Sales intake questions are the foundation of effective prospect qualification. Ask the wrong questions and you learn nothing useful. Ask too many and prospects abandon the form. The best sales intake questions balance comprehensiveness with respect for prospect time. They cover qualification criteria—budget, authority, need, timeline—while gathering the context that makes each conversation relevant. This guide provides frameworks and examples you can adapt for your sales process.
How it works
From scan to conversation in three simple steps
Start with qualification
Budget range, decision timeline, stakeholder involvement—the basics that determine fit.
Explore the situation
Current challenges, what they've tried, what success looks like—context that informs your approach.
Identify next steps
Preferred communication, scheduling preferences, additional stakeholders to involve.
What you get
Everything you need to start better sales conversations
Lead scoring data
Answers map to scores that help you prioritise which prospects to pursue first.
Personalised outreach
Reference their specific answers when you follow up. Show you paid attention.
Meeting preparation
Know their priorities and constraints before you walk into the conversation.
Sales cycle acceleration
Skip redundant discovery questions. Move faster to the discussions that advance deals.
Team alignment
Everyone sees the same qualification data. Handoffs are smooth and context is preserved.
Continuous improvement
Analyse which questions predict closed deals. Refine your intake over time.
When to use this
Common scenarios where this approach adds value
Building a new intake
Use these frameworks when designing your first structured intake process.
Auditing existing forms
Compare your current questions against these categories. Identify gaps or redundancies.
Improving conversion rates
If qualified leads aren't closing, your intake questions may not capture the right signals.
Scaling your team
Document which questions matter so new reps gather useful information from day one.
Example talking points
AI-generated conversation starters based on scan responses
- 1You indicated budget is approved for this quarter. Let's discuss timeline to ensure we can deliver within your window.
- 2Implementation support is a priority for you. I'll walk through our onboarding process and what's included.
- 3You're currently using spreadsheets—I can show you exactly how our dashboard compares to your current workflow.
- 4The CFO needs to sign off. Would a one-page ROI summary help you build the business case internally?