Reply to every inquiry the same working day with a short note that thanks them, asks three questions (what, where and when) and offers one next step: a short call.
Decide fit after they answer, not before you reply. One named person checks every inbox once a day, and every inquiry goes in a log.
Step by step
1Name one person on duty
One person checks the website form, the shared inbox and any WhatsApp number once a day at a set time. A named backup covers holidays and site days.
2Reply the same working day
Use the reply below. A short reply with three good questions today is more useful to the client than a full answer next week.
3Triage when they answer
Check their answers against a one-line fit list: project types you take, the area you serve, start dates you can meet.
4Book the call or decline kindly
If it fits, book the call. If not, say so that week, and name who might help if you know. A clear no is better than silence.
5Nudge once, then close
If they do not reply, send one short nudge after about a week. Then mark it closed in the log.
6Log every inquiry
One row per inquiry: date, name, source, project type and status. The log shows where new work comes from and which inquiries went quiet.
Free tool
Inquiry reply writer
Fill in who wrote and what they asked. It writes the first reply and the log row. Read it before you send.
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent, saved or uploaded. Replace the values with yours.
Why speed matters more than polish
A person who sends an inquiry is often contacting more than one firm. The first useful reply sets the tone: it shows the firm reads its inbox and asks good questions. A reply does not need to answer everything. It needs to arrive, be specific to what they wrote, and make the next step obvious.
Where inquiries arrive
Small firms usually get inquiries in several places at once, which is how they get missed. List yours and give each one to the person on duty.
Channel
Common miss
Fix
Website form
Notifications go to an old address
Send form answers to one sheet and one shared inbox
Shared inbox
Everyone assumes someone else replied
Label or move each inquiry once replied
Personal email
Sits in one partner's inbox
Forward to the shared inbox the same day
WhatsApp or phone
No written record
Add a row to the inquiry log after the call
Referral
Introduction email gets buried
Reply to the introduction first, then move the client to their own thread
The three questions, and why these three
What tells you the project type and rough size, which is the first fit test.
Where tells you whether you can serve the site and which rules apply.
When tells you whether you have the capacity, and how urgent the client is.
Budget is deliberately not on the list. It is a real question, but it lands better on a call, where you can explain what the number covers.
A one-line fit list
Write your fit list before you need it, one line each, so triage takes a minute rather than a debate:
Project types we take: [list].
Area we serve: [list].
Earliest start we can offer: [date or months from now].
Projects we refer elsewhere: [list, with who].
Automating the first reply safely
If inquiries arrive through a form, an automation can prepare the first reply as a draft in the shared mailbox, filled in from the form, for the person on duty to read and send. That keeps the speed without letting fixed text go out unread. Website forms can also send answers straight to a sheet, which becomes the inquiry log. The next step for an inquiry that fits is client intake.
What to track in the inquiry log
Five columns are enough: date, name, source, project type and status. After a few months the log answers questions that are otherwise guesswork: which channel brings projects that fit, how many inquiries went quiet after the first reply, and how many you declined and why. Review it once a month, and move any inquiry with no status change in two weeks to closed.
Three replies to keep ready
The first reply, one nudge and a kind decline. Save them as templates or canned replies in your mail app.
Hi [First name],
Thank you for getting in touch about [what they described]. To see how we can help, three quick questions:
1. What would you like to build or change, in a sentence or two?
2. Where is the site?
3. When would you like to start, and is there a date you need to finish by?
If it is easier to talk, here is a link to book a short call: [booking link].
Best,
[Your name]
[Firm name]
One nudge if they go quiet
When: About a week after the first reply (a suggested gap; adjust it)
Subject: Re: your [project type] project
Hi [First name],
Following up on my note from [date]. If you are still planning [project], the three answers below are all I need to start: what, where and when?
If plans have changed, no reply needed.
Best,
[Your name]
Kind decline
When: When the project is not a fit
Subject: Re: your [project type] project
Hi [First name],
Thank you for the details. This project is outside what we take on at the moment, because [one honest reason: location / type / timing], so we would not be the right firm for it.
[Optional: You may want to speak to [name or type of firm].]
I hope it goes well.
Best,
[Your name]
[Firm name]
Frequently asked questions
How fast should an architecture firm reply to a new inquiry?
Aim for the same working day. We know of no reliable benchmark specific to architecture firms, so treat this as a working rule rather than a measured standard.
Should the first reply include fees?
Usually not. You cannot price a project you have not understood. Ask what, where and when, offer a call, and discuss fees once you know the scope.
What if the inquiry is clearly not a fit?
Decline the same week with one honest reason. If you know a firm that does that kind of work, name it. It costs a minute and leaves a good impression.
Can AI write inquiry replies?
It can draft them, but a person should read every reply before it goes, and the draft must never invent a fee, a date or a promise. The writer on this page uses fixed text; it adds nothing you didn't type.
Archon & Partners