How to Reply to a Cheaper Competitor Quote: 4 Email Templates That Keep the Conversation Going

BOTrento Team13 October 20269 min read

What “we found a cheaper offer” usually means

It sounds final, but a client who tells you about a cheaper quote is usually still talking to you. It tends to mean one of three things:

• They're negotiating. They like your offer and are looking for a reason to say yes to you.
• Their budget really is too small. Someone has set a limit and your quote is over it. A discount won't solve this for long, but a different scope might.
• The two quotes cover different things. This happens a lot in rental, events and services. One quote includes delivery, set-up, a technician and backup kit. The other covers the equipment only. The client is comparing two totals, not two scopes.

Your first email needs to find out which of these it is. So it should ask questions, not defend your price.

Before you reply: a 5-point check

1. Reread your own quote. List the parts a cheaper supplier has most likely left out: logistics, staff hours, insurance, cancellation terms, response times and revisions.
2. Set your floor. Write down the lowest price you'd accept and which parts of the scope you could drop without hurting delivery. Do this before the call, not during it.
3. Check what the client cares about. Look back through the thread for a tight deadline, a past bad experience or an important guest list. These are your arguments, and they're in the client's own words.
4. Compare scopes, not companies. Asking "Does their quote include X?" works. Criticising the competitor doesn't.
5. Reply the same day. If you need time to work out a new option, send a short holding reply that gives a specific time.

If the cheaper quote comes up after you've already chased the client, the timing in our three follow-up templates after a quote still applies. Just use one of the replies below in its place.

4 reply templates to copy

Template 1: Compare like for like

When to use it: as your first reply, almost every time.

Subject: Re: [Quote number] – comparing like for like

Hi [Name],

Thanks for telling me. I'd much rather hear it now than after you've decided.

Before you choose, it's worth checking that both quotes cover the same work. Does the other offer include:
1. [e.g. delivery, set-up and collection]
2. [e.g. an on-site technician for the whole event]
3. [e.g. replacement equipment if something fails on the day]

If it does, I'll see whether we can adjust our scope to get closer. If it doesn't, I can explain what the difference would mean in practice.

Would a short call on [day] at [time] work?

Best regards,
[Your name]

Make sure you include: specific scope items rather than a vague mention of "quality", and a next step with a date.

Template 2: Scope, risk and service side by side

When to use it: the client has told you what the other quote includes, and that gap explains the price difference.

Subject: Re: [Quote number] – where the difference is

Hi [Name],

Thanks for the details. As I understand them, here's how the two offers compare:

Scope: our quote includes [items]. The other doesn't include [items], so you'd need to arrange these separately or do without.
Risk: if [e.g. a projector fails during the keynote], we [e.g. replace it on site within the session]. It's worth asking the other supplier what they would do.
Service: [named contact] looks after you from the first planning call to [end point].

If budget is the main concern, I can put together a version without [what you could remove]. Shall I send that by [day]?

Best regards,
[Your name]

Make sure you include: one risk scenario that matters to this particular client, and the offer of a smaller option instead of a discount.

Template 3: Meet the budget, not the price

When to use it: the budget is fixed and you want the work. Bring the price down by reducing the scope, not by cutting your rate.

Subject: Re: [Quote number] – an option within your budget

Hi [Name],

You mentioned your budget is [amount excl. VAT]. Rather than cut corners on the same scope, here are two options:

Option A: [scope], [price excl. VAT]. This removes [item] and [item], which you would handle yourselves.
Option B – original scope: [scope], [price excl. VAT], as quoted on [date].

Both include [e.g. on-site support and replacement kit], because that's what protects your [event / project] on the day.

This offer is valid until [date]. Let me know which option suits you.

Best regards,
[Your name]

Make sure you include: what you've removed, a validity date and the part you won't drop. For the overall layout, see our structure for a quote cover email.

Template 4: Walk away gracefully

When to use it: the client only wants the lowest price, and going lower would mean losing money or doing a poor job.

Subject: Re: [Quote number] – thank you

Hi [Name],

Thanks for considering us. I understand price is the deciding factor this time. We can't go below [price excl. VAT] without dropping [item], and we think you'll need it.

So I won't push. If anything changes, for example the other option falls through or the scope grows, just reply to this email.

Good luck with [event / project].

Best regards,
[Your name]

Make sure you include: a one-sentence reason with no complaining, and an easy way back. Then set a reminder to get in touch after their event or project date.

Should you ever match the price?

Sometimes, but only as a deliberate decision. It can make sense if:

• the scopes really are the same and the gap is small,
• the client is likely to bring repeat work you can name, such as a yearly event or an ongoing rental,
• you have spare capacity on those dates that would otherwise go unused.

If you do match the price, get something in return, such as a longer contract, payment up front or a fixed date. Put it in writing as a one-off arrangement. If you match without asking for anything, the client learns to quote competitors at you every time. If clients often ask for "just the price" from the start, these replies to price-only enquiries help you set expectations before you send any figures.

How BOTrento handles this situation

Writing the reply isn't the hard part. The hard part is spotting the "we found something cheaper" email on a busy day, answering it the same day and remembering to check in later. BOTrento Chief of Staff is a managed process for enquiries, quotes and the steps that follow them.

Here's how it works during the 14-day free trial. You don't need a card or your own API key:

1. Connect your data. Mailboxes connect over IMAP. For now, Gmail, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 work through forwarding or import. You can also upload open quotes as CSV or XLSX. The 14 days start from your first successful upload, and a member of our team gets in touch within 24 hours on working days to help you connect your mail.
2. Every working-day morning you get a Today 1+3 overview in the app and by email. A client reply that mentions a cheaper offer appears there as a case that needs action.
3. BOTrento drafts the reply in English, German, French or Czech, based on the text of the email thread. It doesn't read attachments, so if the competitor's quote came as a PDF, you add the key points yourself.
4. You review and approve it. Nothing is sent until a person approves it.
5. Promises are tracked. If you wrote "I'll send Option A by Thursday", BOTrento reminds you.

BOTrento doesn't replace your CRM, and it doesn't promise more deals. What it does is make sure these cases get a reply on time. You can watch a walkthrough of the process, compare the plans and pricing, or see how it works for equipment rental companies and event and production firms. For chasing quotes more generally, read how to stop forgetting quote follow-ups.