A client asks for a price, you send a number, and then nothing. Or they reply "that's a bit more than we expected". Most lost quotes aren't lost on price alone. They're lost because the client couldn't see clearly what they'd get, or because the quote arrived too late.
A good quote makes saying yes easy. This guide shows freelancers and creators what to include, how to present the price and how to follow up without being pushy.
Ask the right questions first
You can't write a strong quote from a vague brief. Before pricing anything, find out:
- What exactly needs to be delivered, and in what format?
- When is it needed?
- Who approves the work, and how many rounds of feedback do they expect?
- What's the budget range, if they'll share one?
- How will the work be used? For creative work, usage affects the price.
Asking about budget feels awkward, but it saves time on both sides. If they say "we don't have a budget", offer two or three options at different levels.
What to include in your quote
A complete quote has:
- Your details and the client's details.
- A quote number and the date.
- A short summary of the goal, in the client's words. This shows you listened.
- The scope: every deliverable, listed clearly.
- What's not included, such as extra revisions, stock assets or rush delivery.
- The timeline, with key dates.
- The price, line by line, with the total and currency.
- Payment terms: deposit, milestones and when the balance is due.
- How long the quote is valid.
- How to accept it.
The scope and the "not included" list do the most work. They prevent the slow creep of extra requests that turns a fair price into an unfair one.
Present the price with confidence
How you show the price matters as much as the number.
- Break it into lines. "Logo design: USD 900. Brand colour and type guide: USD 300. Social media kit: USD 300." Three clear lines feel more reasonable than one block of USD 1,500, because the client can see the value in each.
- Don't apologise or pad the quote with "I know this might be a lot". State the price and move on.
- Avoid hourly pricing for creative projects when you can. Clients prefer a fixed price they can approve, and you're not penalised for working efficiently.
Price from a consistent rate card, so every client gets prices based on the same reasoning.
Offer options
Giving two or three options changes the client's question from "should I hire them?" to "which option do I want?".
For example:
- Essential: the core deliverable, one round of revisions.
- Standard: the core deliverable plus extras, two rounds of revisions.
- Complete: everything above, plus usage rights or faster delivery.
Many clients pick the middle option. Make sure the cheapest option is still one you're happy to deliver.
Ask for a deposit
For new clients and bigger projects, include a deposit, often 30 to 50 percent before you start, with the balance on delivery or split across milestones. It filters out clients who aren't serious and protects you if the project is cancelled.
Write it simply: "50% to start, 50% on delivery."
Send it fast, and make it easy to accept
Speed wins work. A clear quote sent the same day often beats a perfect one sent next week, because the client is still excited about the project.
Make accepting easy. A link the client can open and accept is easier than "print, sign, scan and send back". Whatever you use, say clearly what happens next: "Accept the quote and I'll send the deposit invoice and book in the start date."
Follow up on silence
If you haven't heard back in a few days, follow up once, briefly:
Hi Taylor, just checking you received the quote for the brand refresh. Happy to answer any questions, or adjust the scope if the budget is tight.
If there's still no answer after another week, send one last short note and then let it go. Offering to adjust scope instead of dropping your price keeps your rates intact.
Learn from every answer
Keep track of which quotes were accepted and which weren't. If nearly every quote is accepted straight away, your prices are probably too low. If most are declined, look at your scope, your options and how quickly you're replying, as well as your price.