Getting Started with Client Intake Forms [Free Template]

What is a client intake form?

A client intake form is a questionnaire for gathering essential information about prospective customers. It’s usually the first step in the client onboarding process. The questions typically cover necessary details such as the client’s contact information and why they need your services. Each answer will help you decide if you’d like to work with that client and whether your services would benefit them.

Client intake forms have quickly become a popular way for specialized service providers to vet new clients. These forms are easy to create using a form builder and they deliver to the prospective client through email. If you prefer to work with physical paperwork, you can create a custom form in a word-processing program and print it out.

Either way, starting your client relationships with an intake form can help you save time while providing a positive onboarding experience. It also means that you won’t have to waste time nurturing clients who aren’t a good fit. If you do want to accept the client, the insights can help you focus on what matters during an initial kickoff call and show you’re ready to deliver quality service.

Where to find client intake form templates

Download our free client intake form template to get started right away. The customizable template includes all the essential fields needed to effectively screen potential clients and set your business relationship up for success.

For more resources, you can do a simple search online to find client intake form templates for every industry.

Sometimes, you can even get a free template from trade associations by visiting their websites. This can be especially helpful if you’re looking for a patient intake form template that needs to be HIPAA compliant.

Whichever template you choose, make sure to rewrite it in your own words to better reflect your business's unique voice and specific client needs.

Popular intake form examples

A client intake form template works best for data collection when it’s tailored to your industry. For example, financial advisors don’t ask the same questions as healthcare providers. If they did, they still wouldn’t know their potential clients’ needs and how they might be able to help.

So, with that in mind, let’s explore the following client intake form template examples to see how different industries create theirs.

Legal client intake form

The American Bar Association provides many resources for law firms, including legal client intake forms. Their family law intake form collects basic information about the client, their spouse, and any children in the household. Beyond that, it usually asks about custody arrangements and financial info, like client-specific tax details. The intake form template may also briefly explain some of the terms that clients need to know about when seeking legal services.

Patient intake form

Patient intake forms focus more on collecting health history information and inquiring about the patient’s current healthcare needs. The American Massage Therapy Association provides healthcare providers with a sample form that collects patient details, such as contact details, medical conditions, and medications. For veterinary services, Blue Pearl Pet Hospital’s intake form goes a similar route by gathering info on the pet’s disposition, reason for their visit, and medical history.

Mortgage broker intake form

Mortgage brokers’ intake forms usually ask questions about the client’s financial situation. Opportunities Credit Union uses a form that helps their brokers assess the client’s ability to secure a mortgage. It asks for a brief description of their homeownership status, employment, income and assets, and debts to expedite the application process.

Small business owner intake form

Small business owner intake forms must also align with their customers’ service needs. Here, Summit Digital Marketing’s intake form asks the potential client about their services, target customers, average order value, sales cycle, advertising approach, and current goals. As another example, the intake form for SHJ Wealth Advisors explores the client’s finances, retirement goals, and how they want to take care of their family.

Example of printable vs. online intake forms

You’ll find online and printable versions when looking for client intake form template examples. Online intake forms collect the data through the website. Printable client forms are usually delivered as a word-processing document or PDF. This allows clients to fill out the form using their computer or by printing it out and completing each field by hand.

How to create your own intake forms

Creating your own intake forms ensures you get the relevant information needed to effectively screen your clients and provide them with an excellent customer experience. You can use a form builder, work off a template, or just create one from scratch in your preferred word processor.

No matter how you choose to go about it, follow these steps to create a custom form you’ll be proud to deliver to your clients.

Step 1: Use a template or start from scratch

The easiest way to create an intake form is to start with an intake form template, like the one we offer above. Templates give you a foundation that you can customize to fit your specific needs. They include proven question formats and standard fields to help you collect crucial information.

If you prefer complete control over your form's design and content, you can start from scratch using form builder tools like Google Forms or Typeform. These platforms offer drag-and-drop interfaces that make it simple to add questions, create conditional logic, and design a professional-looking form without any coding knowledge.

For those who prefer more traditional tools, you can also create your form in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or any word processor. Just make sure to leave enough space for clients to provide detailed answers to your questions.

Step 2: Request basic client information

Collecting client data starts with their basic details. At the top of the client intake form, gather their essential information like:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Property address
• Preferred contact method
• Role at their company
• Insurance details

The content in this section of your intake form will give you a high-level overview of the client. You can use it to get to know them better and start their client record if you go ahead with the working relationship.

Step 3: Collect detailed information about the brand

If you’re a B2B service provider, like a marketing agency or accountant, take the time to learn about your potential client’s brand after collecting their personal and contact information. Start by requesting their company name, website, and any active social media channels. Also, ask about their main product or service categories and best-selling items through the years.

Other things you might want to ask about include:

• Brand mission and values
• Target audience data
• Average order amount
• Current advertising strategy
• Customer reviews and ratings

The questions will depend on your industry, of course. Create each one with the aim of gathering the information needed to determine if you’d like to work with the client.

Step 4: Ask about the potential client’s goals and challenges

Questions about the potential customer’s business goals and challenges lie at the center of a well-crafted client intake form. In this section, you’ll want to ask leading questions that help you understand what clients need from your company. Make sure to give them lots of room to answer by using large entry fields.

These client questions should include:

• What specific goals do you hope to achieve with our help?
• Where do you see your company in the next 3-5 years?
• What are the biggest challenges you’re currently facing?
• Do you anticipate any new obstacles emerging in the next few years?
• Can you give an example of what success would look like to you?

With their answers, you can reflect on whether your services could help them overcome their barriers to success. You may need to explore their primary challenges in more detail during the initial meeting, but their initial response will pave the way for a solution-oriented collaboration.

Step 5: Assess your potential client’s competitors

You need to know what your potential customers are up against before you can decide if you’re able to help them.

To figure that out, put a few questions on the intake form that ask who their main competitors are and what they’re doing differently from your potential client. Also, ask what their competitors’ strengths and weaknesses are and which of their products or services stand out the most.

If your potential client is unsure, you could do a very brief competitor analysis to find the top 3 competitors in their industry. Through that process, you’ll get to see where the company stands in its industry and what it needs to do to beat the competition.

Step 6: Gain a clearer understanding of their budget

Asking about your client’s budget will verify if they have the money available to cover the cost of your services. If not, it won’t matter how good of a match you are. They’re simply not going to work out as your client.

In some cases, you may be able to suggest more-affordable solutions for the time being. Then, if their budget opens up, they can gradually increase their service level as they see fit.

Understanding the client intake process

Your form is only as good as your client intake process. Ensure you’re ready to move clients on to the next steps by creating a dedicated process to follow each time.

Benefits of an excellent onboarding process

A smooth onboarding process ensures that all parties are on the same page and ready to get to work. It helps build trust with your clients and shows them you have their best interests at heart. The foundation it creates also opens the communication lines, so it’ll be easier to collaborate with your clients throughout the business relationship. It’s a big win for everyone.

Intake process steps for prospective clients

Client intake processes vary depending on the industry and service type. For example, small businesses won’t follow the exact same steps as large law firms.

But in general, a good intake process might look like this:

1. Initial contact: The process begins upon receiving the initial service request by phone, email, or a sign-up form on your website.

2. Client intake form: Deliver your client intake form in person, through the mail, or by email.

3. Customer screening: Go over the client’s answers to the intake form questions and determine if they’re a good fit.

4. Intake form response: Contact your potential client to let them know if you’ll be able to meet their service needs.

5. First meeting: Arrange a kickoff call or in-person meeting with the client to discuss your services or go over the next steps.

Use this framework to establish your client intake process if you don’t have one already. Then, use your experiences and client feedback to further customize the approach to meet your business needs.

How to streamline your intake process with automation

Once you've created your client intake form, the next step is to automate the process and save time while improving efficiency. Automation eliminates manual tasks, reduces errors, and creates a smoother experience for you and your clients.

Automating your client intake process offers several advantages that can impact your bottom line. These include:

• Time savings: Automatically send forms, collect responses, and store client information without manual intervention.
• Reduced errors: Eliminate mistakes from manual data entry and ensure all required fields are completed before submission.
• Professional impression: Create a seamless, tech-savvy experience that impresses potential clients from the start.
• Faster onboarding: Move clients through your pipeline more quickly with automated follow-ups and next steps.
• Improved organization: Store all client information in a centralized, searchable database for easy access.

Not sure where to start? You can use several platforms to help you automate your client intake process:

• Email marketing platforms: Services like Mailchimp offer form creation tools that seamlessly connect to your email marketing campaigns, allowing you to automatically nurture new leads with targeted content.
• Form builders: These specialized tools create visually appealing, conversational forms with conditional logic that adapt based on previous answers.
• Customer relationship management (CRM) systems: Many CRMs include built-in form functionality that automatically adds new submissions to your contact database.
• Business management platforms: All-in-one solutions designed specifically for service providers that handle everything from intake forms to contracts and invoicing.
• Automation connectors: Tools that connect your existing systems to create custom automation workflows without coding experience.

Your forms should integrate with other business processes for smoother operations. With automation, you can connect intake forms with other tools you use daily.

• CRM integration: Automatically add new client information to your customer relationship management system to keep all client data in one place.
• Calendar connections: Allow clients to schedule their initial consultation directly after submitting their intake form, eliminating back-and-forth emails.
• Email marketing: Add new prospects to relevant email sequences based on their responses, nurturing leads who aren't ready to work with you yet.
• Document generation: Use client responses to automatically populate contracts, proposals, or other personalized documents.
• Task creation: Trigger internal team tasks when a new form is submitted, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Connecting these systems creates a seamless client journey from initial contact to project completion, reducing administrative work and allowing you to focus on delivering exceptional service.

Take a personalized approach with a new client intake form

Once you see how well your client intake form works, it’ll be your go-to tool whenever prospective customers come your way. Its ability to help you make better business decisions and provide the highest quality of service will likely prove invaluable. You’ll finally be able to welcome new clients onboard with confidence that you’ve made the right choice.

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Key Takeaways

• Client intake forms are essential screening tools that help you identify ideal clients, save time in the onboarding process, and set the foundation for successful business relationships.
• Well-designed intake forms should collect basic information, business details, goals, challenges, and budget considerations to help you determine if a client is the right fit.
• Using templates and automation tools like Mailchimp can significantly streamline your intake process, reducing manual work while creating a more professional impression.
• Integrating your intake forms with other business systems (CRM, calendars, email marketing) creates a seamless client journey from initial contact to project completion.

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