Know which prototype builds are worth a capability review
Buyers tell you the material category, unit quantity, and timeline for their build, plus upload design files or drawings, so your team knows whether it's a quick sample or a full capability review before you respond.
Preview your prototype manufacturing intake
Explore 5 questions from the Prototype Manufacturing template. This interactive preview uses illustrative scoring and sample attachments. Open the full survey to try the complete intake.
What a qualified prototype manufacturing lead should tell you
Manufacturing of one or more prototype units — in metal, plastic, composite, or electronics — used to validate design, function, or appearance before a buyer commits to a production run.
- Material Category Prototype
- Already Have Completed Design
- Many Prototype Units In
- Primary Purpose This Prototype
- Finished Prototype
The questions your team needs answered
Every prototype manufacturing intake asks these — and why each one matters.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What material category does your prototype require? | Material category tells your team whether this request fits your line's process capability before shop time gets committed. |
| Do you already have a completed design file or drawing ready for production? | A completed design file signals a buyer ready to move quickly, while 'no' flags a request that may need design support before a quote makes sense. |
| How many prototype units do you need in this round? | Unit count is the clearest predictor of whether this prototype could lead into a larger production run worth a capability review. |
| What is the primary purpose of this prototype? | Purpose separates buyers who just need a demo model from those validating a design ahead of a real production commitment. |
| When do you need the finished prototype? | Timeline lets your team decide which prototype requests need a capability review scheduled first. |
How Cliont scores prototype manufacturing leads
Configured answer weights help your team prioritize follow-up. Your team reviews each submission and decides the next step.
Value signals
- Already Have Completed Design: yes
- 1 unit
- 2-10 units
- 11-50 units
- More than 50 units
See an example lead handoff
Illustrative lead details and score show how a submission can reach your team.
Prototype Manufacturing Lead
From first click to qualified lead
Follow owners and general contractors through one smooth, guided flow.
They land & meet you
Your video greeting plays instantly — a real face instead of a blank form.
They explain the project
Smart questions adapt to their project and capture the full scope.
They add photos & plans
Site photos and plans come attached, so you scope before you bid.
You get a ready lead
Scored and qualified — waiting for you to win it.
Built for prototype manufacturing workflows
| Cliont capability | Prototype Manufacturing application |
|---|---|
| File upload capture | Buyers attach CAD files or drawings directly in the intake so your engineering team can review design-file readiness before the capability review. |
| Conditional scoring | Requests with a completed design file and a quantity in the 11-50 unit range score higher, surfacing the builds most likely to convert into a production commitment. |
| Structured single-choice fields | Material category and purpose are captured as fixed options (metal, plastic, composite, electronics/PCB; functional testing, demo, validation) instead of free text, keeping intake data consistent across buyers. |
| Lead routing to CRM | Every prototype request arrives in your CRM already tagged with material, quantity, purpose, and timeline so quoting teams can filter by production readiness before responding. |
Example prototype manufacturing lead scenarios
Illustrative situations explain the intake questions and possible follow-up.
Pre-production validation batch
A buyer has a completed design file and needs 11-50 units to validate before a full production run — the highest-value combination in the intake.
Early concept, no design yet
A buyer marks 'Not sure' on material and doesn't yet have a completed design file, requesting a single unit for an investor demo — still routed to CRM but flagged for a design-support conversation first.
Large-volume prototype ahead of scale-up
An electronics/PCB request for more than 50 units under functional testing signals the buyer is testing whether your line can handle a larger commitment before quoting.
Visual model for trade show
A plastic visual/presentation model needed as soon as possible is a fast, low-complexity build — different handling from a functional or pre-production prototype.
Connect Cliont to your workflow
Connect your CRM
HubSpot, HighLevel, monday.com
Connect your legal software
Lawmatics, MyCase, Clio Manage and Clio Grow
Notify your team
Email, SMS, Slack
Configure other destinations
Google Sheets, configured webhooks, Zapier and API workflows
Simple, transparent pricing
Choose the plan that works for your business.
Professional
Unlimited intake forms and leads for your growing business.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Advanced analytics dashboard
Pay Per Lead
Only pay when you receive a qualified lead.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Charged only for submitted leads
More contract manufacturing intake templates
Prototype Manufacturing lead-intake FAQs
Does the intake ask buyers to upload their design files?
Yes — the intake captures whether a completed design file or drawing already exists and prompts the buyer to attach it, so your team can gauge readiness before scheduling a capability review.
How does the form handle a buyer who selects 'Not sure' for material category?
That answer is still captured and sent to your CRM as-is; it flags the request for a manual conversation rather than being scored as a clear-fit lead.
Can the intake tell the difference between a demo model and a pre-production validation run?
Yes, the purpose question distinguishes functional testing, visual/presentation models, investor demos, and pre-production validation, so requests aren't treated identically.
How does unit quantity affect lead scoring?
Requests for 11-50 units score highest, since that range is the strongest signal a prototype could lead into a larger production run worth a capability review.
How is this different from the Low-Volume Production intake?
Prototype Manufacturing qualifies one-off or small validation builds before a design is finalized, while Low-Volume Production assumes a finished design and qualifies ongoing small-batch runs.
Does the timeline question change how requests are prioritized?
Yes — buyers select from as-soon-as-possible to flexible/no fixed date, which lets your team see which prototype requests need scheduling attention first.
Turn prototype manufacturing visitors into qualified projects
Give every prototype manufacturing visitor a guided intake instead of a dead contact form — and get a scored, qualified lead before you send an estimator.