RFQ follow-ups: where the quotes actually come from

Send ten RFQs and you'll get three replies. Follow up properly and you'll get seven — same suppliers, same request. Chasing isn't an admin chore; it's where most of your quotes come from.

Why suppliers don't reply the first time

Rarely because they're not interested. Your mail arrived during a production crunch, got forwarded to someone on leave, or simply sank in an inbox. Sales teams at industrial suppliers routinely triage by “who seems serious” — and a buyer who follows up reads as serious.

The cadence that works

• Day 3 — the nudge. Short and polite: “Checking you received our request — happy to clarify anything.” This alone revives a third of silent suppliers.
• Day 7 — the deadline. Add urgency honestly: “We're comparing offers on [date]; we'd like yours in the round.”
• Day 12 — the last call. “Closing the comparison this week — should I mark you as not interested for this one?” The fear of a closed door converts remarkably well.
• Then stop. Three touches is persistence; five is spam that burns the relationship for next time.

Template — the day-7 chase

Subject: Re: RFQ — [product], [quantity]
Hi [name], we're finalizing our comparison on [date] and I'd like [company] in the round — your range is a good fit for this spec. If anything in the request needs clarifying, tell me and I'll come straight back. Best regards, [you]

Automate it

The math is brutal: 20 suppliers × 3 follow-ups = 60 emails per sourcing round, each needing the right timing and the right tone — in the supplier's language. This is exactly what RFQ automation is for: Dov sends the chases on schedule, logs every reply, and you watch the quote count climb instead of writing emails.

Frequently asked questions

How many follow-ups are too many?

Three well-timed touches after the initial RFQ. Beyond that, returns collapse and you start damaging the relationship for future tenders.

Should I follow up by phone?

For your top two or three candidates, yes — after the day-7 email. For the long tail, email keeps your cost per quote sane.

Can HireDov do the follow-ups for me?

Yes — automatic, per-supplier, in their language, with every reply landing on your dashboard. It's one of the main reasons Dov's missions return so many comparable quotes.