Service-based businesses heavily rely on their clients. They are what keep the company running well. But every client will bring you a new challenge. You need to know how to approach them to achieve a positive first impression and garner successful results from your services.

That's when intake forms come to play. Using them correctly will make it much easier for you to onboard your clients smoothly.

In this article, we will discuss client intake forms' purposes and how you can implement them. By the end of this guide, you will be ready to create one of your own with the help of some templates that are available to download for free.

It is a type of form used to gather client data during the intake process. This process introduces the client to the business and collects all the information needed to serve them well.

Some questions on an intake form may cover basic information, such as the client's name and contact information. Other questions can be more specific and ask about relevant details from the client's point of view, such as asking them to describe their major pain points toward your business. 

A client intake form can be used in different scenarios, including:

• Gathering relevant information during the onboarding process
• Capturing inquiries from prospective clients
• As a questionnaire before a sales call
• As requests to access financial information
• As requests for medical history for health-related fields

Some businesses might use specialized software to create online forms (also known as a "form builder"). In contrast, others will create intake forms on a Word document and print them out. Whether it is an online intake form or a printed one, it is a vital part of working with customers and clients.

Client Intake Process

It is the first step to starting a relationship with a new client. It involves collecting the needed prospective client information. It would be your opportunity to ask the different client questions to get what you need and convert this prospect into an actual customer.

Even if your business process may vary, a client intake process usually involves using a client intake form template. Although, not all businesses have a proper intake process in place, meaning they also don't have a client intake form. Not using a proper method could lead to frustrations for both parties (the client and your business).

How the Client Intake Process Takes Place

By recording accurate client intake information, you can determine who in your business needs to be notified about services clients seek, what actions need to be taken, and how urgent these services should be.

Without a proper procedure, you will miss great opportunities from your first impression and risk poorly reflecting your organization from the first encounter. Additionally, you might lose valuable and enduring relationships with new clients looking for guidance and support. Ultimately, a poor intake process could damage your business' reputation.

A correct client intake form template will provide you with the ability to:

• Form long-term relationships of trust between you and your client
• Establish a positive first impression on new clients
• Record client’s contact information and the details of why they are interested in your business
• Define the next steps to convert your new client into a long-term satisfied customer

In addition to giving a good first impression to your new clients, another important aspect in building a relationship with your customers is recording accurate and comprehensive intake information. 

A client intake form could have some specific sections depending on the type of business you are running. But there are some aspects and information that you should include in every situation.

Contact Details

An important factor in recordkeeping is having a precise collection of company and contact details to reference these documents. 

You should start your client intake form covering the company's name, the main contact, your role, and the company's size. Also, include any other basic information that you can provide, with a high-level overview of what your business is all about.

Client Information

Now is the time for the client to provide some information. You can let the client briefly describe their brand and their main products or services. The information they provide will give you insights to understand and decide if this new client is right for your business. 

Take note of how they describe their offerings. It will provide a better picture of how they see their company and a clearer understanding of how you can craft a relationship with them.

Main Pain Points

In this section, you can begin with how your business will best serve the client. You should give them the chance and time to describe their main concerns.

Let them tell you what they need from your business. Having them explain these issues will tell you about your clients' experiences and what kind of clients they will be.

Client’s Objectives

This section will tell you about your position as a company towards your client’s operations in the future. Your client’s objectives will provide the most accurate picture of the expectations they will bring to your working relationship.

These objectives can show you how viable a working relationship between your business and theirs is. For example, if their ambitions are almost impossible to achieve, you already know you cannot deliver. You will need to talk with them and set what your company can realistically achieve for them.

Budget Details

It is one of the most significant items to take into consideration. If a client's budget isn't enough, then your business won't be able to accomplish much of its goals.

But if they meet your standards, it will give you a point of reference on how to allocate resources to help the client. It can also help you set certain boundaries in creating a strategy that you will deploy to help your client.

Competition

In this section, you will figure out how you can serve your client. You will get useful reference points to understand how your client's business operates. Then, you will be able to use this information to find out how companies in the client space are running their business.

You might discover your competitors' different strategies and determine whether your business can leverage the same tactics.

Additional Notes

Lastly, this section is essential for adding any other comment, note, or information that the other sections might have missed. Your client can also add relevant details that they might think you should know.

With this simple template, you will be able to capture valuable information during the intake process. You can accommodate a wide range of business purposes, use it for a single client intake, or as your base template to record multiple clients' information. 

Download it as a Word document from Smartsheet.

Client Intake Form Template Spreadsheet

This template is similar to the previous one but for those more comfortable using a spreadsheet program. You will be able to record all the contact information about your client alongside a section to add their main pain points.

Download it for Excel from Monday.com.

Small Business Client Intake Form Template

With this form, you will capture valuable information for your business. This template can be adapted for a wide variety of business settings. All you need to do is replace your logo, and you are good to go.

Download it as a Word file from Microsoft Office.

Corporate Client Intake Form

With this template, you can track a new client or prospect. It fits perfectly accounting firms that want to offer accounting services or financial advising for corporations and businesses.

Download it from TemplateLab.

Patient Intake Form Template

This patient intake form template fits well with health professionals, who are responsible for accurately collecting all the intake information. It is a perfect tool to collect new patient details (allowing any member of the medical staff to quickly catch up on initial assessments), prioritize treatment, and assign the patient to the appropriate professional. 

This template also includes sections for emergency contact information, insurance details, mental health input, referrals, adjunctive care, and any other health concerns and symptoms.

Download it as a Word document from Smartsheet.

Counselling Client Intake Form Template

With this comprehensive and easy-to-fill intake form template, you can track essential client details before their first counseling session. It also has sections to add details concerning the general information of such clients, their mental health input, reasons why they need counseling, insurance details, and family history.

Download it from TemplateLab.

Tax Preparation Intake Form

If you are a tax accountant, you need to record client-specific tax details precisely during a new client intake process. Refunds and filings would be delayed without precise information, and the client may face possible penalties.

The template allows you to customize each form with a client’s personal information, dependents, wages, client status, investments sold, and any other tax-related details.

Download it from Smartsheet.