← All posts

Automated Follow-Ups for Contractors: Stop Losing Bids to Silence

January 11, 2026 • Automation

Automated Follow-Ups for Contractors: Stop Losing Bids to Silence

Most contractors lose more bids to silence than to price.

Customer sees the quote, gets busy, forgets to reply. You assume they're not interested. Both of you move on.

Automated follow-ups fix this.

Why follow-ups matter

Stats from real contractor data:

  • 60% of bids are never replied to (but only 20% are true "no"s)
  • A second follow-up doubles your close rate
  • A third follow-up catches another 15%

The problem: remembering who to follow up with and when.

The follow-up sequence that works

Day 0: Send the proposal

"Here's your quote. You can review and pay the deposit right from this link."

Day 2: Friendly check-in (email)

"Hey [Name], just making sure you got the proposal. Let me know if you have any questions or want to move forward."

Day 5: Value reminder (email or SMS)

"Hi [Name], wanted to follow up on the [project type] quote. To lock your spot on the schedule, just pay the deposit inside the proposal. Happy to answer any questions."

Day 10: Last call (email or SMS)

"[Name], following up one more time on your [project]. If you'd like to move forward, the proposal is still good. Otherwise, no worries — just let me know."

How to automate this (without spam)

BidBlitz includes automated follow-up sequences (paid plans):

  1. Turn on auto-follow-ups in Settings
  2. Choose email, SMS, or both
  3. Customize the messaging (or use the templates)
  4. BidBlitz sends follow-ups automatically based on bid status

You can pause follow-ups per bid (if the customer said "not now") or globally (if you're on vacation).

Email vs. SMS: which to use?

Email:

  • Good for detailed follow-ups
  • Customers expect it
  • Less intrusive

SMS:

  • Higher open rate (95% vs. 20% for email)
  • Faster response time
  • Use sparingly (1–2 texts max)

Best practice: Email for follow-up #1 and #2, SMS for follow-up #3 if there's still no reply.

What not to do

  • Don't send 10 follow-ups (you'll annoy them)
  • Don't use automated calls (nobody answers)
  • Don't follow up if they already said no (respect the decision)

How BidBlitz helps

BidBlitz tracks:

  • When the proposal was sent
  • When it was viewed
  • How many follow-ups were sent
  • Next follow-up date

You can see all of this on your dashboard and override it anytime.

Related:

  • /features
  • /pricing

The bottom line

You don't lose bids because your price is wrong. You lose bids because you go silent.

Automate the follow-up, close more jobs.