A good quotation tells the customer what you will do, what it costs, when you will deliver and what they need to approve.
1. Understand the work before setting a price
A customer asks, ‘How much for a photoshoot?’ Before sending a price, find out the shoot date, location, number of people and what the customer expects to receive. A studio portrait session and a full event need different amounts of time and preparation.
Write a short description of the agreed work. Be specific about what is included, such as the number of edited photos, how the customer will select them and how many changes you will make. Put extras, such as prints or additional travel, on a separate line. This helps both sides notice a misunderstanding before work starts.
2. Add the details that identify the job
Use a heading such as ‘Service quotation’, followed by your business name, contact details, the customer’s name, a quotation number and the date. Give the quote an expiry date so the customer knows how long the price is available.
A quotation sets out proposed work and prices. A payment request or invoice asks for payment, while a receipt records payment received. Keep these records distinct so a quote is not mistaken for proof of payment.
- Business and customer details
- Quotation number, issue date and expiry date
- Description, quantity, unit price and total for each service
- Overall total, payment stages and delivery terms
3. Show the price in a simple table
Calculate each line as quantity multiplied by unit price, then add the lines. State the currency. If a discount, tax or other charge applies to your business, show it clearly and explain how it affects the final total. The example below uses fictional prices and assumes no additional charges.
| Service | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio session | 1 | ₦50,000 | ₦50,000 |
| Edited photos | 10 | ₦2,000 | ₦20,000 |
| Total | ₦70,000 |
Illustration only. Use prices and any applicable charges agreed for your own job.
4. Explain payment and delivery terms
For this example, a 50% deposit is ₦35,000 and the remaining balance is ₦35,000. State when each payment is due and how the customer can pay. Do not leave ‘balance later’ as the only instruction.
Be equally clear about delivery: ‘Ten edited photos within seven working days after the customer selects their photos’ gives a useful starting point. Explain what happens if the customer changes the brief, delays a selection or requests extra work. Agree cancellation, rescheduling and refund terms before accepting payment; they should suit the service and applicable requirements.
5. Get approval and keep the accepted version
Send the quotation as a readable document or link. Ask the customer to confirm the scope, total and terms. Keep their acceptance with the job record. If they request changes, issue a new version and make clear which version replaces the old one.
Before starting, check that the customer has approved the current quote and that any required deposit has actually arrived. A transfer screenshot is something to check against your payment records, not a reason to mark a payment as received immediately.
Hello [name], here is quotation [number] for [service]. The total is [amount], including [main items]. The deposit is [amount], and delivery is [date or agreed condition]. Please review the details and confirm if you would like us to proceed.
Putting it into practice with Asiord
Asiord’s Work section includes itemised quotations and a document you can open to print. Keep the quotation with the customer’s job so the price, payments and delivery steps are easier to review together. Available actions depend on your workspace setup and role.
See how Asiord worksPrepared by Asiord with AI assistance and checked against the current product implementation. Examples are fictional. Adapt the steps to your business and agreed customer terms.
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