#1 is the correct answer.
#2 - ONLY if within a very strict time frame (Hello, i am looking for someone to do an outcall to (insert location) at 6pm tonight, I am in town for tonight only and I am looking to do XYZ" This way if we don't get the message in time it saves us hassle, we can reply 'sorry i missed you' or focus on enquires that offer more ROI.
How is it different with providers? To answer the last part specifically - it is different because we are not fielding regular business enquiries. We are inundated with people who are literally jerking off while they message us, people who are getting off pranking us, people who are messaging with ZERO intention to hire. No one is calling a carpenter or electrician and jacking off when they ask them about their availability and costs.
That's not even taking into account the amount of scammers that reach out to us almost daily pretending to be clients, stringing us along until we realize they are Nigerian princes who want TEXT buddies (iykyk)
IF YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS SO DON'T GET OFFENDED WHEN I SAY THIS. please understand that there is a lot of people who do!