Manage quotations in CRM: scope, versions, follow-up and handover

Begin with a defined scope

A price without clear content creates later disagreement. Before drafting, record the customer's goal, included items, assumptions and outstanding information. Distinguish confirmed choices from provisional options.

Not every unanswered question must prevent sending. A finish can be an explicit option; an unknown measurement affecting price may need checking first. Record that decision rather than leaving it in an internal conversation.

Give each proposal an identity

Use a quotation reference, revision, date, owner and status. Preserve the version the customer actually received. An internal draft and a sent proposal mean different things.

Microsoft's Dynamics 365 documentation distinguishes draft, active and closed quotations. Product behaviour varies; the practical principle is that a customer-facing proposal should not silently change.

Keep relevant correspondence with the quotation or provide an accessible reference. A colleague should understand the conversation without entering its author's private mailbox.

Worked revision example

A customer receives fictional quotation Q-120, revision 1, for a bathroom with finish A. They then choose finish B and request an extra item.

Prepare a change summary: replaced item, price difference, preparation and scheduling effects. Have delivery responsibility check feasibility. Send revision 2 and state that it replaces revision 1.

Do not overwrite the old PDF as if it never existed. Otherwise customer and planner may refer to different offers. Also recheck any earlier delivery commitment; a commercial revision can affect more than price.

Agree an informed follow-up

Ask how the customer will assess the offer. Do they need a technical answer, a partner discussion or a project decision? Schedule follow-up around that point.

Example:

Attached is proposal [reference, revision] covering [scope]. The outstanding question is [question]. We agreed to review it on [date] and establish what the next step requires.

If there is no reply, record the attempt and factual result. Silence is not evidence of a price rejection. If appropriate, ask what determined an actual rejection.

Internal review and delivery handover

Define exceptions needing review: unusual scope, nonstandard terms or scheduling promises outside the normal process. Name a reviewer and required information. A general “approval” status without ownership creates waiting.

Handover needs the chosen revision, accepted scope, current choices, contact and outstanding commitments. Who can establish sufficient approval depends on your agreements and terms; a status change alone is not complete evidence.

Test five exceptions

• Rejected quotations close sales tasks.
• Revisions identify their predecessor.
• Expired offers are reassessed before old prices are promised.
• Open questions have an owner and return date.
• Delivery staff understand an accepted assignment independently.

Report at opportunity level so three revisions do not become three sales. Continue with pipeline amounts and team handovers.