B2B enquiry forms: the fields that make a quote possible on the spot
· updated October 6, 2026
A quote needs four things: what, how many, to what specification, and delivered where. A form missing any one of them cannot produce a price, so the reply becomes a question instead of a number — and every round trip loses buyers who are asking three suppliers at once.
Most enquiry forms ask for name, email, and a message box. What comes back is "please send me your best price", and the reply has to be a question. Two or three exchanges later the buyer has already had a number from someone else.
The fix is not a longer form. It is a form that asks the four things a price is actually made of, and nothing else.
The four that a price is made of
| Field | Why a price cannot exist without it | What happens if you skip it |
|---|---|---|
| What — the item or drawing | It sets the material and the process | You quote the wrong thing and lose credibility on correction |
| How many | Setup cost is spread across the run | You quote a unit price that is wrong at every other quantity |
| To what specification | Tolerance, finish, certification change the cost | The number is right until they tell you it needs a certificate |
| Delivered where | Freight and duties are part of what they pay | They compare your ex-works price against a competitor’s landed price |
The quantity field is the one that gets treated as optional most often, and it is the one that changes the answer most. In the laser cutting prototype we built, taking the run from 50 pieces to 100 halves the share of setup cost each piece carries — the unit price falls by about a fifth. That is not a discount you are granting, it is arithmetic. Without the quantity you cannot do the arithmetic, so you guess, and a guessed price is either lost margin or a lost order.
Asking more is not asking better
Every extra field costs you enquiries. The test for whether a field earns its place is narrow: does the price change depending on the answer? Budget range does not change the price. Company size does not change the price. "How did you hear about us" does not change the price. Those belong in the conversation after the number, not before it.
- If the answer changes the price, ask it on the form.
- If the answer changes who replies, ask it on the form — routing is worth a field.
- If the answer only helps your marketing, ask it later or not at all.
When the file is the specification
In fabrication, machining and printing, the drawing already contains most of the answer. A form that accepts the file and reads it removes the step where the buyer translates their own drawing into your form fields — which they will do badly, because they are guessing what you need.
In the prototype, the DXF gives the outline, the cut length and the hole count directly. The buyer supplies the material and the quantity, which the file cannot know. That split is the general rule: take from the file what the file knows, and ask the human only for what it does not.
What to show when you cannot price instantly
Not every business can put a number on the screen, and pretending otherwise is worse than not trying. But you can always replace "we will get back to you" with something specific: what you will send, and when. A buyer who knows they get a full quotation within one working day will wait for it. A buyer who receives nothing but a thank-you page has no reason to.
Part of
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WordPress quote and RFQ system: enquiries you can actually priceReplace “send me your best price” with a request that arrives carrying the products, the quantities, the specification and the drawing — so the first reply can be a number.About how we work →