Choosing pre-booking vs post-booking mode

4 min readGetting Started

Pre-Booking vs Post-Booking: Which Mode to Use?

HeyIntake offers two distinct modes for different stages of your client journey. With our Unified Opportunity Model, these modes work together seamlessly on the same record.

Pre-Booking Mode (Lead Capture)

Use this when: You're capturing new leads who haven't committed yet.

What it does:

  • AI scores leads 0-100 based on fit and intent
  • Assigns priority labels (Immediate, High, Medium, Low)
  • Generates summaries highlighting key details
  • Lead Pipeline: New → Contacted → Qualified → Won/Lost

Best for:

  • Contact forms on your website
  • Lead forms for services
  • Quote request forms
  • Initial consultations

Post-Booking Mode (Client Onboarding)

Use this when: Someone has already agreed to work with you.

What it does:

  • Collects detailed project requirements
  • AI analyzes intake completeness (Clarity Score)
  • Identifies missing information and risk flags
  • Intake Pipeline: Awaiting Intake → Intake Requested → Received → In Review → Scheduled → In Service → Completed

Best for:

  • New client onboarding
  • Project kickoff questionnaires
  • Service intake forms
  • Gathering requirements before starting work

The Unified Opportunity Model

HeyIntake uses a single record to track both lead and intake stages. When you mark a lead as "Won" and start intake:

  • Lead Stage stays visible (Won) for pipeline reporting
  • Intake Stage starts tracking the onboarding workflow
  • Both stages appear simultaneously on submission cards
  • Activity Timeline shows the complete history

This means:

  • No duplicate records
  • Clear audit trail of who did what, when
  • Accurate reporting across both pipelines
  • Seamless handoff from sales to onboarding

When a Lead Becomes a Client

  • Mark the lead as Won
  • Choose whether to Send Intake Email immediately
  • Select which intake form to use
  • The submission now shows both statuses:

- Lead: Won

- Intake: Intake Requested (or Awaiting Intake)


Recommendation: Start with a pre-booking form for lead capture. When leads convert, use the "Mark as Won & Start Intake" feature to seamlessly transition them to onboarding.