How to Track Estimates and Follow-Ups in a Free CRM

Works in most CRMs with a free tier, including HubSpot's. No affiliate links.

Step 1: Define your stages

New lead → Site visit scheduled → Estimate sent → Follow-up → Won / Lost. Keep it to six or fewer.

Step 2: One record per job, linked to the customer

Name the deal "Smith – deck repair" and put the estimate amount in the amount field so your pipeline total means something.

Step 3: Follow-up tasks

Every estimate gets a dated task. When the task comes due, call or text, then log the outcome.

Step 4: Record why you lost

Add a "lost reason" (price, timing, went with someone else). After a few months, patterns show where to change pricing or response time.

Step 5: Weekly 15-minute review

Monday morning: overdue tasks, stale estimates, jobs won last week.