A quotation is often the first serious document a customer reads from you. It shows how organised you are before you have done any work. In a market where customers compare several suppliers on WhatsApp in the same afternoon, a clear, well-presented quotation sent quickly is a real advantage. This guide gives you a structure that works for services, supply and projects.

Start with a clean header

  • Your company name, logo, address, phone, email and website.
  • Your tax registration number if you are VAT registered.
  • The customer's company name, contact person and address.
  • A unique quotation number, the date and the validity date.

Describe the scope in the customer's words

Open with two or three lines that restate the need: "Supply and installation of 12 CCTV cameras at the Sharjah warehouse, including cabling and a 30-day recording unit." This shows you listened, and it prevents misunderstandings. Then list items or phases with descriptions that a non-expert can follow.

Show prices clearly

  • Quantity, unit and unit price for each line, with the line total.
  • Subtotal, discount if any, 5% VAT and total, all in AED. If you quote in another currency, state the exchange basis.
  • Say whether prices include or exclude VAT. Customers who are not VAT registered care about the total, so show it.
  • Separate optional items from the base price so the customer can choose.

Be explicit about what is not included

Exclusions prevent disputes: permits, civil work, travel outside an emirate, customer-supplied materials, extra revisions, third-party fees. A short list of assumptions protects both sides.

State terms in plain language

  • Payment: deposit, milestones and balance, with due dates and accepted methods.
  • Timeline: start date, duration and what you need from the customer to keep to it.
  • Warranty and support: how long and what is covered.
  • Validity: for example 14 or 30 days, because prices and availability change.
  • Cancellation and changes: how variations will be priced.

Add proof

One short paragraph about similar work, a relevant certification or two client references (with permission) does more than a long company profile. Keep the quotation to one to three pages with a summary on top.

Send fast and follow up

Reply within hours, not days. Send a PDF by email and a short message on WhatsApp with the key figure. Follow up after two days with a question: "Do you need anything changed to proceed?" Record the quotation in your CRM so nothing is forgotten. Read CRM for UAE sales teams.

Common mistakes

  • Prices without a validity date.
  • Vague descriptions such as "installation as required".
  • Forgetting VAT, then absorbing 5% from your margin.
  • Editing a sent quotation without a new version number.
  • No clear next step: how to accept, who to sign, when work starts.

A simple quotation outline

  1. Header with company details and quotation number.
  2. Customer details and project title.
  3. One paragraph restating the need.
  4. Itemised table with quantities, rates and totals.
  5. Inclusions, exclusions and assumptions.
  6. Payment schedule and timeline.
  7. Validity, warranty and acceptance instructions.
  8. Signature block or "reply to accept".

Keep a library of paragraphs you reuse, such as warranty text and exclusions, so each new quotation takes minutes. Review wins and losses monthly to see which prices and layouts perform.

If you issue many quotations, software saves time and removes errors: create from a template, convert to an invoice when accepted and track status. See quotation, proforma and tax invoice explained and our CRM software.