What you will end up with
A finished quote that has been drafted, checked, logged and sent to your customer on the same day. You approve it at every stage, so nothing goes out that you haven't read.
The AI does the typing. You do the checking.
Before you start
Have these ready before you open anything:
- Your quote template or format. A previous quote you were happy with works fine.
- Current pricing for your products or services, in front of you, not from memory.
- An AI writing tool that you can paste text into and get a draft back from.
- Your email account, logged in.
- Your quote storage system. That might be a spreadsheet, your accounting software or a document folder.
Have the customer's request open too, whether it's an email, a text or your own notes from a phone call.
Step 1: Brief the AI with your quote details
Paste or describe three things: what the customer asked for, the items or services they need, and your standard terms (payment timing, how long the quote is valid, what's excluded).
Be specific about prices. Give the AI the numbers rather than asking it to work them out. Leave out anything you don't need to share, such as bank account details or private notes about the customer.
Here's a brief that works. Illustrative example: "Write a quote for Sam in Tauranga for repainting two bedrooms, at NZ$680 per room including paint, so NZ$1,360 in total. Valid for 14 days. Half payment upfront, balance on completion. Friendly, plain tone. Use the layout below." Then paste your template underneath.
What you should see: your brief sitting in the tool, ready to send, with your template included.
A quick tip on the brief
Name the customer, the job and the town if it matters. The more you give the AI, the less you need to fix afterwards.
Step 2: Let the AI draft the quote
Send the brief and wait for the draft. Then copy it into a document or straight into a new email, whichever you normally use for quotes.
Don't send anything yet. This is a first draft, and the AI only works from what you've told it. It can get things wrong.
What you should see: a complete quote with a greeting, a list of items or services, prices, a total, your terms and a sign-off.
Step 3: Check the numbers
This is the step that matters most. Go line by line and compare against your own records:
- Every price matches your current price list.
- Every quantity matches what the customer asked for.
- Any discount is the one you intended, and applied once.
- The total adds up. Use a calculator, not your eyes.
- Your terms, dates and the quote's expiry are right.
Then read the wording. Does it promise anything you can't deliver? Does it sound like you? Change anything that doesn't, and fix it by hand. It's usually quicker than asking the AI to redo it.
What you should see: a quote you'd be comfortable putting your name to, with every figure ticked off.
Step 4: Add it to your system
Before you send it, log the quote. Record the date, the customer's name and the amount. Add a line for the job if you can.
Save the final version, not the AI's first draft. Name the file so you can find it later, for example "2025-03-14 Sam Tauranga bedrooms".
Logging first means you won't forget when you're busy, and you'll know exactly what the customer received if they ring back.
What you should see: a new row in your spreadsheet or accounting software, or a new file in your quotes folder.
Step 5: Send it
Open the email and read it one last time. Check these four things:
- The customer's email address is spelled correctly.
- The subject line says what it is, such as "Quote for bedroom repaint".
- The quote is attached, or pasted in, and opens properly.
- The email ends with how to accept: reply, call or sign.
Then press send.
What you should see: the email in your sent folder. If you like, add a reminder in your diary to follow up in a few days.
If it does not work
The AI got a price or detail wrong
This happens because the AI writes text that sounds right. It doesn't know your prices unless you give them, and it can slip on arithmetic or fill a gap with a guess. You catch it with Step 3: compare every figure to your records and recalculate the total yourself. Next time, put the exact prices in your brief and tell the AI not to add items you haven't listed.
The wording sounds off or too formal
The AI will default to a stiff, generic tone if you don't say otherwise. Add a line to your brief such as "write like a friendly local tradesperson, short sentences, no jargon". Paste in one of your own past quotes or emails as an example of how you write. Then ask for a rewrite of just the parts that bother you.
The email didn't arrive
Ask the customer to check their spam or junk folder first. Then check the address you typed against the one in their original message, as one wrong letter is the usual cause. Look in your sent folder to confirm it went. If it's still missing, resend it, or send the quote as a different kind of attachment, such as a PDF. A short text or call to say it's on its way helps too.
Next steps
Build a reusable brief. Once a quote goes well, save the brief you used. Keep your template, your standard terms and your tone instructions in one document. Next time, you only change the customer's name, the job and the prices.
Batch similar quotes. If three requests come in on the same day, do Step 1 and Step 2 for all of them together, then check, log and send each one in turn. You stay in the same frame of mind, and it's easier to spot a mistake when you see the quotes side by side.
Any AI writing tool will do for these steps. If you'd rather have a dedicated one, Rapid Ready Ai offers an AI Content Writing employee, with the same rule applying: you read it before it goes out.
If you have questions about any of this, get in touch through our contact page.
