Why a written quote is expected, the four questions to ask back, and the response speed that wins the job.
The answer has to be forwardable
That is the underlying constraint, and it changes the form of the message.
Your reply will almost never be read by one person alone. It is copied, forwarded, sometimes printed, and it has to stay understandable without you.
Four elements must appear, always the same ones.
What is delivered: number of videos, lengths, formats, with or without editing.
The lead time, in working days from receiving the product.
The price, excluding tax, and exactly what it includes.
And the rights: which channels, which territory, which duration.
A written quote as an attachment is not a large-company formality: it is the document allowing your contact to get an approval without rewriting anything.
Speed counts, but not in the usual sense
It is not a race to the first minute.
What is expected is a quick acknowledgement and a complete answer within a stated deadline.
Two messages are worth more than one late one. The first, within the hour: you have received it, you will come back with a quote before a stated time. The second, complete, at the promised time.
One calendar note: answers sent on Friday afternoon wait until Monday. A quote sent on Thursday morning is handled that week.
The tone
Sober, direct, without effusion.
Three things work: the formal address by default, short sentences, and figures in place of adjectives.
Three things hurt: excessive enthusiasm, emojis in a first exchange, and promises of results nobody asked you for.
One useful clarification: sobriety is not coldness. A sentence showing you have read the brief, precise and short, is worth more than a warm empty paragraph.
The questions to ask, and only once
Four, grouped in the same message.
Where the video will be shown, and for how long.
Who approves, and through what internal route.
Is the product being sent, by whom, and on what date.
And is there a style guide or mandatory statements to respect.
Ask them together. Four successive messages give the impression of loose organisation, while the same questions in one message give the opposite impression.
What not to do
Three frequent mistakes.
Sending a rate with no scope: it will be understood as the price of everything the brand imagines.
Accepting exclusivity or a rights duration without pricing it separately.
And promising a date without having checked the product's shipping time, which is the commonest cause of delay.
What plays out in the first reply
| Delay | What you send | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Within the hour | An acknowledgement and a precise question | The brand moves forward |
| The same day | A firm quote and a schedule | The decision gets made |
| After agreement | A written confirmation of scope | No misunderstanding |
What reassures here more than elsewhere
A quote itemised line by line, a standard contract attached and a sentence on data handling. A complete reply shortens the decision by several days.
What loses an order already won
A price given as a range, a deadline with no margin, and a question asked three days after the first reply.
After sending
Two moves, not three.
A short follow-up after five working days, recalling the content of the quote and its validity date.
A second, a fortnight later, offering to move the slots rather than asking again for an answer.
And a filing rule: archive every quote sent with its date. A brand coming back six months later almost always picks the document up as it stands, and that is the moment when it is better to know what you promised.
