When you have a prospective client in the office or on the phone, chances are you assume they will hire you. At least you should. Assuming the sale is a smart strategy in any sales situation.

But what you think and what you say aren’t necessarily the same thing. Sometimes, it’s too early in the process to talk to the prospect about taking the next step. They’re not ready.

This article presents three questions you should ask to qualify the prospect and better prepare them for taking the next step. They allow you to gain valuable information about where the prospect is mentally, and help them to commit to moving forward because that’s what they want to do.

These aren’t the only questions you can ask, and they might not be appropriate to every situation. But they show the client you aren’t pushing them and help you to find out if there are any potential problems (with the client or their attitude) before you move forward.

Here are the three questions:

1. Was there a compelling event that caused you to request information from us?

Do they have a problem you can solve? Do they have a lawyer they aren’t happy with?

The problem they’re having may be obvious (e.g., divorce, accident, foreclosure). A similar question, i.e., “What brought you to see me today?” will get them to focus on “what happened” and get them telling their story.

2. What is the most important thing you hope to accomplish by solving this problem?

This helps you understand what they want and what they expect. If what they expect is unreasonable, you need to address this before you present your solution.

This also helps you find out if they are serious about solving their problem. If they are, it gets them to focus on results rather than how much you charge.

3. It sounds like you could benefit from our solution. What would you like to see happen as a next step?

I like this question because it invites the prospect to be a part of the process. There’s an old saying in sales: “If you say it, they can doubt it; if they say it, it must be true.” If the prospect tells you what they want you to do for them, they are effectively giving you the go ahead.

These questions will help you gain valuable information and position yourself as someone who cares about what the client wants, not just what you have to offer. The bottom line is a more relaxed and open prospect who sells themselves on hiring you, instead of you having to sell yourself.