What to ask a client before you quote: 12 questions

What to ask a client before you quote: 12 questions. Discovery Call Planner page from the Client Discovery Kit.

Discovery · 6 min read

A client asks for a price on the first call. You want to help, but a number given too early is a guess, and guesses cost money. These twelve questions give you enough to quote responsibly, without turning the call into an interrogation.

“Can you just send me a price?” Start here

The enquiry looks promising. The client likes your work, has a project in mind and would love a price by this afternoon. You would love to send one. Ideally, a price that still makes sense after you find out what the project involves.

For freelancers, consultants and small studios, this is an awkward moment. Ask too little and you risk pricing an imagined project. Ask too much and a straightforward enquiry can feel like an entrance exam.

The aim is to build enough shared understanding to make a responsible offer. You do not need every answer on the first call. You do need to know which unanswered questions could change the work.

What do you need to know before you quote?

Before you quote, you need to understand four things: the problem the project solves, what is in and out of scope, who decides and by when, and the budget and timing the client has in mind. The questions below are a practical way to find each of them out.

The 12 questions

The problem and why now

  1. What problem are you hoping this project will solve, or what opportunity are you chasing?
  2. What has prompted this now, and what happens if nothing changes?

Goals and success

  1. What would a successful result look like for you?
  2. How will you know it has worked?

Scope

  1. What work do you expect to be included?
  2. Is anything you would expect to be left out, now or for a later stage?
  3. What do you already have in place, such as materials, systems or other suppliers?

People and approvals

  1. Who makes the final decision, and who else needs to review or approve the work?
  2. How do you prefer to communicate and give feedback?

Budget and timing

  1. Do you have a budget or range in mind, and who approves the spending?
  2. Is there a date this needs to be finished by, and what is driving it?
  3. Is there anything that could get in the way, such as approvals, other people’s input or information you still need to find?
Top of the first page of the Discovery Call Planner: call details, an enquiry snapshot, call objectives and topics to clarify.
The top of the Discovery Call Planner from the Client Discovery Kit. The full page also has call objectives and topics to clarify.

How to ask without it feeling like an exam

Tell the client why you are asking. A single sentence helps: “I would like to understand a few things so the price I give you is accurate and I do not have to change it later.” Most people respond well to that.

You do not need to ask all twelve questions in one go. Collect the basics before the call with a short enquiry form, then use the call for the questions that need a conversation. Anything you cannot settle on the call can be finished by email afterwards.

What if the client will not share a budget?

It happens often, and it does not have to stall the conversation. Explain that projects like this usually vary a lot depending on what is included, then offer two or three options at different levels and ask which feels closest to what they had in mind. You learn their expectations without forcing a number out of them.

When do you know you have enough to quote?

You have enough when you can describe, in a few sentences, the problem being solved, what is included and what is not, who approves it, the budget range and the timing. If one of those is missing, say so: “I would like to confirm one thing before I give you a firm price.” If the client needs a figure sooner, give a clearly labelled indicative range and say what it depends on.

Key takeaways

  • Ask about the problem, the scope, the people and the budget before you quote. Those four decide most of the price.
  • Explain why you are asking, and use a short form for the basics so the call can focus on conversation.
  • If you cannot quote firmly yet, give a labelled indicative range and say what it depends on.

Want these questions ready to use?

The Client Discovery Kit includes a Client Enquiry Form, a Lead Qualification Checklist, a Discovery Call Planner and a meeting guide, as editable Microsoft Word documents.

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