Form · Lead generation

Prospective client form template

Written for consultants, coaches and small agencies who want the first conversation to be useful. People who have tried to fix the problem before are asked what happened, and anyone who would rather not talk on the phone gets a reply by email instead of a call request.

14 questions~4 min to answer2 branches2 endings
prospective clientclient inquirydiscovery callconsultantnew clientbranching
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 thinking of us. A few questions now means our first conversation can get straight to the useful part.

1

Let's start with your name and email.

Contact info · required
2

Which company or project is this for?

Short text · optional
3

What would you like help with?

Long text · required
4

Have you tried to tackle this before?

Single select · requiredsplits the flow
5

What happened, and what is still not working?

Long text · requiredsometimes asked
6

If this goes well, what will be different for you?

Long text · required
7

How pressing is this right now?

Opinion scale · required
8

When would you like to start?

Single select · required
9

Where are you with budget?

Single select · required
10

Who else will be involved in choosing someone?

Single select · optional
11

How did you find us?

Dropdown · optional
12

Would you like a short call to talk it through?

Yes / No · requiredsplits the flow
13

What's the best number to reach you on?

Phone · requiredif call is Yes, let's talk
14

When are you usually free for a call?

Multi select · optionalif call is Yes, let's talk

Endings

Thanks, talk soon

Thanks, we'll reply by email ✉️

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
  • Long text
  • Single select
  • Opinion scale
  • Dropdown
  • Yes / No
  • Phone
  • Multi select
  • 5 branches
  • 2 endings

Questions to consider

  • What do you need to know to decide whether a prospect is a fit before you spend time on a call?
  • Is budget a question you want answered now, or one you would rather raise in conversation?
  • What would make you refer someone elsewhere, and does the form surface it?
  • Do you offer calls at set times, and should the time options reflect that?

How to use the responses

Read the answer about what they tried before first. It tells you what the prospect is wary of and what not to suggest again. Pair the urgency score with the start date: urgent and starting soon means reply today, exploring with no budget means a helpful email and a gentle check-in later. Be honest in your reply when the fit is poor, and suggest someone better placed if you can.

How to customize and share it

  1. 1Rewrite the greeting and the first open question around the service you actually offer.
  2. 2Adjust the start and budget options to match how you work, for example retainers versus one-off projects.
  3. 3Link the form from your website's contact or work-with-me page, and check new responses in the dashboard daily so fast movers hear back quickly.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask a prospective client?

What they want help with, what they have already tried, what success looks like, when they want to start and who else is involved in the decision. Those answers tell you whether to book a call and what to prepare.

How is a prospective client form different from a client intake form?

A prospective client form comes before you agree to work together and helps you judge fit. An intake form comes after, and collects the details you need to start the work.

Should I ask about budget before the first call?

A light question helps, as long as people can say they have not decided yet. It lets you prepare the right options without scaring off someone still exploring.

Can prospects skip the phone call?

Yes. In this form, anyone who prefers email skips the phone questions and sees an ending that promises an email reply instead.

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Ask like a person. Watch them finish.