Client Intake Bot

Qualify leads while you sleep. This skill creates conversational intake workflows that capture prospect information, score their fit, and route the best opportunities to you — automatically.

What It Does

• Conversational Intake: Natural Q&A flow instead of boring forms
• Lead Scoring: Score prospects on budget, timeline, fit, and authority
• Auto-Responses: Instant personalized replies based on score
• Smart Routing: Hot leads → immediate notification; cold leads → nurture sequence
• Qualification Logic: Branching questions based on previous answers
• Follow-Up Sequences: Automated nurture for not-yet-ready prospects

Quick Start

1. Basic Intake Setup

"Create a client intake bot for my [web design] business.

Qualifying questions:
1. What type of project? (Website redesign, New website, E-commerce)
2. What's your budget range? (<$5k, $5k-$15k, $15k+)
3. What's your timeline? (ASAP, 1-3 months, 3+ months)
4. Do you have content ready? (Yes, No, Partially)

Hot lead criteria: Budget $5k+, Timeline 1-3 months
"

2. Service-Specific Intake

"Create an intake workflow for consulting inquiries:

My services: Strategy consulting, Implementation, Training
Qualification factors:
- Company size (startup, SMB, enterprise)
- Problem urgency (critical, important, exploratory)
- Decision timeline (immediate, this quarter, future)
- Budget authority (decision maker, influencer, researcher)

Scoring: Assign 1-10 points per factor, route 30+ to me immediately"

3. Multi-Step Nurture

"Design a nurture sequence for leads who aren't ready yet:

Trigger: Score 15-29 (warm but not hot)
Sequence:
- Day 0: "Thanks + helpful resource"
- Day 3: "Case study relevant to their industry"
- Day 7: "Educational content about their problem"
- Day 14: "Check-in + soft pitch"
- Day 30: "Monthly newsletter opt-in"

Personalize based on their specific answers"

The Intake Workflow

Phase 1: Initial Capture

Entry Points:

• Website contact form
• Social media DM auto-responder
• Email autoresponder
• Calendar booking pre-qualification
• Landing page chatbot

"Hi [Name]! Thanks for reaching out about [service].

To make sure I'm the right fit for your project, I'd love to learn a bit more. This takes about 2 minutes.

What's the main goal you're trying to achieve?"

Phase 2: Qualification Questions

Design your question flow:

Question Types:

• Multiple choice: Easy to answer, easy to score
• Open text: Richer context, harder to auto-score
• Yes/No: Quick decision points
• Scale (1-5): Quantifiable fit metrics
• File upload: RFPs, briefs, existing materials

• "What type of project?" (Multi-choice)
• Website redesign → "What's your current website URL?"
• New website → "Do you have a domain registered?"
• E-commerce → "How many products?" + "Platform preference?"
• "What's your budget?" (Multi-choice with ranges)
• <$5k → "I may not be the best fit, but here are some resources..."
• $5k-$15k → Continue
• $15k+ → High-value track
• "What's your timeline?" (Multi-choice)
• ASAP → Urgency flag
• 1-3 months → Standard track
• 3+ months → Nurture track
• "Tell me about your business..." (Open text)
• Capture context for personalized response

Phase 3: Lead Scoring

Scoring Matrix Example:

• 0-15: Cold → Automated nurture sequence
• 16-29: Warm → Personalized email + add to newsletter
• 30-40: Hot → Immediate notification + priority follow-up

Phase 4: Auto-Response

Hot Lead Response:

"Hi [Name],

Thanks for sharing those details about your [project type]. Based on what you've told me, this sounds like a great fit!

[Personalized paragraph referencing their specific situation]

I'd love to schedule a 20-minute call to discuss further. Here are some times that work for me:
[Calendar link]

Talk soon,
[Your name]"

Warm Lead Response:

"Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out! I've reviewed your project details and think there could be a good fit here.

[Specific feedback on their project]

While you're considering next steps, here are a few resources that might help:
- [Relevant case study]
- [Helpful blog post]
- [Free tool/template]

I'll follow up in a few days, but feel free to reply if you have questions.

Best,
[Your name]"

Cold Lead Response:

"Hi [Name],

Thanks for getting in touch! I appreciate you considering me for your project.

Based on what you've shared, I don't think I'm the best fit for this particular scope. However, I'd recommend:
- [Alternative solution]
- [Resource to help DIY]
- [Referral to someone who is a better fit]

Best of luck with your project!

[Your name]"

Phase 5: Routing & Notification

Notification Rules:

Hot Leads (30-40):
  - Immediate: Email + SMS to you
  - Action: Schedule within 24 hours
  - SLA: Respond within 2 hours

Warm Leads (16-29):
  - Immediate: Email to you (batch digest OK)
  - Action: Add to nurture sequence
  - SLA: Respond within 48 hours

Cold Leads (0-15):
  - Immediate: Polite decline auto-sent
  - Action: Add to general newsletter (if opted in)
  - SLA: None (automated)

Advanced Features

Conditional Logic

Branch based on answers:

IF project_type = "E-commerce" AND budget < $10k:
  → "For e-commerce projects under $10k, I recommend [platform]..."
  → Route to DIY resources
  → Offer paid consultation instead of full service

IF timeline = "ASAP" AND budget = "$15k+":
  → "Rush projects are possible with 25% premium..."
  → Priority notification to you
  → Expedited scheduling link

Industry-Specific Customization

For Agencies:

• Capture: Current agency relationship, reason for switching
• Score: Budget, timeline, decision process
• Route: By service line (SEO, PPC, creative)

• Capture: Problem urgency, internal capabilities, past attempts
• Score: Complexity, budget, commitment level
• Route: By expertise area

• Capture: Project scope, ongoing vs one-time, communication preference
• Score: Rate fit, project interest, client personality fit
• Route: By project type

Integration Points

CRM Integration:

• Create contact in HubSpot/Salesforce/Pipedrive
• Tag with lead score and source
• Add to appropriate pipeline stage

• Hot leads → Priority booking link (shorter notice)
• Warm leads → Standard booking link
• Auto-add context to calendar description

• Add to segmented lists based on score
• Trigger nurture sequences
• Track engagement for re-scoring

The Follow-Up Sequence

Not-Ready-Yet Nurture (30-day)

Day 0: Thank you + relevant resource Day 3: Case study from their industry Day 7: Educational content (blog post, video) Day 14: Soft check-in + offer free consultation Day 21: Social proof (testimonials, results) Day 30: "Still interested?" re-engagement

Stale Lead Revival (90-day)

Day 90: "What changed?" survey Day 120: New service announcement Day 180: "Last chance" breakup email

Metrics to Track

• Conversion Rate: Intake starts → qualified leads
• Response Rate: Your replies to hot leads
• Win Rate: Qualified leads → closed deals
• Average Deal Size: By lead source and score
• Time to Close: By lead temperature
• Nurture Engagement: Email opens/clicks from cold leads

Best Practices

• Keep it short — 3-5 questions max for initial qualification
• Ask budget early — filter price shoppers quickly
• Make it conversational — not a form, a dialogue
• Respond fast — 5 minutes is the new standard for hot leads
• Personalize everything — reference their specific answers
• Set expectations — tell them what happens next
• Always provide value — even "no" responses get something helpful

Common Mistakes

• Too many questions — abandonment rates skyrocket after 5 questions
• No scoring — treating all leads equally wastes time
• Slow response — hot leads go cold in hours, not days
• Generic responses — obvious automation kills trust
• No nurture — warm leads become hot with time and education
• Ignoring data — not iterating based on conversion patterns

Integration Ideas

• Connect to proposal-generator to auto-create proposals for hot leads
• Use with invoice-tracker to manage client payments post-close
• Pair with content-repurposer to create lead magnets for nurture sequences

Monetization Note

This skill is part of the Freelancer Revenue Engine. For maximum value, use alongside:

• proposal-generator — convert qualified leads to proposals
• invoice-tracker — manage client payments