Coaching Client Intake Questionnaire
A well-designed intake questionnaire is the foundation of effective coaching. It gives you critical context before the first session, shows the client you take their goals seriously, and sets a professional tone for the entire engagement. Without it, you spend the first session asking basic questions instead of driving toward results.
This questionnaire is designed to be sent immediately after a client signs up and completed before the first session. It covers their background, current challenges, goals, and preferences — everything you need to prepare a powerful first conversation.
Use this as a form (Google Forms, Typeform, or your CRM's form builder) or send it as a document they can fill out and return.
Templates
Core Intake Questions
The essential questions every coaching client should answer before the first session.
CLIENT INTAKE QUESTIONNAIRE About You: 1. Full name: 2. Email: 3. Phone number: 4. Business name (if applicable): 5. Website or social media links: 6. How did you hear about us? Your Current Situation: 7. In 2-3 sentences, describe what your [business/career/life] looks like right now. 8. What's the #1 challenge or frustration you're dealing with? 9. How long have you been dealing with this challenge? 10. What have you already tried to solve it? What happened? 11. On a scale of 1-10, how urgent is resolving this? Your Goals: 12. What does success look like for you 90 days from now? Be as specific as possible. 13. What would change in your life/business if you achieved this goal? 14. What's the biggest obstacle you see standing between you and that goal? Your Preferences: 15. How do you prefer to communicate between sessions? (Email / Text / Slack / Voxer) 16. Are there specific days/times that work best for your sessions? 17. Is there anything else you'd like me to know before our first session?
Extended Questions (Business Coaching)
Additional questions for business or entrepreneurial coaching. Add these to the core questions above.
Business-Specific Questions: 18. What is your current monthly revenue (approximately)? 19. What is your revenue goal for the next 12 months? 20. How many clients/customers do you currently serve? 21. What tools/systems are you currently using? (CRM, email, scheduling, etc.) 22. Do you have a team? If so, how many people? 23. What's your current marketing strategy? What's working and what isn't? 24. What's the biggest bottleneck in your business right now? 25. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your business today, what would it be?
Best Practices
- Send the intake form within minutes of sign-up — while motivation is highest
- Set a clear deadline: 'Please complete this at least 48 hours before our first session'
- Keep it to 15-20 questions max — too many questions create friction and reduce completion
- Review their answers before the first session and come prepared with insights
- Save their responses in your CRM for reference throughout the coaching engagement
- Use their exact words when setting goals together — it shows you listened
Related Templates
Related Resources
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