The most expensive thing in agency new business is the discovery call that was never going to convert. An hour of a senior person's time, plus prep, plus the follow-up, for a project that turns out to be a fifth of your minimum.
Almost all of that is avoidable at the enquiry stage.
The three filters
Budget. The awkward one, and the one that saves the most. Asking in chat works far better than asking on a call, because there is no social pressure and nobody is watching a reaction.
Offer brackets rather than asking for a number. Most people pick one honestly, and the ones who refuse have told you something too.
Scope. Is this the kind of work you do? Agencies attract adjacent enquiries constantly — a brand studio asked for a mobile app, a web shop asked for a TV ad.
Timescale. "Live in three weeks" and "planning for next year" are different conversations. Both can be good; neither should reach you looking the same.
Where to put them
Not first. The single fastest way to lose a good enquiry is to open with budget.
Answer their question, demonstrate you understand the problem, and then ask — as part of being useful. "That depends quite a bit on scope. Are you thinking somewhere in the £5–15k range, or larger?" is a qualifying question that is also a genuine answer.
What to do with the ones that fail the filter
Not nothing. A polite, specific "that is below what we can take on, but here is what would help you" costs seconds and generates goodwill, referrals, and occasionally a bigger project later.
The second use: your clients
Agencies are also the most natural resellers of this. If you build and maintain client websites, an AI employee on each of them is a straightforward retainer addition, and it is one of the few upsells that visibly produces enquiries the client can count.
That is a much easier conversation than selling another round of design tweaks.
Try it on your own site first
Before you sell it, build one from your agency site and see how it handles a vague enquiry. You will learn quickly whether your own website explains what you do.
Related: the agencies guide.