Quotes in Excel or Quoting Software? A Fair Comparison
A spreadsheet template is a sensible start when you send a handful of quotes. Once volume, staff and follow-up grow, errors and forgotten quotes creep in. Here is where the line usually sits.
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| Excel / Word | Tekliva | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Already installed, no extra cost | Free quote generator without signup; panel free in early access |
| Adding products | Copy and paste from old files | Pick from a product catalogue, add your own prices |
| VAT and discounts | Depends on formulas that break when lines are added | Per line or on the total, calculated automatically |
| Look and feel | Different template per person | Consistent PDF templates with your logo |
| Did the customer open it? | Unknown | Link quotes are marked as viewed when opened |
| Follow-up reminders | Calendar or memory | Reminder after a set number of days |
| Revisions | Separate files, mixed-up versions | All revisions under one quote |
| Teamwork | Shared folder, clashing files | Team access and a hot / warm / cold pipeline |
| Reporting | List kept by hand | Monday summary email, Excel export |
When an Excel or Word template is enough
If you send a few quotes a month, sell a narrow range of products and one person writes every quote, a well-built Excel template does the job. You type the lines, the formulas add VAT at 20% and the total, you save it as a PDF and email it. There is nothing new to learn and no extra cost. For a boiler swap or a single split air conditioner install, that set-up works fine.
Where spreadsheets start to break
Problems tend to appear as quote volume and the team grow. Typical signs:
- Product names and prices are copied from old files each time, so a wrong model number or an out-of-date price slips through.
- A new line falls outside the SUM range or a discount lands in the wrong cell; the error is often spotted by the customer first.
- Revisions live in file names like quote_final_v3_FINAL.xlsx, and nobody is sure which version the customer received.
- Each engineer uses their own template, so logo, payment terms and validity change from quote to quote.
- You have no idea whether the customer opened the quote, so you guess when to ring them.
The real loss: follow-up after sending
In technical sales, quotes are often lost not on price but because nobody chased them. With spreadsheets you need a separate list of open quotes and reminders typed into a calendar by hand. In a busy heating season, that list is the first thing to slip. When a customer collects three quotes for the same job, the installer who calls back at the right moment has the edge.
What quoting software changes
A quote and follow-up tool such as Tekliva keeps writing and chasing quotes in one place:
- Products come from a catalogue and you enter your own prices; VAT and discounts are worked out per line or on the total.
- Quotes go out as a branded PDF or as a link, and the quote is marked as viewed when the customer opens the link.
- A follow-up reminder appears after the number of days you set, and quotes are sorted into hot, warm and cold.
- Revisions sit under the same quote, the whole team works in one panel, and a Monday summary email lists what is still open.
How to move away from Excel
You do not have to drop your current routine overnight. Start with the free online quote generator, which needs no signup, and compare its PDF with your own template. If it suits you, import your product list from Excel, add your open quotes to the panel and try the reminders for a week. You can export everything back to Excel at any time, and the panel is free during early access.
FAQ
Is Excel good enough for writing quotes?
For a sole trader or small firm sending a few quotes a month, usually yes. As volume grows, more people quote and follow-up matters, the risk of errors and forgotten quotes rises.
Can I import my Excel price list into quoting software?
Yes. Tekliva lets you import your product list from Excel and export your quotes and records back to Excel whenever you like.
How do I know if a customer has opened my quote?
With an emailed spreadsheet or PDF you cannot tell. In Tekliva, a quote sent as a link is marked as viewed when the customer opens it.
Is there free quoting software?
Tekliva's online quote generator is free and needs no signup. The follow-up panel is also free during early access.
How is VAT handled on a quote?
In Excel you build the formulas yourself. In Tekliva, VAT at 20% and any discount are calculated per line or on the total automatically.