To keep track of enquiries and quotes, a builder needs one list that every enquiry goes onto, with a next step and a date on every line, and a clear status for each quote. A spreadsheet can do that. Move to a purpose-built tool only when the sheet stops keeping up, and choose one by what it does for your week, not by its feature list.
The list every enquiry goes on
Enquiries arrive by phone, text, email, a web form, a social message and a word at the footy. If each one lands in a different place, some will be lost. So the first rule is one list.
Put every enquiry on it the same day, whatever the source. If you are on site, take a photo of the page in your notebook and add it that night. The list does not need to be clever. It needs to be complete.
If it is not on the list, it did not happen. That habit is worth more than any software.
The five columns that matter
You can add more later. Begin with five.
| Column | What goes in it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Name, phone, suburb | You can ring back without hunting for it |
| What | The job in a few words, and where the enquiry came from | You remember the job and learn which sources work |
| When | Date the enquiry came in | Shows how long it has been sitting |
| Status | New, spoken to, site visit booked, quoted, won, lost | One glance shows where each job stands |
| Next step | The next action and its due date | Tells you what to do today |
Resist the urge to add twenty columns. A list that is a chore to fill in will be abandoned by the second week.
A next step and a date on every line
This is the rule that makes the list useful. Every open line says what you will do next and when. “Ring Sam Thursday morning about the site visit.” “Send quote by Friday.” “Check in on the quote Monday 24th.”
A line with no next step is a job that is going cold. Each morning, sort by due date and work through what is due. Five minutes at the start or end of the day is enough.
The dates also stop follow-up slipping. The timing for a new enquiry is in following up new leads when you are on the tools all day, and the logic for quotes that go silent is in why quotes go quiet.
Keeping track of quote status at a glance
Once a quote is out, the list should show three more things: the date you sent it, the amount, and what you last heard. A simple set of statuses is enough:
- Quoted, waiting. Sent, no reply yet. Next step: a call on a set day.
- Talking. They have questions or want changes. Next step: whatever you promised.
- Won. Signed or confirmed. Move it to your job schedule.
- Lost. Write down why, if you know. A line like “went with someone cheaper” or “decided to wait” teaches you more than the count of losses.
Filter by status and you can see what is outstanding in a few seconds, and what the total value of open quotes is. See the quotes page for how PreBuild approaches quote follow-up.
When a sheet stops being enough
A sheet is fine until it is not. Signs it is time to look at a tool:
- More than one person adds to the list and you get clashes or duplicates.
- You are copying the same text messages and emails over and over.
- Enquiries arrive faster than you can type them in.
- You want the list on your phone with reminders that ring, rather than a column you have to sort.
- You have quotes in three formats and cannot see them together.
If none of these apply, do not buy anything. Software will not fix a habit you do not have. A tool you will not use is more expensive than a free sheet you do.
Choosing a tool without being sold one
When you are ready, write down what you need before you look at any website. Then check each tool against your list.
- Phone first. Can you add an enquiry in under a minute from your phone, on site?
- Next step and date. Does it make you set one, and remind you?
- Your statuses. Can you name them yourself?
- Quotes. Can it hold a quote’s amount and date and show what is open?
- Your data. Can you export everything to a spreadsheet, and is it yours if you leave?
- The full cost. What is the monthly charge for the number of people who will use it, and what does it cost to leave?
- A real trial. Put twenty live enquiries through it for a month before you move everything.
Be wary of anything that needs a day of set-up before it does something useful. The Australian Government’s business.gov.au site lists digital tools under its online and digital section, which is a neutral place to read about the options. Treat vendor pages as sales pages.
Whatever you record enquiries in, the questions on the first call matter more than the tool. How to qualify an enquiry before you quote covers the questions that sort real jobs from time-wasters, whatever you use to record them.
If you would rather not run this yourself, PreBuild builds systems that hold enquiries and quotes for trades businesses.
Common questions
Do I need software to keep track of enquiries?
Not at the start. A single list with a next step and a date on every line does most of the job. Move to a tool when the sheet stops keeping up.
What should I record for each enquiry?
Who they are, what the job is and where it came from, when it came in, its status, and the next step with a due date.
How do I track quotes?
Add the date sent, the amount and the last contact, and give each quote a status such as quoted, talking, won or lost.
When should I move from a spreadsheet to a tool?
When several people use the list, when you repeat the same messages, or when you need phone reminders. If none apply, stay with the sheet.