You do not need a brief or a spec to ask for a quote. Most requests start with a few lines: what you sell, who buys it, where you advertise now (if anywhere), and what feels stuck. If you have a monthly ad budget in mind, mention the rough range in words. If you do not, say so. That is a normal starting point too.
Specific notes get a specific reply. A request that says "Google Ads for a commercial cleaning company in three states, and calls go to a shared inbox nobody watches" gets a far more useful answer than "need leads."
A checklist before you send
Run down this list and skip anything that does not apply.
- Business name and the website you advertise
- The service you want help with
- Current ad accounts and who has admin access to them
- Tracking already in place, such as GA4 or Google Tag Manager
- Your CRM or lead inbox, if you have one
- How quickly someone on your side usually answers a new inquiry
- A budget range for ad spend and a separate one for management
From request to written proposal
A service partner reads your notes and works out what it still needs to know. It writes back, often with questions about your offer, your current ad accounts and where inquiries go. A call may follow if the account is complicated.
Then you receive a proposal. A good one spells out the channels, the setup work, the ongoing tasks, what you supply, how often you get reports, the management fee, the contract terms and how to end the arrangement. Read it closely and ask for anything unclear to be written in. Nothing is agreed until you say yes.