Intake Form: Know Your Clients Via Forms

The Complete Guide on Intake Forms

Introduction

When bringing on a new customer, first impressions are crucial. Your early encounters with them establish the tone for your company relationship, so make it a pleasant one for them.

 Client Intake onboarding process

A flawless onboarding method not only makes things easier for your client, but it also makes your work easier. In other words, having an efficient customer intake process helps everyone. You may still need to learn it, but intake form are a critical component of your company. Why? One important advantage is that intake form allow you to get to know your clients. Another reason is that it is a business solution form that may help you plan your process and save time.

If you don't have one or if it's poorly designed, you risk losing leads and harming your business. Aside from the risk of causing additional tension and confusion with your customer.

What is Intake Form?

Intake Form are more than just contact forms since they are intended to inform you of your client's demands and whether your company is capable of meeting them. You may collect information from your clients before your first encounter by using an intake form.

Collecting accurate information about your client is very important for intake forms.

Make sure you collect accurate and complete information, including your name, phone number, and email address. However, vital information for each scenario will force you to analyze what is basic to know. Also, you may see if the client's desire matches what you perform.

This is your finest chance to ask your customer questions regarding the project and have a deeper understanding of it. With the information acquired, you may focus your efforts on a certain area, allowing you to better your job.

LeadGen App provides Intake Form templates to help you better understand the demands and requirements of your clients.

If it is a web form, you can more efficiently categorize your data and arrange all the knowledge gathered. Because you have all the information you need for the procedure in your hands, your job will not be overburdened and delayed. By linking your intake form with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, you may automate and speed up the intake process.

Client intake forms are utilized by a wide range of organizations and independent contractors across a wide range of sectors and disciplines. These documents can be used by doctors online, legal companies, accountants, and nearly any other type of organization or businessperson who engages with clients.

Why are Intake Forms important for your business?

An intake form might point you in the correct direction in terms of what your customer wants, simplifying your procedure. You may gather everything you truly need before the first meeting, which will save you time. And you can determine whether the project is genuine and whether it falls within your area of knowledge and credentials.

You can save time by gathering what you absolutely need before the first meeting.

Using an intake form, your company may also give self-protection. Consider a scenario in which your process is experiencing difficulties due to misinformation. If you have an intake form, you may safeguard yourself and your job by using the information you collect before beginning work.

Including costs and an agreement area is also feasible so your customer may be confident that everything on the intake form is correct.

Client Intake Process

The intake form is the prospective client's initial point of contact with your company. That is why you must use extreme caution when constructing it. The Intake Process is described in detail below.

A) Browsing

Assume someone is seeking a lawyer and comes across your website. This is the initial stage of the intake procedure.

This is when your client is searching for a solution you could give them.

If your website lacks a form or has a very basic contact form. In the first case, that person will go on to the next research result; in the second, that person will simply offer you the basic details, and you will have no idea whether what that person needs is even within your area of expertise. To make matters worse, your email will be clogged with income messages with no structure.

B) Filling out the Form

However, if you have a clear, easy-to-fill, responsive, and intuitive intake form, you may ensure the individual who is contacting you that you are a legitimate firm.

Since the user is filling out your intake form, you may acquire the information needed to schedule a meeting.

C) Welcome Message

As soon as your new lead submits their information, make sure you instantly greet them.

D) Data Analysis

Examine each piece of information offered to ensure that you can satisfy their wants and expectations (which can often be different). Check that you have everything you need to schedule a meeting.

E) The Meeting

Set up a meeting in person or over the phone to discuss what you have to offer the prospective customer.

F)  Start your new project

You're ready to begin working confidently with your newly acquired customer now that everyone is on the same page, from the data required to the preferred method of communication and frequency of updates. To sum up, an intake form helps you execute your work better and acquire more clients for your organization or corporation.

Best Practices to create an Intake Form

I) Customize the form with your company's logo

You may build trust in your brand and the product or service you're offering by simply adding your logo, colors, and typography. This is because consumers link such items with your company. You may also have a gorgeous landing page that is designed as an intake form and requires your customization.

II) Understand what your client desires

The fundamental purpose of having an intake form is to know what your customer wants. The intake form, as previously said, is where you ask any pertinent questions regarding the customer and the project. So, on your intake form, be detailed, objective, and specific.

III) Connect to other services

You may create a workflow and expedite the process by integrating services such as Google Calendar into your intake form. With the LeadGen App builder, you can execute a variety of integrations. You may optimize your workflow this way.

IV)  Add space for e-signature

This is for your own and your client's safety. You may ensure that your customer agrees with the conditions of use and that all of the information provided is correct by including an e-signature field or even a confirmation check-in box.

V) Be clear and objective

Your intake form should be simple to read, comprehend, and complete. You are working with a diverse range of potential clients. Make things complex only to be attractive or to appear significant. It must be beneficial to both your customer and you. If you have clients, you should also have an intake form. As stated earlier in the article, the intake form is your opportunity to get to know your customer before the initial meeting.

As a result, it is critical that you ask the appropriate questions for each instance and kind of business. However, for all forms, the following fundamental information is required:

a) Phone

b) Name

c) How did you hear about us?

d) Email

e) Address

You may also request that the person add any important information for the procedure, but remember to caution them not to provide any private information via forms.

VI) Provide a welcome message

To be more personal, when your customer provides you the completed form, you may send back an automated reply with information on how long it will take you to contact them as well as a welcome note. This might provide the user with a sense of belonging and appreciation for the effort spent filling out the form. You may also take this occasion to share more about your company.

List of essential elements in an Intake Forms

Your intake form requires more than just questions. Aside from that, minor nuances may make a big impact on how your client views your form and, as a result, your brand.

A) Your Business Identity

What exactly is business identity? It is what differentiates your company from the competition. How can you include your company's brand in your intake form? Your logo is one method to do so, but you may go above and beyond by designing your own font and color scheme, which your clients can always link with your brand, product, or service.

B) Your Business Logo

It's the same as adding a photo to your profile. It is the only method for everyone to know they are speaking with your organization. It also offers your company a trustworthy image, and prospective customers will begin to link your logo with your company. Your company logo must appear on all of your forms. It is an extension of your brand.

C) Chat or FAQ Button

Your customer is completing a lengthy intake form; he may have queries in some of the categories. If you have an online form, you may put interrogation marks after each question to clarify what your client is expected to say, offer examples, or have a chat option where your customer can interact with someone or a machine with automated responses regarding the form. This also demonstrates care for many types of individuals from various backgrounds and generations.

D) Contact Information

There are no mysteries here: your contact information must be prominently displayed, especially for new consumers. Your company's name, address, and phone number must be included in your intake form, as well as your contact form or any other form. That is the method by which individuals may contact your company.

E) Automatic Answer

It is critical that your form provides an automatic response to your potential customer as soon as he fills out the form. They will understand that you are providing a serious service and that you are paying attention to them.

You might include a welcome note in this email that tells more about your firm, the job you perform, and the services you provide. That way, by the time you interact with your potential client, he will already be familiar with you. As a result, you may turn them into customers. It is a good etiquette practice that demonstrates that you care about and respect any of your clientele.

Industries that can benefit from Intake Forms

Here are some instances of how the intake form might benefit the Human Resources, Legal, Marketing, and Sales industries, and many more.

I) Legal

If you are an attorney, you are aware that there are numerous legal forms and legal concerns. However, you are only an expert in one subject. So, in order to find the proper customer, you'll need an intake form.

If there are problems or injuries, you might inquire about how the event occurred and the extent of the injuries. If you are dealing with a family issue, you might inquire about the number of children, the date of marriage and separation, and whether the family is prepared to share custody.

Remember that your customer will fill out an online form to explain a legal scenario. As a result, you should include a disclaimer notice on your form stating that any sensitive information should not be revealed because the form is not yet part of client-attorney confidentially, as well as a check-in box where the client acknowledges that they understand and agree.

Another thing to consider is that each state has its own standards for disclaimers, so you must be aware of yours before including one.

II) Human Resources

HR businesses, for example, utilize intake forms when their services are required throughout the hiring process and for employee review. The HR business may ask questions on their intake form such as the company's name, size, and number of workers, the department that is hiring or in need of any HR services, and the name of the department's head. It is also important to inquire about the available position's duties and criteria.

You may collect further information on the intake form, such as what your customer expects from the recruiting process. In this scenario, it's a good idea to ask about the abilities they're seeking, as well as information regarding the interview process. Include in your intake form how they want to be reached and what they expect the outcomes to be, as well as the resources and deadline.

III) Advertising and Marketing

If your customer needs your marketing abilities, you will need to acquire information in order to develop the project he desires. Because customers can always change their minds, the intake form can provide you direction while also protecting you in case your client requests something entirely different from what you committed to in the first place.

In this case, you can include questions in your marketing intake form such as the company's desired direction, the project they want you to complete, the budget they are willing to spend, whether they work on social platforms, who they believe are their competitors, who their buyer personas are, and the project deadline. You may also include a box where your potential customer can provide any information they feel is useful. Remember to include an e-signature area so that you can ensure it is a legal document if necessary. Your marketing intake form must be exact and full in order for your client to have no worries about why they are employing your organisation.

Benefits of Intake Form

An excellent customer intake form can assist your company in performing numerous critical functions:

A) Saves Time

Gathering information via phone calls, email exchanges, and face-to-face meetings may be time-consuming. Collecting all essential customer information at once reduces the time and effort required to begin offering services.

B) Deliver high quality services

Submissions of intake forms let you learn more about your new customer so that you may better address their requirements. Because customer happiness is your aim, the sooner you can begin resolving client issues, the better.

C) Determine the right fit

Obtaining information from clients in advance might assist you in determining whether they are a suitable fit for your services. You may also go through their responses to see if you can assist them with any specific difficulties or concerns.

D) Share knowledge

You will most likely need to discuss a lot of the same information with each customer. Identify and disseminate information that is important to all clients as part of the intake process. You can seek intake information while also providing instructional resources.

Q/A

1. What information is typically included in an intake form?

An intake form typically includes personal information such as the applicant's name, contact information, and medical or financial history. It may also ask for information about the patient's current symptoms, medications, and allergies, as well as their insurance coverage.

2. Why are intake forms important?

Intake forms are important because they provide medical professionals or other service providers with important information that can help them make informed decisions about how to best serve the patient or client. It also allows them to track the patient's progress over time.

3. How are intake forms typically used?

Intake forms are typically used by medical facilities, clinics, hospitals, or insurance companies to assess the patient's health status and suitability for treatment, and to make a decision about whether to approve the application. They are also used to collect a fee for the application process and to store patient's personal and medical information.

4. How are intake forms typically submitted?

Intake forms can be submitted in a variety of ways, including in-person, by mail, or online. Some forms may be printed out and filled in by hand, while others may be completed and submitted digitally.

5. Are there any legal requirements for intake forms?

Yes, intake forms must comply with laws and regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which regulates the handling and protection of patient's personal and medical information, and the regulations on anti-discrimination.

6. Are there any best practices for designing intake forms?

Yes, best practices for designing intake forms include using clear and simple language, making the form easy to navigate, and providing clear instructions on how to complete the form. It's also important to keep the form as short as possible and to only ask for the information that is strictly necessary.

Summing Up

As I previously stated, not everything is meant to be, and it's easy to waste time chasing after an opportunity that may turn out to be a dud. However, with a well-designed client intake form, you may avoid those potential duds and keep your business working as smoothly and effectively as possible.

LeadGen App is all you need to create your intake form from scratch or from templates. It features everything you need and is responsive and mobile-friendly by default, which will help you create leads.