just making initial enquiries
- Hasn’t got a budget worked out yet
- No particular urgency on timing
- Worth staying in touch with for the future
Daily Workflow
Each day, your follow-up list should show Priority A quotes first. Only move on to B’s once the A’s are chased. This makes sure your best opportunities always get the attention.
A practical daily routine looks like this:
- First block of the day: Priority A follow-ups only
- Next: Priority B follow-ups
- When you get a moment: Priority C check-ins and any new enquiries
- End of day: Set up tomorrow’s list
Review Regularly
Priorities shift. That interested customer from last month might have gone quiet. That smaller enquiry might have turned into something bigger. Check in and adjust weekly.
Set aside 20-30 minutes once a week to look back over your quotes and move things up or down based on what’s changed.
The Bottom Line
You can’t chase every quote with equal effort. The key is making sure your best opportunities get the attention they deserve every single day. A simple priority system makes this automatic, rather than something you have to work out from scratch each morning.
DailyDial does this prioritising for you. It sorts your daily list by urgency and importance automatically, so you always know who to chase first. Try it free for 14 days — no credit card required.
Related reading: How to Follow Up After Sending a Quote · New Enquiries vs Existing Customers