No generic sales funnel. A real engineer reads the brief and replies with the next useful question.
A few lines about what you have and what you're after is plenty to start.
Properly — the actual message, not a keyword scan. Often the same day it lands.
Whoever's the right fit answers, usually with a question or two to sharpen the brief.
If it looks like a fit, a short call. If not, we'll say so and point you somewhere better.