Automan_Empire - 7:18 am on Oct 5, 2005 (gmt 0)

This is tough; I've dealt with customers fishing wor work that could vary widely in price upon close inspection for 20 years. These calls can be Gold, or time-wasting and exasperating if you let them get out of control.
Here is how I'd take these kind of calls:
Caller: How much for a green widget site, ballpark?
You: Well, I build big and small green widget sites for different needs and budgets, so I'll need a clear idea of what you want to do here before I can come up with a price. Could I get your e-mail so we can start bouncing some ideas back and forth? {Take the e-mail without delay; you have taken control of the discussion, and have captured the person better than the other people he called who gave him a price to hear, "Thanks, bye." The serious shopper is likely to respond with intrigue, even if normally cautious about giving out email address. You have a great chance of proceeding to close a sale like this once you get the email even if the call is brief.}
One touchstone I have discovered is that fishers never tell you how much they are looking to spend, even if you give them a price range. If they balk at giving you contact details, a coherent outline of their needs, or their budget range, they will likely never spend a dime.

Hopefully now you have turned a tentative cold call into a more serious, formalized bidding process, where you have the client a bit invested in laying out his needs to you. You now have the information and the time to give a realistic, well-thought-out, and professional, attractive bid. (Throwing out ballpark prices on complex, varied processes is none of these!)

One special piece of advice: If you find that you don't want the project, remain professional. Spend a minute writing an email that your firm specializes in XXXXX type work, and is not able to take on this particular project at this time, but here are a few that may. If it seems like a good client but the wrong size/type project for you, you probably know a programmer who is a better fit that would appreciate the lead. If it seems like a lameish client, send him to a rival you dislike or a firm known for its incompetence, but with the same smile. If these fail, google "web development green widget site" or something and paste the first few URLs into your email without making it obvious that that is what you did. This will take you all of a minute when you get a system going, and sends everyone away happy. This is important if you plan to stay in this industry and grow. People grow and change and go on to different projects in life. Today's confused newbie with a penny-ante project may become quite the e-commerce mogul in a few short years. The grating, cheapskate guy might come back with some sense after a few rejections or false starts or slick-talking conmen. It happens all the time that people remember what you specialize in even years later when they bump into someone looking for exactly that. Sending away unwanted business nicely can send you tons of business you DO want!

Bottom line, develop a system to channel potentially pointless calls into an effective communication channel. Learn to manage the calls to be long enough to communicate and make a good impression without giving away the store (your time!) If you cannot meet the clients needs today, give them an outbound referral that they will tie to your "brand" and it is likely to pay huge dividends toward building a sucsessful business.
-Automan