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Follow-Ups & Cold Leads

The estimate went quiet.
Don’t let the job disappear with it.

You sent the quote. They said they’d think about it. Then nothing, and the longer it goes, the harder the next message is to write.

Trade Reply reads the thread, sees what you sent and when, and drafts a follow-up that sounds like you remembered the job, not like a reminder.

Download Trade ReplySee examples ↓

Trade Reply drafts the reply. You read it, and you send it.

9:41
SSam R.

Can you send me a quote for the deck?

Here you go: $6,400 for the full rebuild. Any questions, just ask.

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TRADE REPLYReady

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How a lead goes quiet

Nobody said no.
Nobody said anything.

Following up feels like nagging, so it waits for a better moment that never comes.

  • You meant to follow up Tuesday.
  • Then a job ran long.
  • Then it felt awkward.
  • Now it’s been two weeks.

Some of the most valuable messages are the ones you never send.

Straight from the thread

These silences sound familiar.

  • Roofing

    Customer: I’ll let you know.

  • Remodeling & General Contracting

    Customer: Thanks, we’ll think about it.

  • HVAC

    Customer: Let me talk it over at home and get back to you.

  • Painting

    Customer: We’re getting a couple more quotes.

  • Landscaping

    Customer: Sounds good, I’ll be in touch.

How it works

Customer sent this. Here’s what happens next.

Trade Reply reads the conversation, surfaces the actions that fit it and drafts the reply. You stay in control of what gets sent.

  1. The customer messages.

    By text, email or Facebook, whatever they picked. You’re in the middle of a job.

  2. Take a screenshot.

    Or import the latest one. The keyboard reads the whole thread from it.

  3. It reads the conversation.

    A plain-language read of what they’re asking, at the top of the keyboard.

  4. The right actions come up.

    Ranked for this conversation. Here, Follow Up and Re-Engage Lead.

  5. It drafts the reply.

    In your tone, using the services, prices and details you’ve set up.

  6. You check it and send it.

    Insert puts it in your message box. Edit anything. Nothing goes until you press send.

9:41
SSam R.

Can you send me a quote for the deck?

Here you go: $6,400 for the full rebuild. Any questions, just ask.

Message
TRADE REPLYReady

Your quote for the deck rebuild hasn’t had a reply.

Follow UpRe-Engage

Hi Sam, just checking the deck quote came through. Any questions I can answer?

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Try againKeyboard

Before and after

Following up doesn’t have to sound like following up.

Generic chasers get ignored. A follow-up that names the job and the quote, and offers a next step, reads like service.

What you were going to type

Just following up again...

Follow Up

What Trade Reply drafts

Hi Dana, checking in on the water heater quote I sent Tuesday. Happy to answer any questions, or get you booked in whenever suits you.

It knows which job, which quote and when you sent it, because it read the thread.

Scenarios

The quiet ones, and what to send.

Every thread here ends the same way: with nothing. Trade Reply can recognize situations like these and surface actions such as the ones below. Which actions appear depends on the conversation.

Estimate follow-up

Electrical

Mark D.

You: Here’s your estimate for the bathroom fan and lighting: $1,150. Let me know if you have any questions.

Five days. No reply.

Why it’s hard

You don’t know if they’re comparing quotes, busy, or gone, and every version of “just checking in” feels needy.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Follow Up

The draftFriendly tone

Hi Mark, just making sure the estimate for the bathroom fan and lighting came through. Happy to answer any questions, or get you on the schedule when you’re ready.

Same reply, another tone

No-Nonsense

Hi Mark, any questions on the fan and lighting estimate? Happy to get you scheduled.

The lead that went cold

Landscaping

Jess P.

Customer: What would it cost to redo the backyard?

You: Depends on the size. Could you send a few photos?

Three weeks. Nothing.

Why it’s hard

They asked, you answered, they vanished. Reaching out again feels like chasing.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Re-Engage Lead
  • Ask for Photos

The draftFriendly tone

Hi Jess, wanted to check back in about the backyard. If you’re still thinking about it, a few photos are all I need to give you a rough price.

Same reply, another tone

Casual

Hey Jess, still thinking about the backyard? Send over a few pics whenever and I’ll give you a rough number.

“We’ll think about it”

Roofing

You: Quote for the new roof: $14,200, including tear-off and cleanup.

Customer: Thanks, we’ll think about it.

Why it’s hard

Push and you lose them. Say nothing and you might lose them anyway.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Follow Up

The draftFriendly tone

Of course, it’s a big decision. If any questions come up about the quote or the timing, just text me here. Happy to help either way.

Same reply, another tone

Premium

Of course, take the time you need. If anything in the quote raises a question, I’m glad to go through it with you.

No reply since Tuesday

Plumbing

Tom H.

You: Sent over the estimate for the sewer line repair: $3,900.

It’s Friday. Still nothing.

Why it’s hard

Too soon feels pushy. Too late and they’ve booked someone else.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Follow Up

The draftFriendly tone

Hi Tom, just checking you got the sewer line estimate I sent on Tuesday. Happy to go over any of it on a quick call if that’s easier.

Trade Reply doesn’t schedule or send follow-ups. It drafts this one when you take the screenshot.

Same reply, another tone

Professional

Hi Tom, I wanted to confirm you received the sewer line estimate I sent on Tuesday. I’d be glad to go over any part of it by phone.

Reopening an old conversation

HVAC

Linda M.

You: Here’s the quote for the furnace replacement.

Customer: Thanks! We’ll probably wait until the fall.

Months later.

Why it’s hard

Too much time has passed to pick up where you left off, and “just circling back” doesn’t cut it.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Re-Engage Lead

The draftFriendly tone

Hi Linda, you mentioned waiting until the fall for the furnace replacement. Want me to take another look and update the quote so it’s ready when you are?

Same reply, another tone

Straightforward

Hi Linda, you said you’d wait until fall for the furnace. Want me to update the quote?

Drafts written for this page. Trade Reply writes from the conversation in front of it and the services, prices and details you’ve set up, so yours will read like your business. Nothing is sent until you send it.

Your tone

Same situation. Your style.

Pick your business’s tone once, in setup, and every draft comes out that way. On any single reply you can still make it shorter, more formal or more casual.

You sent Chris, a week ago

Quote for the kitchen backsplash is attached: $1,300.

A week with no reply. Every tone follows up on the same quote, and none of them begs.

Hi Chris, just checking the backsplash quote came through okay. Happy to answer any questions, or get you on the schedule whenever you’re ready!

Warm and approachable. Contractions are fine. Never saccharine.

Why it matters

Why following up matters.

  • Silence isn’t a no.

    People get busy, compare quotes and forget. A good follow-up is sometimes exactly the reminder they needed.

  • Context beats “just checking in”.

    Naming the job and the quote shows you remember them, which is the opposite of a sales chaser.

  • You decide when it goes.

    Trade Reply sends nothing on a schedule. You take the screenshot when it’s time, and you press send.

FAQ

Follow-up questions, answered.

When should I follow up after sending an estimate?

A few days after sending it is a reasonable first check-in, and about a week after that for a second. Sooner for urgent work, later for big projects people need to plan for. Mostly, just do it.

What should I say when a customer hasn’t responded?

Name the job and the quote so they know exactly which one, offer to answer questions, and give them an easy next step. Skip the guilt and the “just following up again”.

How do I follow up without sounding pushy?

Make it useful rather than a reminder: answer a likely question, offer a quick call, or say you can get them scheduled. One follow-up with substance beats three that only say “checking in”.

Does Trade Reply send follow-ups automatically?

No. Trade Reply never sends anything. When you want to follow up, take a screenshot of the thread and it drafts the message; you read it and press send.

Where the conversation goes next.

All scenarios

Send the follow-up you keep meaning to send.

One screenshot of the quiet thread, one draft that sounds like you. You press send.

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All scenarios

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