Client Intake Cheat Sheet

Callermint · Free 1-pager for freelancers & SMBs — messy inquiry → structured brief + first reply in under 10 minutes.

1. Eight intake fields (ask before you propose)

#	Field	Why it matters	Capture
1	Name / company	Who you’re talking to	________________
2	Offer asked	What they think they need	________________
3	Deadline	Real date or “exploring”	________________
4	Budget range	Band, not a hard number	☐ <$1k ☐ $1–3k ☐ $3–10k ☐ $10k+ ☐ Unsure
5	Success definition	How they’ll know it worked	________________
6	Constraints	Tech, brand, legal, access	________________
7	Decision maker	Who signs / who blocks	________________
8	Next step	One clear action + date	________________

Tip: Public form = name, offer, deadline, budget band, short summary. Capture the rest on the call.

2. Status labels (keep it boring)

Status	Meaning	Your next move
New	Just arrived	Reply same business day
Waiting	Ball in their court	Calendar a nudge date
Proposal	Numbers or outline sent	Track open / questions
Won	Agreed to start	Kickoff checklist
Lost	Declined or went quiet	One polite close; archive

3. First-reply script (3 sentences — no fake urgency)

Thanks for reaching out — I got your note about [offer asked].
To reply with a clear next step, I need [1–2 missing fields] (budget band and deadline help most).
Once I have those, I’ll send a short outline of how I’d approach it and whether we’re a fit — usually within 1 business day.

Paste → fill brackets → send. Don’t pitch the full proposal in the first reply.

4. 60-second triage

Label status → New
Fill the 8 fields (blanks = ask in reply)
Send the first-reply script
Set Next step + date on your calendar

Want the full path? Intake → follow-ups → proposal outline → kickoff checklist.
AI Client Onboarding & Proposal Kit (CM-ONBOARD-01) — $29
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