What is an intake form?<\/h2>\n
An intake form is a type of form used by someone in a business to collect client information<\/a> during the intake process. The client intake process introduces the client to the business and collects the information needed to serve them well. Some questions on an intake form cover basic information, such as questions about a client\u2019s name and contact information. But other questions can be more detailed and require more input from the client \u2014 for instance, when you ask a client to describe their biggest pain points.<\/p>\n Download Excel template<\/a><\/p>\n Intake forms have more than one use case. They can be used in different scenarios, including:<\/p>\n Many businesses use a form builder to create online forms, but some still create forms in a word processor and print them out. No matter which way you use to create a client intake form for your business, they\u2019re a crucial part of working with clients and customers.<\/p>\n Intake forms aren\u2019t a pillar of client work by chance. They add order where there can be chaos, especially when you try to scale a business. Let\u2019s take a look at a few of the key benefits.<\/p>\n First, intake forms allow you to save time on client kickoff calls because you won\u2019t need to ask your new client questions that you already have the answers for. They also provide a certain structure that can help streamline the onboarding process<\/a>. If you require clients to fill in an intake form before they book a kickoff date for their project, you can start preparing what they might need in advance.<\/p>\nIntake forms can also help you qualify and disqualify potential clients who inquire about your services.<\/span><\/a>\n With information like desired services, company size, and more, you can decide whether to move on. Plus, they keep client information and assets<\/a> organized instead of scattered across notebooks or spreadsheets.<\/p>\n Finally, intake forms create a more accurate project roadmap<\/a>. It\u2019s difficult to estimate how long a project will take unless you have accurate information about your client and their goals. You\u2019ll mitigate the risk of surprise problems later on in the project if you start off knowing about all the moving pieces. No matter the use case, intake forms provide clarity and structure for your projects.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s explore how intake forms can help a wide variety of businesses in different situations.<\/p>\n Intake forms are crucial for consultants who help with business strategy, marketing, technology consulting, and more. These forms help consultants fully understand their clients and the problems they\u2019re trying to solve. Consultants can then customize their approach for every client.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Business services intake forms are useful for the execution of B2B projects. It\u2019s similar to consulting, but usually requires more hands-on implementation from the business owner. Examples include website design, copywriting, rebranding, and ads management.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Small business owners will also need to collect information from their clients. Some examples of small business owners include physical therapists, massage therapists, childcare service providers, and nutritionists.<\/p>\n Intake forms for small business owners are usually helpful to understand health and personal concerns \u2014 forms like these need to be HIPAA compliant if you\u2019re working in the healthcare industry.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to have to monitor and copy and paste data from a separate form builder, or set up a form with HTML and custom code? Now you can create an intake form within your Work OS<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n With monday.com, you can keep all client data on a single platform and stop the back and forth between different apps. monday.com has a fully-customizable intake form template that integrates directly with the rest of your business.<\/p>\n This free template \u2014 when you sign up for monday.com \u2014 lets you add as many or as few questions as you need for your unique intake forms. Customize the form to make it fit your branding by changing the background color, adding your logo, and more. You can even add columns that are hidden from the form for internal use only \u2014 like notes about client interactions or total deal value.<\/p>\n You can then share your form with potential clients online or in person \u2014 by bringing a tablet to a conference or event, for example. Because it\u2019s connected to the monday.com Work OS, their answers automatically populate and create new items on your board, making it easy to stay on top of your client relationships.<\/p>\n You can even embed your form on a webpage, as you would for a contact us page.<\/p>\n Get the template<\/a><\/p>\n Just using intake forms is great, but there\u2019s more to it than that. Here is how you can optimize the way you use intake forms in your business.<\/p>\n How much time do you spend doing tasks that you could otherwise be automating?<\/p>\n 76% of companies<\/a> used some level of automation in 2021, so it\u2019s worth considering how automation could add value to your business. When you automate repetitive parts of your workflow, you free up your time to complete more valuable tasks and maximize your revenue.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That\u2019s why you should automate your intake workflow by adding automations when someone completes an intake form. For example, when a client completes and submits their intake form, create a task for the account manager to review the answers. Or, when a new lead fills in the intake form on your website\u2019s contact page, move them to the next step in your CRM.<\/p>\n Intake forms are useful for more than just onboarding new clients. For instance, you use intake forms with new leads before they book a call with you. This allows you to qualify new leads so you don\u2019t waste your time talking to people who aren\u2019t a good fit for your business.<\/p>\n If you have existing clients who may request new projects from you, consider adding an intake form to let them complete those requests on their own. You can automate this process<\/a> so that the right person gets assigned to review the request. No more losing potential projects by letting emails fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n Where do most of your paying clients come from? You can\u2019t know unless you carefully track this information. So make sure you ask every new lead and customer where they\u2019ve heard about you. And there\u2019s no better way to make sure you don\u2019t forget to ask than to add that question to your client intake form templates.<\/p>\n Once you know where most of your clients come from, you can spend more of your efforts on that. For instance, you may realize that you\u2019ve been spending too much on paid ads when, in reality, 80% of your clients are coming through social media<\/a>. Or maybe you\u2019ll realize that you aren\u2019t pulling in as many referrals as you\u2019d like. Investing in a\u00a0referral marketing platform<\/span><\/a>\u00a0may be beneficial and boost the number of referred clients.<\/p>\n\n
Why use an intake form?<\/h2>\n
Lets you focus on what matters during calls and meetings<\/h3>\n
Better estimate the scope of client projects<\/h3>\n
What are some examples of intake forms?<\/h2>\n
1. Business consultation intake form<\/h3>\n
![\"Business](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Business-Client-Intake-Form.png\" "\\"Business")
<\/p>\n2. Business services intake form<\/h3>\n
![\"website](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/website-intake-form.png\" "\\"website")
<\/p>\n3. Small business intake form<\/h3>\n
![\"client](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/client-intake-form.png\" "\\"client")
<\/p>\nmonday.com\u2019s intake form template<\/h2>\n
![\"Intake](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monday.com-Intake-Form-Template.png\" "\\"monday.com")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Intake-Form-Backend.png\" "\\"Intake")
<\/p>\n![\"share](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/intake-form-sharing.png\" "\\"intake")
<\/p>\nIntake form tips & tricks<\/h2>\n
1. Implement automations on your work OS<\/h3>\n
![\"automation](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/intake-form-automation.png\" "\\"intake")
<\/p>\n2. Use an intake form for every step in the customer journey<\/h3>\n
3. Ask clients where they heard about you<\/h3>\n