Consulting client intake form template

Use this consulting intake form to check a new enquiry before you spend time on a proposal. It suits independent consultants and small firms.

Short answer

A consulting intake form should establish the business problem, its cost, the decision makers, the timeline, and the budget. With these five facts you can decide to propose, refer, or decline.

The 13 questions, and why to ask each one

Company and contact

1. What is your name, role, and company?
Why ask: Shows who you speak to and their authority.
2. What does the company do, and how large is it?
Why ask: Lets you judge fit with your experience and size of engagement.
3. What is the best email address and phone number?
Why ask: Needed for follow-up.

The problem

4. What problem do you want to solve?
Why ask: Defines the scope in the client's words.
5. What does this problem cost the business today?
Why ask: Sets the value of a solution and supports your price.
6. What have you tried so far?
Why ask: Prevents a repeat of earlier failed work.
7. What result do you expect, and how will you measure it?
Why ask: Makes success concrete before you propose.

Decision, timing, and budget

8. Who decides on this engagement, and who else has a say?
Why ask: Tells you who must see the proposal.
9. When must the work start, and is there a fixed deadline?
Why ask: Checks your availability against their timeline.
10. Is a budget approved? What range?
Why ask: Avoids a proposal that cannot be bought.
11. Do you compare other consultants or an internal option?
Why ask: Shows the alternatives you are measured against.
12. What kind of help do you want: advice, a plan, or hands-on delivery?
Why ask: Matches the enquiry to your service types.
13. How did you find us?
Why ask: Shows which channels bring qualified enquiries.

Run this form as a conversation

A form waits until the visitor fills in every field. A MadeAgentic website agent answers the visitor's questions from your approved content, asks these intake questions by voice or text, and sends your team a summary. For good-fit visitors it can open your Calendly or Cal.com calendar inside the chat; the visitor picks the time.

Generate a first agent from your website address.
Add the questions above as qualification objectives and remove the ones you do not need.
Test the conversation, then add the embed code to your site.

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FAQ

Intake form questions

What questions should a consulting intake form ask?

Ask about the business problem, what it costs, what was tried, the expected result, the decision makers, the timeline, and the budget. These decide if you can help and at what price.

Should I ask for the budget on a consulting intake form?

Yes, as a range. A range is easier to answer than a number and is enough to see if the enquiry matches your minimum engagement.

Is this template free to use?

Yes. Copy the questions, print the page, or save it as a PDF from your browser. No signup is needed. Change the wording so it matches your services.

How many intake questions should I ask?

Ask only what changes your next step. Most firms need 8 to 15 questions before a first call. Move anything you only need after the client signs to an onboarding form.

Can an AI agent ask these questions instead of a form?

Yes. In MadeAgentic you add the questions as qualification objectives. The website agent answers the visitor's questions from your approved content, asks your intake questions in conversation by voice or text, sends your team a summary, and can open your Calendly or Cal.com calendar for good-fit visitors. It does not answer phone calls, and the visitor picks the meeting time.

Test it on your own website first.

Generate an agent from your website, add your intake questions, and try the conversation before visitors see it.

Create your intake agent Start from scratch