From first enquiry to signed contract.

The first reply sets the tone. Acknowledge the request, ask for what is missing, and say when the client will hear from you next.

A useful reply draft lists what you still need to know, such as dates, guests and budget. Yachtbase's assistant does this, and you decide whether to send.

Clients move between email, WhatsApp and Instagram. Treat them as one person and keep the history together, so that the second colleague to pick it up does not start again.

A provisional hold with no expiry is a quiet way to lose bookings. Give each hold a date on which it lapses, and tell the client.

• Hold the dates, not the yacht in general.
• Convert the hold to a booking when the deposit is agreed.
• Let expired holds release themselves.

Sales run long. Record viewings and offers as they happen, with their status, so that the history survives a holiday or a change of broker.

Revise a quote by creating a new version rather than editing the old one. The client always sees which terms they accepted, and so do you.

Name every signer, set the order, and keep the evidence with the signed document. Send the invoice and its deposit milestone the moment the signature lands.