In many small businesses the quote is written in a word processor or an invoicing tool, sent from someone's mailbox and saved in a folder. The CRM deal still shows the amount that was guessed in the first conversation. Weeks later the customer calls with a question, the salesperson is out, and nobody can find which version was sent. Pomio CRM recommends treating a sent quote as part of the deal record, not as a separate document somewhere else.
Why the quote belongs on the deal
A sent quote is the clearest signal of where a deal stands: the customer knows the price and scope, and the next step is theirs. When it is recorded on the deal, anyone who opens the record can see what was offered, and the pipeline review can be about real proposals instead of hopes. It also keeps the deal amount honest. If the quote says one amount and the deal another, the pipeline report is wrong, which is why changing a deal amount should come with a short note and why amounts are best entered excluding VAT, just like most business quotes.
What to record for each quote
Keep it short and the same for everyone: the date the quote was sent, a version number, the amount excluding VAT, the valid-until date and the document itself, attached or linked. A consistent version number, for example the deal name followed by v1, v2 and so on, works well alongside a naming convention for deals. The valid-until date matters most in practice: it gives the salesperson a natural moment to follow up, and it shows a manager which offers have quietly expired.
When the quote changes
Quotes are often revised: a discount, a different scope, an extra option. Record each new version rather than overwriting the old one, and update the deal amount to the latest version with a note on what changed. That way the history is still there if the customer refers to an earlier offer, and an audit trail of who changed what tells the rest of the story. A quote that has expired without an answer is not automatically lost; it is a reason to contact the customer and either send a new version or close the deal with a clear reason.
The accepted quote marks the win
When the customer accepts, the signed or confirmed quote is the evidence for the win. Many SMEs use it as the rule for when a deal is marked as won, and attach the accepted version to the deal so that delivery and finance work from the same document. The handoff after a won deal is much easier when the accepted scope and price are on the record instead of in one person's mailbox.