Example business: a local printing shop receiving enquiries by phone, email, and walk-in visits. The quotation and deposit figures are illustrative.
1. What the process covers
An enquiry is a possible sale. A quotation describes the offered scope and price. An accepted order records what the customer has agreed to buy. Keeping those stages clear helps staff avoid starting work from an unconfirmed conversation.
You do not need a complicated sales pipeline. New enquiry, needs clarified, quotation sent, accepted, and lost can be enough. Each open enquiry should have an owner, an expected next action, and a date to review it.
2. People and records to keep
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Customer enquiry | Salesperson | Contact details, requirement, deadline, source, and assigned owner. |
| Quotation | Salesperson and approver | Scope, quantity, price, validity, delivery assumptions, and revision. |
| Follow-up activity | Salesperson | Next action, due date, contact outcome, and customer questions. |
| Accepted order | Sales and delivery staff | Approved version, promised date, special requirements, and handover. |
3. The everyday workflow
- Capture the enquiry. Record it where another staff member can find it, even if it started in a phone call.
- Clarify the requirement. Confirm quantities, specifications, timing, and any missing information.
- Send a clear quotation. Keep the version and any conditions with the customer record.
- Follow up on a date. Record the outcome instead of relying on someone to remember.
- Confirm and hand over. Capture acceptance and pass the agreed details to the team doing the work.
4. A small business example
A customer asks the printing shop for 100 flyers. The shop quotes 200 before tax and agrees an 80 deposit, leaving 120 under the agreed payment schedule. The customer approves a specific artwork and quotation version.
The order handover includes that approved artwork, quantity, due date, and deposit status. If the customer changes the design, staff record the change and confirm any effect on price or delivery. A new message should not silently replace the accepted scope.
5. Checks and common problems
- Check whether an enquiry already exists before assigning a second salesperson to the same request.
- Do not treat “quotation sent” as customer acceptance or cash received.
- Keep a reason when a sale is lost, so recurring pricing, timing, or suitability problems can be reviewed.
- Give delivery staff the promised details and a route for raising unclear or unachievable commitments.
6. Start with a simple system
Start with a shared enquiry list, a quotation format, and a follow-up calendar. A CRM or small application can keep messages, revisions, tasks, and accepted orders connected. Use only stages the team actually understands and updates.
Review overdue follow-ups, enquiries without an owner, time to prepare a quotation, and accepted orders needing clarification. Those measures are more useful than counting contacts without knowing their next step.
7. Frequently asked questions
Does every small business need a large CRM?
No. Begin with a shared enquiry record, an owner, a quotation reference, and a next action. A CRM becomes useful when the volume or number of staff makes those records difficult to manage.
When should an enquiry become an order?
When the required acceptance is confirmed under the business process, including the agreed scope and any conditions. Sending a quotation alone is not confirmation.
What should the delivery team receive?
The accepted quotation or order, customer requirements, promised date, approved files or specifications, and relevant payment or approval status.
Get free business templates or discuss a system for your workflow.