If you’re looking to streamline your sales process, understanding how to properly configure Zoho CRM Quotes is essential. In this guide, we’ll walk through setting up products, creating and managing quotes, linking them to deals, and automating key actions like updating deal stages and sending follow-ups.
Whether you’re new to quoting in Zoho or just need a refresher, this tutorial will help you maximize the value of your CRM setup.
Start with the Products Module
All quotes in Zoho CRM begin with the Products module. This is where you:
- Define all your goods and services
- Assign SKUs, pricing, and categorize items (including marking services within the products module to simplify syncing with Zoho Books)
Avoid using the “Services” module to keep data clean, especially when integrating with Zoho Books.
Two Ways to Create a Quote
- Directly from the Quotes Module
You can create a standalone quote by navigating to the Quotes module. Here, manually select the related contact, account, and deal. This is best for quick, one-off quotes. - From the Deal Record (Recommended)
The more robust approach is starting from a deal. When quoting from a deal:- It auto-fills contact and account info.
- You maintain visibility across your pipeline.
- You can manage multiple quotes under one opportunity.
This method is perfect when you’re offering different pricing options or revisions without duplicating deals.
Benefits of Using Deals with Quotes
Using deals in conjunction with quotes lets you:
- Track the full lifecycle of a sale
- Send multiple quotes for a single opportunity
- Avoid cluttering CRM with redundant deals
- Easily convert accepted quotes into sales orders or invoices
Automate Deal Updates When a Quote is Accepted
To eliminate double data entry, use workflow rules:
- Trigger: When a quote stage is updated to “Closed Won”
- Action: Automatically update the related deal’s stage and amount
You can achieve this with a Deluge script that pulls the quote’s total value and pushes it to the deal record. It’s a time-saving hack that ensures pipeline accuracy.
Convert Quotes into Invoices or Sales Orders
Once a quote is accepted, convert it into:
- A Sales Order if fulfillment is involved
- An Invoice for immediate billing
All data (products, pricing, contact details) is carried over, reducing manual input.
Send and Customize Quotes
You can send quotes:
- Via Zoho Sign for digital signatures
- As a PDF using built-in or custom templates
To customize templates, go to Settings → Templates → Inventory. Use #merge tags to include contact, deal, and product data dynamically.
Set Up Quote Follow-Up Automation
Don’t let leads go cold. Use workflow automation to follow up on sent quotes:
- Trigger when a quote’s stage is “Delivered”
- Send follow-up emails (e.g., after 3 days)
- Create tasks for sales reps (e.g., after 7 days)
Ensure the quote hasn’t moved to “Accepted” before following up by adding criteria that check the current quote stage.
