A sales intake process is the systematic approach to gathering and organising prospect information before your first real conversation. Instead of asking basic questions on a discovery call, you capture needs, priorities, and fit indicators upfront. This lets you focus call time on solutions rather than fact-finding. The best sales intake processes combine structured questions with scoring mechanisms that help you prioritise leads and prepare relevant talking points for each prospect.
How it works
From scan to conversation in three simple steps
Define what matters
Identify the information that predicts sales success—budget, timeline, authority, technical requirements.
Create structured questions
Design questions that gather this information consistently. Organise by category for easier analysis.
Score and prepare
Use responses to prioritise prospects and prepare tailored talking points for each conversation.
What you get
Everything you need to start better sales conversations
Consistent qualification
Every prospect answers the same questions, making comparison and prioritisation straightforward.
Better prepared calls
Walk into conversations knowing needs, constraints, and priorities. Skip the basic discovery.
Time savings
Focus your time on qualified opportunities. Let the intake process filter out poor fits early.
Team alignment
Share intake data with marketing and leadership. Everyone sees the same qualification criteria.
Documented requirements
Capture prospect needs in a format you can reference throughout the sales cycle.
Scalable approach
Handle more leads without sacrificing quality. The process works whether you have 10 or 1000 prospects.
When to use this
Common scenarios where this approach adds value
Growing sales teams
Ensure new reps qualify prospects consistently using the same process your top performers follow.
High-value deals
For complex sales, thorough intake ensures you understand all stakeholders and requirements.
Competitive markets
When every deal matters, better preparation gives you an edge over competitors who wing it.
Long sales cycles
Document requirements early so you can reference them months later when the deal advances.
Example talking points
AI-generated conversation starters based on scan responses
- 1Based on your intake responses, it looks like integration complexity is your main concern. Let me address that directly.
- 2You mentioned a Q3 deadline. That's achievable if we start the technical review this month.
- 3Your team size suggests you'd benefit from our mid-tier plan rather than enterprise. Let me explain the differences.
- 4The intake shows three stakeholders need to approve. Should we schedule a joint call to align everyone?