How to track client inquiries and replies

When this guide helps

Use this guide if any of these situations sound familiar:

An inquiry reaches your shared inbox, but nobody replies because everyone assumes a teammate will.
You reply and ask for more details, then lose track of the conversation while waiting.
You are starting to share inquiries with a teammate or need to cover for someone who is away.

Use the eight steps below to take an inquiry from arrival to handoff or closure. You get a blank tracker, a filled example, and a first-reply template. The linked guides cover preparing a proposal and delivering the work.

Start with one shared spreadsheet

Start with the blank tracker. Each inquiry will have a reference to the client’s message, the name of the person replying, and the next agreed action. If your team already uses email and spreadsheets, you can start there.

Download the filled example if you would like to see what a record looks like first. It uses fictional information; replace it with your own before using it for work.

Download the blank tracker · CSV Download the filled example · CSV

How to open the tracker and share it with teammates

A CSV file contains spreadsheet data. In Google Sheets, open a new spreadsheet and choose File → Import → Upload. Select the downloaded CSV and confirm the import. If the values do not separate into columns, choose comma as the separator.

Use Share to invite the teammates who will update inquiries and give them editing access. Others may only need viewing access. Keep client contacts private. In Excel, check comma separation and UTF-8 encoding when importing text; the team should use a shared file rather than emailed copies.

Import help · Sharing help

What one tracked inquiry looks like

Consider a fictional small studio. A client asks for a new website. Alex takes the inquiry and needs to know the number of pages before preparing a proposal. Alex replies and records the inquiry as EX-101.

The tracker now tells teammates that Alex is handling the website, has replied, and will check for the client’s answer on September 29. They can see what is happening without asking Alex or sending another reply. If Alex is away, someone else can find the conversation and pick it up.

Reply owner: Alex: The named person handling this inquiry.
Status: Waiting for client: Alex has replied and needs more information before preparing a proposal.
Next action: Check for the client’s reply: What Alex will do on the review date.
Review date: September 29: When to review the inquiry, not the promised website delivery date.

The same client later asks about training. Sam handles that inquiry as EX-102, with a separate date and next action. The website reply did not answer the training request. Both records are in the downloadable example.

From the first message to a resolved inquiry: 8 steps

0 / 8

Check off steps as you finish them. Progress stays in this browser; reset it below when you start again.

01
Agree on one shared place to track inquiriesDownload the tracker above and keep it somewhere everyone handling inquiries can access. The team edits one shared file. Keep the conversations in email; use the spreadsheet to track what needs doing.
02
Record the request and where to find the original messageAdd a row for each new job. Enter the date, contact, and a short description such as “company website design.” Include an email link or a reference a teammate can use to find it, plus a permanent inquiry number such as R-001. If the same client later asks about training, add a separate row.
03
Name the person who will reply and set a dateEnter one name under Reply owner. Agree when that person will contact the client and record the date under Review date. Make the Next action specific, such as “ask how many pages are needed.” “Handle inquiry” does not tell a teammate what to do.
04
Answer the client’s actual questionRead the latest messages first to check whether a teammate has already replied. Then explain how you can help and ask for the information needed to move forward. Say what you will send next and when. An automatic “we received your inquiry” email does not replace this reply.
05
After replying, record what you are waiting forAdd a reference to your sent reply. If you need information from the client, set Waiting for client and choose a review date. If the next action is yours, write something like “prepare proposal by Friday” instead. The row should describe the work that actually comes next.
06
Return to the inquiry on the agreed dateWhen the review date arrives, open the current conversation. If the client has replied, act on the reply. If not, decide whether to follow up. Update the date if they ask for more time. A date in the spreadsheet should prompt a review, not automatically send another email.
07
Review unattended inquiries each workdayAgree who will review new inquiries, unassigned rows, and overdue dates each workday. Sort by Review date and update the next action for open items. Before someone goes on leave, assign their ongoing conversations to a named teammate and update the tracker.
08
Record how the inquiry endedWhen the client accepts a proposal, pass the agreed scope and latest discussion to the person doing the work. Mark it Handed over once that person accepts the handoff. If the client declines or you agree not to proceed, record the reason and close the inquiry. Keep closed rows for reference.

A first reply that moves the inquiry forward

Replace bracketed details and adapt the wording to the actual agreement. Use the button to select all text, then copy with your keyboard shortcut or browser menu.

Hi [name],

Thanks for asking about [specific outcome]. To suggest a scope and price, I still need [one specific detail]. Could you send it by [agreed date]?

I will then send [a recommendation / follow-up questions / a proposal] by [a date you can meet]. I will be your contact for this inquiry; you can send materials in this thread.

[name]

What to use and what it costs

Keep your current email and open our tracker in Google Sheets or Excel. You gain a shared next-action list without moving every conversation. Add a CRM when you also need to manage sales stages across multiple jobs.

Options for this workflow
Tool and when it fits	Price and conditions
Google Sheets ↗ Start here when the main need is seeing unanswered inquiries.	No additional subscription if you already have a suitable Google account. Assumes your existing account and storage. Your team maintains records and due dates. Source and terms
HubSpot Free ↗ When one or two people also need contacts, deals and tasks.	USD 0 · up to 2 users. A small starting point with manual tasks. A three-person team cannot assume three free seats. Source and terms

Prices and terms checked September 27, 2026, in the currency shown by the vendor. Quotes may vary by country; confirm your currency, tax and commitment before buying. Example budgets exclude any additional tax.

Budget for this job

Additional subscriptions can cost $0 when email and spreadsheets are already available. Time still counts: an illustrative 20 inquiries × 3 minutes of recordkeeping is 1 hour/month, excluding the reply itself. Use your own volume and time in the calculator.

Include your time and running costs →

What to do when an inquiry gets stuck

Nobody knows who should reply

Do not leave the choice to chance. The person reviewing incoming inquiries agrees on a handler and records their name. Until then, keep the inquiry on the daily list of unattended requests.

A teammate cannot open the email

A link may lead to a personal mailbox the teammate cannot access. Give them appropriate access to the shared conversation or hand over that thread through your approved method. Do not put an email password in the spreadsheet.

The same inquiry appears twice

Compare the actual requests. If they concern the same job, keep one working row and add the conversation references to it. If the client wants two different jobs, keep two rows. A matching email address is not enough to decide.

Can a teammate see what to do next?

Open one ongoing inquiry with a teammate. Can they find the original request, the latest reply, and the next action with its date without asking you to explain? If so, the tracker gives them the information needed to take over. If not, add the missing detail.

Start with the inquiries still in progress

Start today with the open inquiries that need attention. Give each one a handler and a review date. You do not need to copy every closed conversation before getting started.

Once the request is clear, see how to prepare and confirm a proposal. After the client accepts, learn how to hand the work to a teammate.