# Quote & Price Estimator: Requests → Itemized Quotes from Your Price List > **Version 1.0.0 · Last updated 2026-10-22 · Difficulty: Intermediate · Setup time: 45–90 minutes** Your clone turns a customer request (a chat message, or an email with a PDF, Excel or CSV spec) into an itemized quote built from your own price list and pricing rules. It flags every line it is unsure about, never invents a price, and drafts the customer email for you to review. A person approves every quote before a customer sees it. --- ## 1. Overview and value Quotes are slow because the work is repetitive: read the spec, find each part in the price sheet, apply markup, labor, freight and tax, format the document, write the email. Mistakes are expensive: an old price list, a missed quantity break, a discount nobody approved. Quote & Price Estimator does the lookup and arithmetic and leaves the judgment to you. Your clone: - reads the request from **chat or email** (including PDF, Excel and CSV attachments), - extracts **line items** (part numbers, descriptions, sizes, quantities), - matches them to your **price list** (exact part number first, then closest description, always flagged), - applies your **pricing rules** (markup or margin, labor or install rate, quantity breaks, minimum order, freight and fees, tax, rounding), - produces an **itemized estimate** with a confidence level per line, - lists **UNPRICED and low-confidence lines separately**, - builds the quote in **Excel or Word** (or Google Sheets or Docs) from your `{QUOTE_TEMPLATE}`, - **drafts** (never sends) the customer email, - optionally logs the quote amount and file link on your **Salesforce opportunity or HubSpot deal**. **What you get:** | Benefit | What it looks like | |---|---| | Faster quotes | Minutes instead of an hour for a multi-line request | | Consistent pricing | Same rules applied every time, no stale spreadsheets | | Honest gaps | Lines it cannot price are listed, not guessed | | Discount control | Anything beyond `{MAX_DISCOUNT}` needs explicit approval | | A clean paper trail | Quote file, assumptions and exclusions saved with each quote | | You stay in control | A person approves every quote before it reaches a customer | --- ## 2. Who it's for - **Sales reps and inside sales** who quote from a price list several times a week. - **Operations and estimating teams** who build quotes for product, parts or install jobs. - **Sales managers** who want consistent margins and discount discipline. - Businesses with a **price list in a spreadsheet or SharePoint list** and rules that live in someone's head today. ## 3. How it works ``` Request arrives ├─ Chat: "Quote this for {CUSTOMER_NAME}" (+ pasted list or file) └─ Email with spec attached (PDF / Excel / CSV) │ ▼ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ "Quote Builder" skill │ │ │ │ 1. Read the request (attachments read directly) │ │ 2. Extract line items: part no. · description · size · qty │ │ 3. Check the price sheet "last updated" date (stale? warn) │ │ 4. Match each line │ │ exact part number → closest description (flagged) │ │ no match → UNPRICED (never invented) │ │ 5. Apply Pricing Rules: {MARKUP} · {LABOR_RATE} · qty breaks │ │ {MINIMUM} · freight/fees · tax · rounding │ │ 6. Discount asked > {MAX_DISCOUNT}? → needs explicit approval │ │ 7. Itemized estimate + confidence per line │ │ UNPRICED / low-confidence lines listed separately │ └───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘ │ A person reviews and says "approve" │ ▼ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Build the quote file from {QUOTE_TEMPLATE} │ │ (Excel / Word / Google Sheets / Google Docs) │ │ DRAFT the customer email (never sent by the clone) │ │ Optional: log amount + file link on the Salesforce opportunity │ │ or HubSpot deal (after approval) │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ### The price list and Pricing Rules You keep **one current price sheet** with a "last updated" date, and a **"Pricing Rules" tab or doc**. During setup the clone proposes both layouts and you confirm them. Example price sheet columns: | Part number | Description | Size / spec | Unit | Base cost | List price | Category | Last updated | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | {PART_001} | Example item A | 12 in | each | 40.00 | 62.00 | Category 1 | 2026-10-01 | | {PART_002} | Example item B | 2 m | meter | 3.50 | 5.75 | Category 2 | 2026-10-01 | Example "Pricing Rules" tab: | Rule | Value | Notes | |---|---|---| | Pricing method | `{MARKUP}` = cost + 35% (or margin 26%) | Per category if different | | Labor / install rate | `{LABOR_RATE}` = $95 per hour | Hours from request or rule of thumb, flagged | | Quantity breaks | 10+ units: 3% off; 50+: 6% off | Per line, by part | | Minimum order | `{MINIMUM}` = $250 | Add a "minimum order adjustment" line | | Freight and fees | Freight 4% of subtotal, min $35; handling $15 | Or a table by weight or zone | | Tax | Taxable: products; labor not taxable; rate by `{TAX_RATE}` or "excluded" | Confirm with finance | | Rounding | Unit prices to 2 decimals, totals to nearest cent | Or round up to $0.05 | | Quote valid for | `{QUOTE_VALID_DAYS}` = 30 days | Printed on the quote | | Max discount without approval | `{MAX_DISCOUNT}` = 5% | Beyond this, a named approver must say yes | ## 4. What the clone does (and never does) **It does:** - reads the request and any attached spec directly (PDF, Excel, CSV), - matches every line to the price list: exact part number first, then closest description, always flagged, - applies only the rules in your Pricing Rules tab or doc, - shows an itemized estimate with confidence per line and lists UNPRICED or low-confidence lines separately, - warns if the price sheet's "last updated" date is older than `{PRICE_STALE_DAYS}`, - builds the quote file from `{QUOTE_TEMPLATE}` after you approve, - drafts the customer email and leaves it unsent, - (optional) logs the quote amount and file link on the CRM record after approval. **It never:** - invents a price, cost, discount, lead time or part number, - sends a quote or email to a customer, - shows a quote to a customer before a person approves it, - applies a discount beyond `{MAX_DISCOUNT}` without explicit approval, - uses an old copy of the price list (it uses the one sheet you named), - changes the price list or the rules, - asks for your password or tokens. ## 5. Setup walkthrough The quickest path: download **CLONE-INSTRUCTIONS.md** and give it to your clone. It checks what is connected, helps you capture your pricing rules, shows a plan, and sets up what it can after you approve. **Step 1: Check requirements (10 min).** Open **REQUIREMENTS.md**. Make sure you have one current price list and know your rules. **Step 2: Hand the instructions to your clone (2 min).** Say: *"Please set up this use case for me. Show me a plan before changing anything."* **Step 3: Review the discovery table (5 min).** The clone reports which operators and connections it has. **Step 4: Answer the placeholder questions (10 min).** See section 6. **Step 5: Capture the Pricing Rules (15–30 min).** The clone interviews you, then proposes a "Pricing Rules" tab or doc. You confirm each rule. **Step 6: Approve the plan (2 min).** **Step 7: Do your part (10–20 min).** Connect your accounts, confirm file permissions, and choose one current price sheet. **Step 8: Save the Quote Builder skill (5 min).** **Step 9: Run the test plan (30–60 min).** Run 5 past quotes with known answers and compare line by line. Tune matching until the totals match. **Step 10: Start using it.** Keep reviewing every quote. ## 6. Placeholders to decide | Placeholder | What it means | Example | |---|---|---| | `{PRICE_LIST}` | Where the master price list lives | Excel "Master Price List" on SharePoint, a Google Sheet, or a SharePoint list | | `{PRICE_LIST_TYPE}` | Excel, Google Sheets or SharePoint list | Excel | | `{RULES_LOCATION}` | "Pricing Rules" tab or doc (and optional knowledge base) | Tab "Pricing Rules" in the same workbook | | `{MARKUP}` | Markup or margin method and percent | Cost + 35%, or 26% margin | | `{LABOR_RATE}` | Labor or install rate | $95 per hour | | `{MINIMUM}` | Minimum order amount | $250 | | `{QUOTE_VALID_DAYS}` | How long a quote is valid | 30 days | | `{MAX_DISCOUNT}` | Largest discount without approval | 5% | | `{DISCOUNT_APPROVER}` | Who approves bigger discounts | Sales manager | | `{TAX_RATE}` | Tax handling | Products taxable at 8.25%; labor not taxable; or "excluded" | | `{PRICE_STALE_DAYS}` | Warn if the price sheet is older than this | 45 days | | `{QUOTE_TEMPLATE}` | Quote layout (Excel, Word, Sheets or Docs) | Word template "Quote Template" with fields | | `{QUOTE_FOLDER}` | Where finished quotes are saved | "Sales / Quotes / 2026" | | `{REQUEST_SOURCE}` | Chat only, or email too | Chat and Gmail label "Quote requests" | | `{CRM_LOGGING}` | Log amount and file link on a CRM record | Off, Salesforce or HubSpot | ## 7. What to expect - **From chat:** paste items or a file, say "Quote this for {CUSTOMER_NAME}". You get an itemized estimate with confidence per line within a few minutes. - **From email:** point the clone to the email ("Quote the request from {CUSTOMER_NAME}"). It reads the attachment directly. - **Review step:** you check flagged lines, answer questions, approve. Only then does it build the quote file and the email draft. - **Draft email:** sits in your drafts. You read it, edit it, send it yourself. Example estimate: ``` Quote estimate for {CUSTOMER_NAME} · request received 2026-10-22 · price sheet updated 2026-10-01 ✔ Line Part Description Qty Unit Ext. Match / confidence 1 {PART_001} Example item A 20 $62.00 $1,240.00 Exact part no. · High 2 {PART_002} Example item B 120 $5.75 $690.00 Exact part no. · qty break 3% · High 3 {PART_017} Item C, 8 in 4 $31.20 $124.80 Closest description · Medium (verify) Labor: 6 h × $95 = $570.00 (hours from spec, assumption) Freight: $93.69 · Fees: $15.00 Subtotal $2,733.49 · Tax $... · Total $... Valid 30 days · Assumptions: ... · Exclusions: ... UNPRICED / needs attention: 4 "Custom bracket, 300 mm" Qty 6 No match in price list. Not priced. 3 Matched by description only: please confirm {PART_017}. Discount requested: 8% (limit 5%) → needs approval from {DISCOUNT_APPROVER}. ``` ## 8. Customizing - **Quote layout.** Provide your own template in Excel, Word, Sheets or Docs. - **Rules.** Add rules to the Pricing Rules tab (by category, customer tier, project size) and re-run the test plan. - **Notes sections.** Standard terms, warranty and exclusions text from your knowledge base. - **CRM logging.** Turn on the amount and link on the opportunity or deal. - **Approval flow.** Name who approves discounts, and what happens to quotes over a dollar threshold. - **Several price lists.** Prefer one. If you must have more (by region), name each one and its owner. ## 9. Known gotchas - **ONE current price sheet.** Keep a single master with a "last updated" date. Old copies cause wrong quotes. Archive or delete extras. - **Part numbers must match.** Hyphens, spaces and leading zeros matter. The clone matches exact part numbers first, then flags description matches. - **Read PDFs directly.** Do not rely on an old PDF-to-text skill. Gmail and Outlook operators read attachments themselves. - **Scanned PDFs extract worse.** Ask customers for Excel or CSV specs when possible. Low-confidence lines are flagged. - **SharePoint "access denied".** Delete and re-create the Microsoft connection to pick up new permissions (Sites.Read.All), then retry. - **Never send without review.** The clone drafts the email. You send it. - **Rules in your head are not rules.** Anything not in the Pricing Rules tab or doc is not applied. - **Discounts.** Beyond `{MAX_DISCOUNT}` needs explicit approval by name. - **Read every instruction before saving the skill.** You are responsible for what your clone does. ## 10. FAQ **Can it invent a price if the item is not in my list?** No. It lists the line as UNPRICED. **Can it send the quote to the customer?** No. It drafts the email and a person sends it. **Where does the price list live?** One master sheet in Excel (OneDrive/SharePoint), Google Sheets, or a SharePoint list. **How does it handle part numbers that don't match exactly?** It tries the exact part number first, then the closest description. Description matches are flagged with Medium or Low confidence. **Can it read a customer's PDF spec?** Yes, directly. Scanned PDFs are less reliable, so ask for Excel or CSV when you can. **What if the customer asks for a 12% discount and my limit is 5%?** The clone flags it and needs explicit approval from the approver you named before it puts that discount in a quote. **Can it log the quote in my CRM?** Optionally, on a Salesforce opportunity or a HubSpot deal: amount and file link, after your approval. **How do I know the numbers are right?** Run the test plan: five past quotes with known answers, compared line by line. **Does it handle tax?** It applies the tax handling you wrote in the rules (rate, what is taxable, or "excluded"). ## 11. Troubleshooting | Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | |---|---|---| | Many lines UNPRICED | Part numbers differ from the price sheet format | Normalize part numbers; add an "alias" column; tune matching in the test plan | | Wrong price on a line | Old price list copy or wrong column | Keep ONE current sheet; check the "last updated" date and the column used | | SharePoint "access denied" | Connection lacks permission | Delete and re-create the Microsoft connection (Sites.Read.All); confirm file access | | Attachment not read well | Scanned PDF | Ask for Excel/CSV; confirm low-confidence lines manually | | Totals differ from my manual quote | Rule missing or applied in a different order | Compare line by line; add the missing rule to the Pricing Rules | | Quote file not created | No write access to `{QUOTE_FOLDER}` | Grant edit access | | Email draft missing | Mail connection lacks draft permission | Reconnect Gmail or Outlook with draft/compose access | | Discount blocked | Above `{MAX_DISCOUNT}` | Get explicit approval from `{DISCOUNT_APPROVER}` and tell the clone | | CRM log failed | Opportunity or deal not found, or no write access | Give the exact opportunity/deal name; check CRM write access | --- **Version:** 1.0.0 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-22 · Part of the Clone Use Case Library.