---
title: "Coaching Intake Form Template That Pre-Qualifies Leads"
slug: coaching-intake-form
author: "Leonardo Maldonado"
category: "DM Closing & Scripts"
articleType: how-to-guide
tags: ["coaching intake form","coaching application form","lead qualification","templates"]
publishedAt: 2026-11-10T09:00:00.000Z
updatedAt: 2026-11-10T09:00:00.000Z
canonical: https://setluca.com/blog/coaching-intake-form
---# Coaching Intake Form Template That Pre-Qualifies Leads

> A coaching intake form is a short set of questions a lead answers before you get on a call, so you can see fit, timing and budget first. The free template below has 15 questions and a 4-question version for the DMs. A points rubric sorts each lead into book, nurture (stay in touch until they're ready) or refer out.

## Key takeaways

- Before the sale it's an application; after the sale it's onboarding, the setup before your first session. Keep the two forms separate and keep the first one short.
- Score each answer, add the points, and let three bands decide: book the call, nurture by email, or refer out.
- Many leads would rather answer four questions in the DMs than open a form, so keep a short DM version ready.

---

A coaching intake form saves you from 45-minute calls with people who were never going to buy. It also gives the right people a clear next step. This guide gives you a copy-paste coaching intake form template and shows how to score it. It also covers where to host the form and what privacy basics apply.

## What is a coaching intake form?

A coaching intake form is a questionnaire a lead fills in before a sales call, so you can judge fit before you spend the time. It asks about goals, current situation, timing and budget, and it flags anyone you shouldn't sell to.

A good one filters out poor fits without making good fits feel interrogated. It gives you notes to open the call with, and it sets expectations, including roughly what the program costs. Our guide to [lead qualification questions for coaches](/blog/lead-qualification-questions-for-coaches) covers the conversational side of the same job.

## Is a coaching application form different from an intake form?

Yes. A coaching application form comes before the sale and decides whether you get on a call. An intake form, in the strict sense, comes after the sale and prepares you to coach. Most coaches searching for either want the pre-call version, which is what the template below is.

|  | Application form (pre-call) | Intake form (post-sale onboarding) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| When it's sent | Before the sales call | After payment, before session one |
| Main job | Decide book, nurture or refer out | Plan the coaching and set up logistics |
| Length | 10 to 15 questions, under 5 minutes | As long as the work needs |
| Typical questions | Goal, why now, timeline, budget range | Detailed history, preferences, schedule, agreements |
| Sensitive data | Avoid it | Only what the coaching needs, with consent |
| Who reads it | You or your setter | You, the coach |

## The coaching intake form template (15 questions)

Copy the template into your form tool, replace the bracketed parts, and keep the order, because the easy questions come first.

```text
COACHING APPLICATION

Section 1: Contact
1. First name and best email address
2. How did you find me? (Instagram / Podcast / Referral / Other)

Section 2: Goals
3. What do you want to be different 90 days from now? Be as specific as you can.
4. Why is now the right time to work on this?

Section 3: Where you are today
5. Where are you with this right now, in two or three sentences?
6. What's getting in the way most?

Section 4: What you've tried
7. What have you already tried, and what happened?
8. Have you worked with a coach before? If so, what worked and what didn't?

Section 5: Timeline
9. If we're a fit, when would you want to start?
   ( ) Within 2 weeks  ( ) Within a month  ( ) In 1 to 3 months  ( ) Just exploring

Section 6: Investment
10. My coaching programs run from $[low] to $[high]. Which fits where you are?
   ( ) That range works  ( ) It works with a payment plan  ( ) It's above what I can do right now

Section 7: Fit
11. The program takes about [X] hours a week. How many can you realistically give it?
12. Is anyone else part of this decision? (Just me / Me and a partner / My employer)
13. Anything you'd like me to know before we talk? Please don't share medical details here.

Section 8: Consent
14. I confirm I'm 18 or older. ( ) Yes  ( ) No
15. I agree to be contacted about this application and have read the privacy notice [link]. ( ) Yes
```

## How do you score the answers?

Score a coaching intake form by giving each answer 0 to 3 points and adding them up. A total of 11 to 15 books the call, 6 to 10 nurtures, and 0 to 5 gets light nurture or a referral. Knockouts, such as an applicant under 18, override the score.

| Signal (question) | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Goal clarity (3) | Blank | General | Specific, in their words |  |
| Why now (4) | Blank or "no reason" | A general wish | A named trigger or deadline |  |
| What they've tried (7, 8) | Nothing, not open to change | Little so far | Tried something and can say what happened |  |
| Timeline (9) | Just exploring | In 1 to 3 months | Within a month | Within 2 weeks |
| Budget (10) | Above what I can do |  | Works with a payment plan | That range works |
| Hours (11) | Well below what's needed | A little below | Meets it |  |
| Decision (12) | Someone else decides and isn't involved | Just me, or the other person is on board |  |  |

### Which answers skip the score?

The maximum is 15. Three knockouts, meaning answers that rule someone out, skip the score entirely. Anyone under 18 gets a kind no and no sales follow-up. Crisis language or a clinical need gets a referral to the right kind of professional, and a problem outside your niche gets a referral too.

For the nurture band, our guide to [lead nurture for coaches](/blog/lead-nurture-for-coaches) has a simple plan.

## What can you ask in the DMs instead of a form?

In the DMs, ask four questions in conversation instead of sending a form, because many leads won't open a form link. Send one question per message, each after they answer:

> "What made you reach out today?" "What would you want to be different 90 days from now?" "If it turned out to be a good fit, when would you want to start?" "My programs run from $[low] to $[high]. Is that roughly the range you had in mind?"

### How do you score the DM version?

Score the four rows you asked: goal, why now, timeline and budget, for a maximum of 10 points. Book at 7 to 10, nurture at 4 to 6, and light nurture or refer out at 0 to 3. Add the age question only if something suggests a minor.

Our guide to [booking calls from Instagram DMs](/blog/book-calls-from-instagram-dms) shows how to move from the last answer to a booked time. Some high scorers would rather buy without a call, and our guide to [closing clients in DMs](/blog/how-to-close-clients-in-dms) covers that path.

## Where should you host the form?

Google Forms, Typeform and Tally all work for hosting a 15-question coaching intake form. Pick on free response limits and where the answers land. The table compares their free plans as each company listed them in October 2026.

| Tool | Free plan limit (checked October 26, 2026) | Paid entry | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Google Forms | Up to 500,000 responses and 1 GB per form | Included with Google Workspace "at no extra cost" | Coaches who live in Google Sheets |
| Typeform | 10 responses a month across all forms | Not shown consistently while Typeform tests pricing | One question per screen, polished feel |
| Tally | Unlimited forms and submissions, within fair use | Pro at $29 a month | Generous free plan, simple setup |

## What privacy rules apply to an intake form?

The privacy rules for a coaching intake form depend on where you and your leads are and what you collect. This is background, not legal advice. The European Commission says you "must collect and process only the personal data that is necessary to fulfil that purpose." It also lists health-related data as sensitive, which is why question 13 asks people not to share medical details.

## A worked example: one month of applications

Here's how the scoring rubric plays out over one month for Anselm, a fictional career-change coach (illustrative). He sells a $3,000 twelve-week program and gets 80 applications from his bio link. Six hit a knockout, which leaves 74 to score:

- **Book (11 to 15 points):** 30 applications, or 37.5% of 80.
- **Nurture (6 to 10 points):** 32 applications.
- **Light nurture (0 to 5 points):** 12 applications.

Of the 30 he sends a booking link, 24 book a call. Four of the 32 nurture leads come back later that month and book too. That's 28 calls, or 35% of applications.

At 45 minutes each, 28 calls take 21 hours. Calls with all 80 applicants would take 60 hours, so the form saves him 39 hours. The numbers are invented, so run your own.

If calls go well but stall at the decision, the problem is the call, not the form. Our [discovery call script for coaches](/blog/discovery-call-script-for-coaches) picks up from there, and [how to handle "I can't afford it"](/blog/how-to-handle-i-cant-afford-it) covers the most common stall.

## How SetLuca asks the DM version for you

SetLuca is a DM sales platform that does a setter's work in Telegram, Instagram and Messenger. It replies to people who wrote to you first, within minutes at any hour, and asks your fit questions using the sales framework you pick. So the goal, timing and budget questions come up in conversation instead of a form. Then it books the call, and you take it. Our explainer on [what an appointment setter is](/blog/what-is-an-appointment-setter) covers where that role ends.

SetLuca pins conversations about suspected minors, medical issues or crisis language to the top of your queue so a person sees them first. One honest limit: a great human setter still reads hard, emotional conversations better.

## Do you still need a coaching intake form?

Yes, if leads reach you from a link, a website or a bio. A coaching intake form gives them a clear step and gives you a score before the call. If most leads start in the DMs, use the four-question version there. For more ways to save time around sales, see our guide on [how to automate your coaching business](/blog/how-to-automate-your-coaching-business).


## FAQ

### What should a coaching intake form include?

Include contact details, the lead's goal, why now, where they are today, what they've tried, when they'd start, a budget range, weekly time available, who decides, and consent. Fifteen questions covers it. Skip medical history, income and anything else you don't need to decide whether to book a call.

### What's the difference between a coaching application form and an intake form?

An application form comes before the sale and decides whether to book a call. An intake form, strictly, comes after the sale and prepares you to coach. Many coaches use the terms interchangeably, but keep the two forms separate so the pre-call one stays short.

### How many questions should a coaching intake form have?

Ten to fifteen is enough for a pre-call application, and it should take under five minutes. Each question should change what you do next. If an answer wouldn't change whether you book, nurture or refer out, cut it. Onboarding forms after the sale can be longer.

### Should I put my price on the intake form?

Yes, as a range. A form that hides the price fills your calendar with people who leave when they hear the number. Showing a range, with a payment-plan option, lets leads self-select. It also makes the budget question easy to score and the call easier to open.

### Can I ask about health on a coaching intake form?

Avoid it before the sale. The European Commission lists health-related data as sensitive, subject to specific conditions such as explicit consent. Ask leads not to share medical details on the form. If your coaching truly needs health information, collect it after the sale with consent and qualified advice.


## Sources

1. [Typeform Help Center, "Typeform plans and pricing." Retrieved 2026-10-26.](https://help.typeform.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032972852)
2. [Tally, "Tally plans and pricing explained." Retrieved 2026-10-28.](https://tally.so/help/student-non-profit-ngo-discounts)
3. [Google Docs Editors Help, "View and manage form responses," 2026. Retrieved 2026-10-26.](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/139706?hl=en)
4. [Google Workspace, "Google Forms." Retrieved 2026-10-26.](https://workspace.google.com/intl/en_au/lp/forms/)
5. [European Commission, "Principles of the GDPR." Retrieved 2026-10-29.](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/information-business-and-organisations/principles-gdpr_en)
6. [European Commission, "Legal grounds for processing data" (sections on when personal data can be processed and on sensitive data). Retrieved 2026-10-29.](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/information-business-and-organisations/legal-grounds-processing-data_en)
7. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Covered Entities and Business Associates." Retrieved 2026-10-26.](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/covered-entities/index.html)
8. [SetLuca, "Pricing," last updated 2026-10-21. Retrieved 2026-10-26.](https://setluca.com/pricing)

---

Published by SetLuca.