Form · Contact

Client consultation form template

Built to prepare a first consultation: what the client needs help with, what they have already tried, what success looks like and what matters most to them. Clients who are only exploring get a friendly close with no call pushed on them, and everyone else picks a day for the conversation.

13 questions~4 min to answer2 branches2 endings
client consultation formconsultation requestclient intakediscovery callbranching
Use this template

Try it live

Try it as a respondent

Every question, and where it leads

The conversation

What a respondent is asked, in order.

Thanks for getting in touch. A few questions now means we can skip the basics on our call.

1

Let's start with who you are.

Contact info · required
2

What's your business or organisation called, if you have one?

Short text · optional
3

Who is this for?

Single select · required
4

What do you need help with?

Long text · required
5

Have you already tried to solve this some other way?

Yes / No · requiredsplits the flow
6

What did you try, and why didn't it work out?

Long text · optionalif tried before is Yes
7

Picture this going well. What's different in three months?

Long text · requiredif tried before is No
8

Put these in order of what matters most to you.

Ranking · optional
9

Have you set a budget for this?

Single select · optional
10

Anything useful to look at before we talk? A brief, a report or screenshots.

File upload · optional
11

When are you hoping to get started?

Single select · requiredsplits the flow
12

Which day would suit you for a consultation call?

Date · requiredsometimes asked
13

And the best number to reach you on that day?

Phone · optionalsometimes asked

Endings

Thanks, we'll be in touch

Thanks for telling us all this

The flow

Where each answer leads. Every route here is editable once the form is yours.

A labelled route is taken only by answers matching the label

What this template uses

  • Contact info
  • Short text
  • Single select
  • Long text
  • Yes / No
  • Ranking
  • File upload
  • Date
  • Phone
  • 3 branches
  • 2 endings

Questions to consider

  • What do you need to know to decide whether you're the right fit, before you spend an hour on a call?
  • Is the budget question useful to you, or would it put your kind of client off?
  • What files would genuinely help you prepare, and what would you never read?
  • How do you want to treat people who are only exploring: an email, a guide, or a later follow-up?

How to use the responses

Read each response the day before the call and write down two or three questions the answers raise, especially where the outcome and the budget don't match. Use the ranking to shape your proposal: someone who puts cost first wants a different offer from someone who puts quality first. Reply to the people who are only exploring within a few days, while they still remember filling it in.

How to customize and share it

  1. 1Rewrite the problem and outcome questions in the language of your service, such as a website, a tax return or a hiring plan.
  2. 2Change the ranking items to the trade-offs your clients actually weigh up.
  3. 3Send the link from your booking or contact page, and add a line to your calendar invite asking people to fill it in first.

Frequently asked questions

What should a client consultation form include?

Who the client is, the problem they want solved, what they've tried, the result they want, and their timing and budget. That is enough to prepare without turning it into a full onboarding.

How long should a client consultation form be?

Short enough to finish in a few minutes. Save detailed delivery questions for onboarding, after you've agreed to work together.

Is a consultation form the same as a client intake form?

Not quite. A consultation form prepares one conversation about fit, while an intake form collects everything you need once the work has started.

Can clients upload documents with this form?

Yes. There is an optional upload question for briefs, reports or screenshots, and you can change the file types it accepts.

Related templates

All contact forms
  • Inquiry form

    Form · Contact11 questions~3 min

    Take any question from your website and know who should answer it before you open it.

    inquiry formenquiry formwebsite inquiry
  • Catering contact form

    Form · Contact11 questions~4 min

    Hear about the event, the guests and the food before you pick up the phone.

    catering contact formcatering enquiryevent catering
  • Designer contact form

    Form · Contact10 questions~3 min

    Get a usable design brief out of every enquiry, not a two-line email.

    designer contact formgraphic design enquiryfreelance designer
  • Photography contact form

    Form · Contact12 questions~4 min

    Check your calendar and send a quote from the first message.

    photography contact formphotographer enquiryphoto shoot booking
  • Responsive contact form

    Form · Contact8 questions~3 min

    A contact form built for thumbs: few questions, big choices, no tiny fields.

    responsive contact formmobile contact formwebsite contact
  • Contact us form

    Form · Contact12 questions~3 min

    A general contact form that sorts the inbox as it fills it.

    contact us formwebsite contact formgeneral enquiry

Ask like a person. Watch them finish.