Give every inquiry a clear next step.
A workable quote process needs a named owner, a shared requirements record, and operational review. Use this guide to connect the first inquiry to a proposal your team can deliver.
Everyday Ecom / Operator field guide / Updated September 29, 2026
Define the handoffs before increasing volume.
Choose one sales owner for each opportunity and an operations reviewer for feasibility. Agree on response and quoting targets based on your staffing and complexity. Do not promise a turnaround your team has not accepted.
| Stage | What makes it ready to move | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Inquiry received | Record the contact, requested service, source where known, and next response date. Exclude tests and duplicates. | Sales owner |
| Initial fit checked | Identify hard mismatches and material unknowns. Confirm enough fit to justify discovery. | Sales, with operations for uncertain requirements |
| Discovery held | Confirm the business need, current workflow, typical/peak demand, timing, stakeholders, and next step. | Sales owner |
| Requirements ready | Collect the agreed operating inputs and version them. List assumptions explicitly. | Sales and shipper contact |
| Feasibility & costing reviewed | Operations validates capacity and workflow; the commercial owner approves pricing assumptions and exceptions. | Operations and commercial owner |
| Quote sent | Issue a reviewed scope with assumptions, exclusions, implementation dependencies, and an agreed review date. | Commercial or sales owner |
| Decision & handoff | Record won, lost, postponed, or still open. A win requires confirmed commercial acceptance and a separate onboarding handoff. | Sales, then onboarding owner |
Use a short discovery agenda.
- Why are you evaluating fulfillment now, and what would a successful change solve?
- Which locations, channels, order profiles, product requirements, and integrations are involved?
- What happens in a normal month, at peak, and with returns or exceptions?
- What are the decision criteria, stakeholders, target dates, and known migration constraints?
- Which data is still needed, who will supply it, and when should both teams meet again?
Build a quote-ready requirements pack.
Request data proportional to the decision. Start with summaries; collect detailed operational files through your agreed secure channel when needed. Each assumption should have an owner and a date to confirm it.
- Typical and peak order/receipt history; units per order and shipment destinations.
- SKU count, dimensions, weights, storage profile, and special handling.
- Picking, packing, kitting, returns, labeling, and retailer-specific workflows.
- Systems, integration responsibilities, test requirements, and support contacts.
- Inventory transfer, inbound schedule, go-live dependencies, and onboarding capacity.
- Agreed billing units, minimums, service inclusions, exclusions, and exception handling.
Review before sending the quote.
Check that the price refers to the same requirements version operations reviewed. Separate recurring services, implementation work, variable charges, and pass-through costs where relevant. Explain quote validity and any dependencies under your own approved terms.
A sales discussion can begin before the review is complete. Keep any early estimate clearly provisional and avoid promising an unsupported service or launch date.
Follow up with a useful question.
Use the date and channel agreed with the prospect. Stop automated reminders when a reply needs a person, the prospect declines, or they ask not to be contacted.
Review where opportunities stall.
- Separate inquiries, qualified opportunities, held meetings, quotes, signed accounts, and active onboarding.
- Measure stage conversion using a defined cohort; keep open opportunities separate from losses.
- Track time waiting on your team separately from time waiting on the prospect.
- Record a specific loss or postponement reason: service mismatch, minimum economics, capacity, timing, integration, price/value, competitor, or no decision.
- Use the recurring problem to choose a process change and assign an owner.
Use the qualification checklist at the first handoff, then review your wider acquisition path with the free scorecard. If you need implementation support, explore Everyday Ecom’s services.
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