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ACROSS THE TRADES Summer 2017
GIVE YOUR QUOTES THE EDGE
THE QUOTE YOU LEAVE WITH A POTENTIAL CLIENT OFTEN DICTATES WHETHER YOU GET A JOB. MAYBE IT’S WORTH A
LITTLE EFFORT?
CECELIA HADDAD
EXPLAINS.
I
t’s rare that someone accepts
the first quote that comes along.
Unless it’s repeat business, then in
most business transactions people seek
at least two quotes.
A client of mine recently asked me
to source two photography quotes.
The first quote was from a highly
experienced photographer who had been
in the industry for over 30 years and the
quote was presented in a one-page word
document containing a description of
the job and cost estimate. The second
quote came from a new start-up in the
industry and consisted of an eight-
page professionally designed PDF with
photos, timeline, terms and conditions
and of course, the cost estimate. The
PDF quote was at least $1,000 more
expensive than the other quote.
I was confident my client would pick
the cheaper quote. He didn’t. When I asked
him why he chose the more expensive
quote, he said this particular photographer
presented professionally and if he went to
the effort of presenting his quote in that
way, then he was confident he would get a
professional result.
Presentation is everything. You only
need look at the real estate industry as
a perfect example. Home owners are
putting their furniture in storage and
hiring professionals to style their home
for sale to help buyers fall in love with
the property and dig deep.
There is definitely a lesson in all this.
Taking a little more time to present well
can be the difference in landing a job
(or not). Not everyone has great graphic
design skills (least of all me), however
with a little help you could transform
the way you quote your next job, giving
your prospective client confidence in
your ability to meet the brief and give
you the edge on your competitors.
MARKETING