What to ask on a client enquiry form

Some people want to ask something before they commit. A form gives them a way to do that which does not depend on you being free to reply in the moment, and it puts every enquiry in one place where you can work through them properly.

Why a form as well as your DMs

DMs are good for conversation and awkward for record keeping. A form gives you the same information every time, in the same shape, so you can answer a week's enquiries in one sitting rather than scrolling back to work out what somebody asked on Tuesday.

It also captures an email address, which is the part that matters later. Somebody who enquired and did not book this month is somebody you can tell about a cancellation next month.

The five fields

Your name. One field, not two. Nobody needs a separate surname box to reply to an enquiry.

Email address. The one field you genuinely cannot do without, because it is how you answer and how you reach them again later.

What you are after. Leave it open rather than offering a menu. People describe their own situation better than your categories do, and the way they describe it tells you how ready they are.

When suits you. Weekday evenings, Saturday mornings, as soon as possible. This saves the exchange of messages that otherwise costs three days.

Anything I should know. The catch-all. This is where allergies, access needs, a wedding date and the real reason they are getting in touch all arrive, and it is the field that most often tells you what the enquiry is actually about.

Every extra field costs you enquiries

Each additional box is another small reason to close the page and think about it later. Phone numbers, addresses, how they found you and budget ranges are all things you can ask in your reply, once somebody is already talking to you.

The exception is a genuine qualifier. If you only cover one city, asking where somebody is saves you both a pointless exchange, and it belongs on the form.

Say what happens next

One line under the button: when you reply, and from where. "I answer these on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from hello at yourname" sets an expectation you can keep, and it stops somebody wondering on Wednesday whether their message arrived.

Where the form goes

Below your booking button and your prices, not above them. Most people came to book or to check a price, and the form is for the ones those did not satisfy. Putting it first asks everybody to write you a message when most of them wanted to press a button.

Answer with a real reply

The first sentence should show you read what they wrote. After that, answer the question, give the price, and offer a specific next step: a slot, a link, a date. Enquiries that end in a question with no suggested action are the ones that go quiet.