Quotes

Overview

The DOLU.ai Quotes module enables your sales team to create professional proposals, price quotes, and estimates directly from within the CRM. Instead of switching to separate tools like Word, Excel, or external proposal software, your team can build branded quotes linked to contacts, accounts, and deals — complete with line items, discounts, taxes, terms, and digital acceptance. The entire quote lifecycle from draft to signed is tracked within DOLU.ai.

When a quote is linked to a deal, the deal value updates automatically based on the quoted amount. When the customer accepts, the deal stage can advance automatically via Salesbot workflows. This tight integration between quoting and pipeline management eliminates manual data entry and keeps your sales process moving without friction.

How to Access

Dashboard → Left Menu → CRM → Quotes

You can also create a quote from:

• A deal's detail page → Quotes tab → "+ New Quote"
• A contact's detail page → Quotes tab
• An account's detail page → Quotes tab

Key Features

Quote Builder

• Line items: Add products or services with description, quantity, unit price, discount, and tax rate
• Product catalog integration: Select from your pre-configured product/service catalog to auto-fill pricing
• Discount options: Apply per-line discounts (percentage or fixed) and/or a global quote discount
• Tax calculations: Automatic tax calculation based on configured tax rates (VAT, sales tax, custom)
• Subtotal, tax, and total: Auto-calculated summary with clear breakdown
• Currency support: Create quotes in different currencies with exchange rate conversion

Quote Templates

• Branded templates: Upload your logo, set brand colors, and define header/footer content
• Multiple templates: Create different templates for different purposes (standard quote, detailed proposal, simple estimate)
• Custom fields: Add custom sections to templates (warranty terms, delivery schedule, payment milestones)
• Terms and conditions: Include standard T&C text that appears on every quote automatically

Quote Lifecycle

• Draft: Initial creation phase — edit freely before sending
• Sent: Quote has been delivered to the customer via email, WhatsApp, or shared link
• Viewed: Track when the customer opens the quote (view tracking on shared links)
• Accepted: Customer accepts the quote (via digital signature or acceptance button)
• Declined: Customer declines — optionally add a reason for loss analysis
• Expired: Automatic expiration after the validity period ends
• Revised: Create a new version when the customer requests changes, preserving the revision history

PDF Export and Sharing

• One-click PDF: Generate a professional PDF from any quote with a single click
• Email delivery: Send the quote PDF as an email attachment or embedded link directly from DOLU.ai
• WhatsApp sharing: Send the quote link via WhatsApp to the customer's chat
• Shareable link: Generate a unique URL where the customer can view the quote online and accept or decline
• View tracking: See when the customer opens the shared link and how long they spend on it

Step-by-Step Usage

Creating a New Quote

1. Go to Dashboard → Left Menu → CRM → Quotes.
2. Click "+ New Quote".
3. Select the Contact and Account (or create from a deal, which pre-fills these).
4. Choose a Quote Template.
5. Set the Quote Date and Valid Until date (expiration).
6. Add Line Items:
   • Click "+ Add Item"
   • Select from the product catalog or type a custom item
   • Enter Quantity, Unit Price, and optionally a Discount
   • Select the applicable Tax Rate
   • Repeat for all items
7. Review the auto-calculated Subtotal, Tax, Discount, and Total.
8. Add any Notes for the customer (visible on the quote) or Internal Notes (visible only to your team).
9. Click Save as Draft.

Sending a Quote to the Customer

1. Open the draft quote from the quotes list.
2. Review all details and click "Send Quote".
3. Choose the delivery method:
   • Email: Enter the recipient's email (pre-filled from contact record). Customize the email subject and message. The quote PDF is attached automatically.
   • WhatsApp: Send a message with the quote link to the customer's WhatsApp number.
   • Copy Link: Copy the shareable quote URL to send through any channel.
4. Click Send. The quote status changes to "Sent."
5. Monitor the activity log for view and acceptance events.

Handling Quote Revisions

1. If the customer requests changes, open the sent quote.
2. Click "Create Revision".
3. A new version is created (v2, v3, etc.) with all the original details pre-filled.
4. Make the requested changes (adjust quantities, pricing, add or remove items).
5. Save and send the revised quote.
6. The previous version is marked as "Superseded" and preserved in the revision history.

Setting Up Acceptance Workflows

1. Go to Dashboard → Left Menu → Salesbot.
2. Create a new workflow with the trigger: "Quote Status Changed" → "Accepted".
3. Add actions:
   • Update Deal Stage: Move the linked deal to "Proposal Accepted" or "Closed Won"
   • Send Email: Send a confirmation and next-steps email to the customer
   • Notify Team: Alert the assigned agent and management about the won deal
   • Create Task: Generate a task for the operations team to begin fulfillment
4. Activate the workflow.

Use Cases

IT Services — Project Proposals

An IT company creates detailed proposals with line items for development hours, design, testing, hosting, and maintenance. Different templates are used for fixed-price projects vs. time-and-materials. Quote acceptance triggers the deal to advance to "Contract Signing" stage.

Manufacturing — Product Quotations

A manufacturer quotes bulk product orders with quantity-based pricing tiers. Discounts are applied per line item based on order volume. The quote includes delivery timelines and payment terms. When accepted, the operations team is automatically notified to begin production.

Healthcare — Treatment Plans

A dental clinic creates treatment plan quotes with individual procedure line items. Each procedure has a standard price from the product catalog. The quote is shared via WhatsApp, and the patient can accept online. Accepted quotes trigger appointment creation in the scheduling module.

Real Estate — Rental and Service Proposals

A property management company generates service proposals for building maintenance contracts. Annual line items (cleaning, security, landscaping) are listed with monthly and annual pricing. Revisions are common and tracked through the versioning system.

Tips & Best Practices

Use the Product Catalog

Pre-configure your products and services in the product catalog with standard pricing. This ensures consistency across quotes, speeds up quote creation, and reduces errors from manual price entry.

Set Realistic Expiration Dates

Quotes should have a validity period (typically 15-30 days). Expired quotes create a natural follow-up opportunity via the Salesbot, which can send an automated "Your quote is about to expire" reminder.

Track Quote Views

When you send a quote via shareable link, DOLU.ai tracks when the customer opens it. If a customer viewed the quote but has not responded, that is a strong signal to follow up — the Salesbot can automate this follow-up based on view events.

Link Quotes to Deals

Always create quotes from the deal detail page or link them to an existing deal. This ensures the deal value stays synchronized with the quoted amount and the full sales lifecycle is trackable.

Troubleshooting

PDF generation fails

• Ensure all required fields (contact, at least one line item, quote date) are filled in.
• Check that your quote template is properly configured with a valid logo image (corrupted or oversized images can cause PDF generation issues).
• Try regenerating the PDF. If the issue persists, switch to a different template temporarily.

Quote email not received by customer

• Verify the recipient's email address on the contact record.
• Check with the customer if the email landed in their spam/junk folder.
• Review the quote's activity log for email delivery status (sent, delivered, bounced).
• Ensure your email channel is properly configured in Settings → Channels → Email.

Tax calculations appear incorrect

• Check the tax rate configured on each line item.
• Verify the tax settings in Settings → Billing → Tax Configuration.
• Note that discounts are applied before tax by default. If your tax authority requires a different calculation order, adjust this in settings.

Customer cannot open the shareable link

• The link may have expired if the quote validity date has passed.
• Ensure the link was copied correctly (no trailing spaces or truncation).
• Check if your domain's firewall or the customer's network is blocking DOLU.ai URLs.

FAQ

Q: Can I create quotes without linking them to a deal? A: Yes, standalone quotes are supported. However, linking to a deal is recommended for pipeline tracking and revenue attribution.

Q: How many revisions can a quote have? A: There is no limit to the number of revisions. Each revision is tracked with its version number and a complete audit trail.

Q: Can multiple team members collaborate on a quote? A: Each quote has an assigned owner, but any team member with the appropriate role permissions can view and edit it. Use internal notes to communicate between team members about the quote.

Q: Does the customer need a DOLU.ai account to view or accept a quote? A: No. The shareable link opens a public, branded page where the customer can view the quote details and click Accept or Decline without creating an account.

Q: Can I customize the acceptance workflow per quote template? A: Yes. In the Salesbot, you can add conditions to the "Quote Accepted" trigger that check the template name, allowing different follow-up workflows for different quote types.

Q: Are quotes included in revenue reports? A: Yes. The Reports module includes a Quotes report showing total quoted value, acceptance rate, average deal size, and time-to-close metrics. Accepted quotes contribute to won revenue calculations on linked deals.