Leads & bookings
Organise business enquiries
You will have a list of fields to capture, a set of statuses, and a filled-in example for one fictional enquiry.
Before you start
- A business, side project or club that receives enquiries, even a few a week
- A notes app, a spreadsheet or a piece of paper
- No paid tool or account is needed, and nothing here connects to your email or booking system
Why organise enquiries
Enquiries arrive by email, message, phone and in person. Without one place to record them, replies get late and people are forgotten. You do not need special software. You need to decide what to write down and what each status means.
Choose the fields to capture
Capture only what you need to reply well. Start with this list and cross out anything you never use.
- Date received
- Name and the best way to reach them
- What they are asking for, in one line
- Anything that affects timing, such as a preferred day
- Where the enquiry came from
- Status
- Next step and the date it is due
Only collect personal details you need, and keep the list somewhere private.
Define a few clear statuses
Four or five statuses are enough. Write what each one means, so two people would use it the same way.
- New: received, not yet answered.
- Replied: you have answered and are waiting on them.
- Booked: they have confirmed a date or a purchase.
- Not now: they said no or later. Note a date to check back, if any.
- Closed: nothing more to do.
Worked example
Dana runs a mobile dog grooming business in Sydney. This is a made-up example. Here is one fictional enquiry, recorded.
- Received: Monday 26 October.
- From: Chris, by website message, wants a groom for a small dog.
- Timing: a weekday morning, the suburb is Marrickville.
- Source: found Dana through a neighbourhood group.
- Status: New.
- Next step: reply with two available mornings, by end of Tuesday.
Once Dana replies, the status changes to Replied and the next step becomes “check for an answer on Thursday”.
Set a review rhythm
A list only helps if you look at it. Pick a fixed time each day or week to scan for New and Replied enquiries that are overdue. Five minutes is enough.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Capturing so many fields that you stop filling them in
- Using statuses that overlap, so nobody is sure which to choose
- Recording an enquiry without a next step and a date
- Keeping personal details in a place others can see
- Never reviewing the list
Final checklist
- I chose the fields I will capture
- I wrote a meaning for each status
- I recorded one example enquiry with a next step and date
- My list is stored somewhere private
- I picked a regular time to review it