Quotes
A quote is a pre-sales proposal. It describes the products, prices, discounts, terms, and expiration date offered to a customer before an order is created.
Quotes do not create revenue or invoices until they are accepted and converted.
Quote lifecycle
| Stage | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Proposal is being prepared. | Add products, prices, discounts, and notes. |
| Sent | Proposal has been shared with the customer. | Wait for review, negotiation, or acceptance. |
| Accepted | Customer approved the proposal. | Convert to order. |
| Expired | Quote is no longer valid. | Clone or create a new quote if terms change. |
| Declined | Customer rejected the proposal. | Record reason for sales analysis. |
What to include
- Customer name and billing contact.
- Products and quantities.
- Pricing model and billing period.
- Discounts, coupon terms, or promotional duration.
- Start date and contract term.
- Expiration date.
- Payment terms and implementation notes.
Quote to cash workflow
Quote -> Accepted quote -> Order -> Subscription or invoice -> Payment
This workflow keeps sales terms connected to downstream billing.
Best practices
- Use clear expiration dates for negotiated pricing.
- Avoid free-text pricing when a reusable product or price should exist.
- Attach notes for non-standard terms.
- Review tax and billing address before conversion.
- Preview the first invoice after conversion.
Common issues
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| Quote expired before customer accepted | Clone the quote and update expiration date. |
| Accepted quote produced wrong invoice | Review products, quantities, discounts, and start date before conversion. |
| Sales wants a custom term | Add a note and confirm whether it requires a product, coupon, or manual adjustment. |