The Essence
The Quote is where commercial conversation becomes formal proposal. It takes the Line Items configured during deal exploration and packages them into a document that can be reviewed, approved, negotiated, and accepted.
Quotes respect organizational reality: most purchases require review by people who weren't in the sales conversation. The Quote gives them what they need — clear terms, transparent pricing, documented scope — without requiring them to start from scratch.
"A good Quote enables decision-making; it doesn't pressure it. The Quote respects that organizations don't make decisions in sales meetings — they make decisions when stakeholders have information they can evaluate on their own time."
Unified View Contribution
Revenue View
Primary contributor. Quotes represent proposed commercial terms. Quote status reveals where opportunities stand in the approval process. Conversion from Quote to Order marks the moment opportunity becomes commitment.
Customer View
Supporting contributor. Quote history shows what's been proposed to this customer. Multiple Quote versions reveal negotiation history. Accepted Quotes document what was agreed.
Team Enablement
Supporting contributor. Quote approval workflows coordinate internal stakeholders — pricing approval, technical validation, legal review. The Quote is the artifact that moves through internal process.
Business Context
Supporting contributor. Quote patterns reveal market intelligence — acceptance rates, common objections, pricing sensitivity, negotiation patterns.
Sarah's Story
Sarah's organization couldn't say yes without a formal proposal. Her CFO needed to review terms. Her CEO needed to understand scope. Her IT Director needed to validate technical approach. The sales conversations had been valuable, but a conversation doesn't work for stakeholders who weren't there.
The Quote changed that.
When Value-First sent Sarah a Quote for CVP Implementation, it contained everything her stakeholders needed:
Scope Section
- Line Items detailing exactly what was included
- Location-specific breakdown (Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta)
- Phase descriptions and expected outcomes
- What wasn't included (to prevent scope confusion)
Pricing Section
- Unit pricing per Line Item
- Volume discounts applied (and why)
- Total investment
- Payment terms and schedule
Terms Section
- Timeline expectations
- Resource requirements (from both sides)
- Acceptance criteria
- Change order process
Supporting Information
- Link to related case study
- Team bios (who would be involved)
- FAQ based on common questions
Sarah could forward this Quote to her CFO without scheduling another meeting. Her CEO could review scope without asking "what does this actually include?" Her IT Director could evaluate technical approach without guessing at implications.
The Quote enabled internal navigation. It respected that organizations don't make decisions in sales meetings — they make decisions when stakeholders have information they can evaluate on their own time.
When Sarah's CFO requested an adjustment (quarterly billing instead of annual), a new Quote version was created. Version history preserved the original; the new version captured the modification. When final approval came, the accepted Quote flowed directly to Order creation — same Line Items, same terms, no re-entry required.
What It Holds
Line Item Collection
Commercial Terms
Supporting Context
Status and Workflow
Version History
Approval Chain
What It Connects To
Primary Associations
The commercial opportunity this Quote supports. The Quote is the formal proposal for a Deal.
What's being proposed — the core content. Line Items contain the configured products with pricing.
Who should receive and review the Quote. Multiple contacts with different roles in the decision.
The organization being quoted. Provides context for pricing and terms.
When accepted, the Quote becomes an Order. The Quote's Line Items transfer to the Order.
Via Line Items, what offerings are included. Products define what can be quoted.
Contact-to-Quote Labels
Receives the Quote
Authority to accept
Needs to evaluate
Will sign if accepted
Quote-to-Object Labels
Opportunity context
What's proposed
Organization quoted
If accepted
Version history
Common Patterns
The Multi-Stakeholder Pattern
- Sales conversation identifies need
- Quote captures agreement in sharable form
- Primary contact distributes to stakeholders
- Stakeholders review independently
- Questions come back through Quote comments or conversation
- Approval happens when stakeholders align
The Versioning Pattern
- v1: Initial proposal based on discovery
- v2: Adjusted scope after technical review
- v3: Modified pricing after negotiation
- v4: Final accepted version
Each version is preserved; the Deal associates to the current version. History is never lost.
The Approval Workflow Pattern
- Pricing approval — if discount exceeds threshold
- Technical approval — if custom scope
- Legal approval — if non-standard terms
- Executive approval — if strategic account
HubSpot workflows can automate approval routing based on Quote properties.
The Expiration Pattern
- Quote status updates automatically
- Sales receives notification
- New version required if opportunity re-engages
- Prevents stale pricing from being accepted
Reasonable validity periods (30-60 days typically) protect both parties without creating artificial pressure.
The Quote-to-Order Pattern
- Quote accepted by customer
- Order created (pulling Line Items from Quote)
- Quote status updated to "Accepted"
- Deal progresses to "Value Activated"
This flow ensures no re-entry of information — what was quoted is what gets ordered.
Value-First vs. Industrial-Age
| ✗ Traditional Thinking | ✓ Value-First Thinking |
|---|---|
| Quotes pressure decision | Quotes enable decision |
| Scarcity tactics (limited-time, expiring offers) | Transparency (terms available when ready) |
| Dense legal language | Clear, customer-friendly language |
| PDF export to email | Interactive Quote with portal access |
| Quote as sales tool | Quote as stakeholder enablement |
| One-way document | Collaborative artifact with comments |
Why This Shift Matters
When Quotes exist to pressure decision-making, they create friction. Artificial expiration dates, dense terms, hidden conditions — these tactics might accelerate some decisions, but they damage relationships and attract the wrong customers.
When Quotes exist to enable decision-making, they build trust. Clear scope, transparent pricing, reasonable terms, accessible format — these characteristics help stakeholders align. The Quote becomes a tool for internal navigation, not external pressure.
In Practice
Implementation details and configuration
What You'll See in HubSpot
Quotes are managed under Sales → Quotes. Each Quote has:
- Quote details: Number, status, expiration, owner
- Line Items: Configured products with pricing
- Terms: Payment terms, validity, conditions
- Contacts: Recipients and approvers
- Activity: View tracking, comments, status changes
Quote templates enable consistent formatting and branding across all proposals.
Key Properties
Key Properties
Native HubSpot Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
hs_quote_number Native | Text | Unique Quote identifier |
hs_title Native | Text | Quote title/name |
hs_status Native | Enumeration | Draft, Pending Approval, Sent, Viewed, Accepted, etc. |
hs_expiration_date Native | Date | When Quote validity ends |
hs_quote_amount Native | Currency | Total value of Line Items |
hs_payment_terms Native | Enumeration | Payment expectations |
hs_sender_firstname Native | Text | Who sent the Quote |
hs_esign_date Native | DateTime | When e-signature completed |
Value-First Custom Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
vf_quote_type | Enumeration | New Business, Expansion, Renewal |
vf_approval_status | Enumeration | Pending Pricing, Pending Technical, Pending Legal, Approved |
vf_discount_justification | Text | Why non-standard pricing was offered |
vf_scope_summary | Text | Executive summary of what's included |
vf_stakeholder_concerns | Text | Known concerns to address |
vf_negotiation_flexibility | Enumeration | Firm, Some Flexibility, Negotiable |
Quote Lifecycle
Draft
Line Items being added, terms being configured
Quote created, configuration in progress
Quote complete and ready for internal review
Portal Experience
In the My Value Path Portal, Sarah can access her Quotes:
Pending Quotes
- Review proposed scope and pricing
- View Line Item detail
- Access supporting materials
- Submit questions via comments
- Accept when ready
Quote History
- All versions visible
- Accepted vs. declined vs. expired
- Connection to resulting Orders
"Sarah doesn't receive a PDF attachment — she has portal access to a live Quote she can review, share internally (via link), and accept when her organization is ready."
See It In Action
Experience in the Value Path Simulator
Key Moment: Notice how the Quote enables Sarah's internal process rather than pressuring it. She can get approval because she has what stakeholders need.