Build a pergola brief your sales team can use.
Collect the important product choices first, then ask for the setting and the next conversation.
Record intended use, footprint, mounting, finish, roof, and side options.
Begin with the intended use
A shaded dining area, a sheltered seating space, and a walkway can lead to different product conversations. Ask what the customer wants the space to do before presenting the full accessory list. Their answer helps your team explain the choices in a relevant order.
Keep the question short and allow a note. The customer may not know the technical name for their preferred roof or screen, but they can often describe the problem they want the product to solve.
Collect a consistent product summary
A useful pergola brief identifies the range, footprint, mounting arrangement, frame finish, roof choice, and selected side options. Use the units and names your team expects. Distinguish the overall footprint from a clear opening or another dimension that could be interpreted differently.
If the customer is exploring rather than supplying measured dimensions, say so in the brief. A visual concept gives a shared reference; it should not quietly turn a rough size into an approved manufacturing measurement.
Ask about the setting without pretending to survey it
The enquiry can collect whether the structure is proposed as freestanding or connected to a building, which sides need access, and whether the customer has site photographs. These facts help prepare a discussion, but they do not replace a technical or site review.
Give unusual requirements a visible route to your team. Wall conditions, ground levels, drainage, and exposure are reasons to review the project with the relevant specialists. A configuration should preserve those questions rather than hide them behind a finished-looking image.
End with an agreed next step
Ask whether the customer wants to discuss the concept, confirm the range, or arrange the appropriate next review. Collect contact details and the information your team will actually use. Avoid making every early enquiry feel like an order form.
Show the completed brief to the buyer before they continue. They should be able to correct the footprint or an accessory and understand what the salesperson will receive. In production, define the receiving team and handover process before launch.
Worked example: a first pergola discussion
A hypothetical buyer wants shade beside a dining area. They choose a 4.0 × 3.0 m freestanding concept and a screen on one side. Their preferred dimensions still need checking.
- Purpose: shade for dining.
- Selections: footprint, dark frame, louvered roof, one side screen.
- Review: position, drainage, access, and confirmed measurements.
Your review list.
- Record intended use, footprint, mounting, finish, roof, and side options.
- Mark approximate dimensions clearly.
- Leave room for site context and unanswered questions.
- Explain the next review and who receives the enquiry.
See the next step
in Sales Visualizer.
Explore an illustrative experience, then review your own range and requirements with your team.
Explore the pergola concept