Job Quoting Secrets: Best Practices to Win More Jobs & Boost Profit
Is your team still doing job quoting by scribbling on dog-eared NCR forms? In the home/field services game, your quote isn’t just a laundry list—it’s your pitch, your brand, and your chance to close the deal. Your quote is your chance to show customers you’re the pro they can trust. Trust wins jobs. More jobs puts more money in your pocket.
As someone who’s been in your boots, I’ve learned the hard way what works and what doesn’t when job quoting. Today, I’m sharing seven battle-tested quoting secrets to help you outshine competitors, land more jobs, and boost your profits. Let’s dive in. We’re going to use HVAC as an example, but the general principles can be applied to any field service business.
1. Up Your Job Quoting Game, Outshine the Competition
Have you ever had a customer remark on how amazing your quotes are? While most of your competition is still writing up quotes on NCR forms that look like they were printed in 1985, your quotes should be nothing short of remarkable.
In the modern age, digital, custom-branded quote templates can help companies like yours stand head and shoulders above the competition. They’re clean and easy to read. They’re visually appealing. They include trust-building elements like certifications, awards, reviews, pledges, testimonials, and so forth. They tell customers how much they’ll save in energy costs and what rebates they’re eligible for. And much more.
And here’s the most important part: This can all be done on site. Unlike NCR forms, digital quotes can be prepared, presented, edited, accepted, and paid for on site via a tablet or laptop (and also sent by email) within a couple of minutes.
2. Give Them Options—Good, Better, Best
Customers love having options. Offering either an A/B choice, or even better, three pricing tiers—expensive, mid-range, and bare minimum—lets you cater to every budget while steering customers toward the option that maximizes your profit. As a bonus, all the customer has to do is click a check box to choose the plan that suits them.
For example, your premium package could be a high-efficiency system (think 20+ SEER) with all the bells and whistles, like a smart thermostat or advanced air filtration. It’s for clients who want top-of-the-line performance and are willing to pay for it. The bare minimum option is budget-friendly—for example, a basic 14 SEER unit that gets the job done but lacks extras.
Your mid range option should be your sweet spot — not only the “best value” choice for your customer, but with a good profit margin for your company. For example, a 16-18 SEER system with an extended warranty and some extra features. Customers will generally gravitate toward the mid-range when you emphasize its value—better comfort, lower energy bills, energy rebates.
If they’re tight on cash, they still have the bare minimum option available to them, which can oftentimes save the deal.
3. Add Trust-Building Elements to Your Job Quotes
Did you know that price isn’t the deciding factor for most customers? Trust is what closes deals. If a customer trusts you, they’ll pick your $5,000 quote over a competitor’s $4,800 quote every time. The good news? Using digital quotes you can build trust right into your proposal.
Trust elements can Include credibility signals like certifications (e.g., NATE, EPA 608), awards (e.g., “Best Local Contractor 2024”), or affiliations (e.g., BBB A+ rating). Testimonials and reviews are hard to squeeze onto a hand-written form, but easy to display on a digital quote. And there’s nothing like a spelled-out customer service pledge to help build trust. Think of statements like, “We treat our customers like family,” and “100% satisfaction or we’ll make it right.” These elements show you’re legit and reduce the customer’s fear of making a bad choice.
4. Always Offer Discounts In Your Quotes
Nothing closes a deal faster than making a customer feel like they’re getting a steal. Offering discounts creates a sense of exclusivity and sometimes urgency. For example, you can offer a “sign-today discount” for on-site closes or a “loyalty discount” for repeat clients. There are senior discounts, military discounts, limited-time offers, new customer discounts, old customer discounts, and whatever else you can come up with. But don’t overdo discounts—stick to 5-10% to maintain credibility. And, of course, it goes without saying that you need to build the discounts into your prices to maintain profit margins.
5. Highlight Energy Savings
Energy savings are your secret weapon. Showing customers how much money they’ll save with a new system can make your quote a no-brainer. Let customers know they aren’t just buying an HVAC system—they’re investing in lower bills. Every quote should include an in-writing estimate of annual savings based on the system’s SEER rating. By putting an estimate in writing, you’re making it more than just a passing comment. You’re, in a sense, building it into their perception of the total price.
6. Provide Energy Rebate Information
Energy rebates from utilities, manufacturers, or government programs can slash a customer’s upfront costs, making your quote more attractive. For example, “This system qualifies for a $500 utility rebate—ask us how to apply!” Highlight how the rebate lowers the effective cost of the system (e.g., “With the $500 rebate, your $4,000 system is really just $3,500”). Including rebate info shows you’re looking out for their wallet, not just yours. It can tip the scales for budget-conscious clients. They’ll be more likely to accept the deal if they’re already, in their mind, claiming their rebates. Who doesn’t love free money, right?
7. Boost Your Ticket with Add-Ons
Want to make more money without working harder? Add-ons are your ticket to higher profits. Suggesting extras during the quoting process — like smart thermostats, air purifiers, or maintenance plans — will boost your average ticket while giving customers valuable upgrades. When presenting your quote, include “suggested add-ons.” Include clear reasons why each addon is suggested. For example, “Add a smart thermostat for $200 to save 10% on energy costs and control your system from your phone.” Or, “Sign up for our extended warranty plan and never spend another dime for the life of your system.”
Can your job quotes do all of this?
These aren’t just tricks; they’re proven strategies that help people grow their HVAC business. By making your quotes remarkable, offering good, better, best options, throwing in smart discounts, adding trust signals, highlighting energy savings, including rebates, and suggesting add-ons, with your job quotes will win more customers and boost your bottom line.
Ready to up your quoting game? EZProQuotes offers the best job quoting software in the industry. Schedule a free demo today!