By the end of this guide, you'll have...
A fast, repeatable process for turning new inquiries into signed contracts — using creavio's deal pipeline to track prospects, generate professional quotes, and close with e-signatures in minutes instead of days.
What you'll need
- Your services and pricing set up in creavio
- At least one contract template
- A deal pipeline configured (creavio provides a default one)
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Capture the inquiry — When a new inquiry comes in (email, DM, or contact form), immediately add them as a client in Clients → Add Client. Include their name, email, and a note about what they're looking for. Speed matters — the faster you respond, the more likely they book.
- Create a deal — Go to Deals → New Deal and link it to the new client. Set the deal value based on the package they're interested in and place it in your "New Inquiry" stage. This starts the clock on your response time.
- Move to qualification — After your initial conversation (call, email, or meeting), update the deal notes with their requirements: date, location, budget, style preferences. Move the deal to "Qualified" in your pipeline. This tells you at a glance who's serious.
- Build a quote — From the deal or client profile, create a quote by selecting the relevant services. creavio pulls in your service pricing and descriptions. Customize with any add-ons or discounts specific to this client.
- Send the quote — Share the quote via email directly from creavio. The client receives a professional, branded quote they can review online. They'll see exactly what's included, the total price, and payment terms.
- Convert to contract — Once the client approves the quote, convert it into a contract with one click. creavio transfers the service details, pricing, and client information into your contract template. Review the terms, make any final adjustments.
- Send for e-signature — Hit Send for Signing. Your client receives an email with a link to review and e-sign the contract. Most clients sign within hours when the quote-to-contract flow is seamless.
- Close the deal — When the contract is signed, move the deal to "Won" in your pipeline. creavio tracks your conversion rate so you can see how many inquiries turn into bookings over time.
- Generate the deposit invoice — Immediately after the contract is signed, send the deposit invoice. The momentum from signing makes clients more likely to pay quickly. creavio can generate this from the contract details.
Pro tips
- Respond to inquiries within 1 hour when possible. Photographers who respond fastest win the booking more often than those with the best portfolio.
- Keep your deal pipeline stages simple: New Inquiry → Qualified → Quote Sent → Contract Sent → Won/Lost. Too many stages create friction.
- After a lost deal, add a note about why. Over time, this data reveals patterns — maybe your pricing is off, or you're losing to photographers who include albums.
What's next
You've mastered the front end of client acquisition. Now learn how to onboard clients smoothly once they've signed, or review your full business setup to make sure nothing's missing.