The customer asked for a price; you opened last month’s Word proposal, changed the client’s name, updated the line items, double‑checked VAT with a calculator, converted it to PDF and emailed it. When the client didn’t respond a week later, you also forgot to follow up. This loop costs half an hour per proposal and much more for every lost job. quotation software reduces this process to minutes and ensures no proposal is forgotten.
What is quotation software?
Quotation software is a tool that creates, sends and tracks price proposals for your customers using ready‑made templates and a saved product/service list. When a proposal is accepted, the same information is turned into an invoice, order or job ticket, so you don’t have to re‑enter the same items in the proposal, the invoice and the accounting system.
The hidden cost of preparing proposals with Word and Excel
- Calculation errors: Manually updated totals, wrong VAT rates or outdated prices go to the client; fixing them loses trust.
- Inconsistent appearance: Each employee uses their own file; proposals come out with different logos, terms and formatting.
- Lack of tracking: Which proposal was sent, opened, accepted? It gets lost in the inbox.
- Double work on invoicing: Accepted proposal items must be re‑typed into the invoicing program.
For a business that prepares 20 proposals a month, saving 20 minutes per proposal equals roughly 7 hours a month. The real gain comes from the extra work generated by tracked proposals.
What a good quotation software should have
1. Templates and saved product/service list
Your logo, company details, payment and delivery terms should be defined once in the template. When you save your products and services with prices, creating a proposal is as easy as picking items from a list.
2. Automatic calculations
Quantity, unit price, discount, VAT and currency should be calculated automatically. If you issue foreign‑currency proposals, the exchange rate date and source must be clearly stated in the proposal.
3. Professional PDF and share link
The proposal should export to a clean PDF with one click and be shareable via email or WhatsApp. When a client can view and approve the proposal from a link, the “I received your proposal, I’ll get back tomorrow” step shortens dramatically.
4. Approval and status tracking
Each proposal’s status must be visible: draft, sent, accepted, rejected, expired. For proposals without a response after a set period, a reminder is the cheapest way to catch lost business.
5. One‑click conversion to invoice
An accepted proposal should turn into an invoice with the same line items. If you use e‑Invoice or e‑Archive in Turkey, being able to send the invoice directly from the program saves the most time. The Revenue Administration’s e‑Document portal is the official source for e‑Invoice and e‑Archive regulations.
6. Customer and collection integration
The proposal should appear on the customer card; after invoicing, collection tracking continues in the same place. Seeing the entire sales process in one record is the only way to know how much business a client brings and how much they owe.
6 proposal tips that boost acceptance rates
- Send it the same day. The faster the proposal reaches the client, the hotter their interest stays.
- Write line items clearly. Instead of “service fee,” describe briefly and concretely what will be done.
- Offer options. A basic and a comprehensive package moves the client from a yes/no decision to “which one?”
- Set an expiry period. A 15‑ or 30‑day validity speeds up decisions and protects you from price changes.
- State terms openly. Payment terms, delivery time and items not included prevent later disputes.
- Follow up. A short message 3–5 days after sending brings back a large portion of forgotten proposals.
Information that must be in a proposal
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Header | Proposal number, date, validity period |
| Parties | Your and the client’s name, tax info, contact details |
| Line items | Product/service, quantity, unit price, discount, VAT rate |
| Totals | Subtotal, VAT, grand total; exchange rate if in foreign currency |
| Terms | Payment due, delivery time, warranty, exclusions |
| Approval | Approval method and contact person |
Quotation and e‑Invoice with CoSuite
In CoSuite’s quotation and e‑Invoice module you generate PDF proposals, track client approval and convert an accepted proposal to an invoice with one click. e‑Invoices and e‑Archives are sent directly to the GİB; collection tracking continues on the same screen.
Proposals appear on the customer card; accepted work can be distributed to your team in the projects and tasks module, and payment can be collected via an online payment link in the online collection module. If you work in consulting, construction or agency services, check out the consulting, construction and contracting and digital agency solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is quotation software the same as invoicing software?
No, but they need to work together. A quotation is a price offer before client acceptance and is not an official document; an invoice is the official document for the accepted work. Having both in the same program eliminates the need to re‑enter line items.
Is it mandatory to show VAT separately on a proposal?
Since a proposal is not an official document, there is no mandatory format, but displaying VAT separately and stating whether prices include or exclude VAT prevents later disputes.
Can I issue a proposal in foreign currency?
Yes. Clearly state the currency, the date of the exchange rate to be used on the invoice, and the source of the rate.
How long should a proposal be valid?
For products with frequent price changes, 7–15 days is common; for services, 30 days is typical.
Conclusion
A good proposal is fast, easy to understand and trackable. Quotation software provides templates, automatic calculations and status tracking to deliver all three, and turning an accepted proposal into an invoice consolidates the sales process in one place.
Try CoSuite free for 14 days and create your first proposal today.