Asking the right questions accomplishes several goals. It allows you to find ways to distinguish yourself from your competition and demonstrate the value you offer the allied professional and his or her clients. This can convince the professional to move forward with you. In addition, asking the right questions allows you to determine whether or not you want to forge a relationship with this particular professional. The key is understanding what type of questions to ask allied professionals—and why.
- Ask questions that help you understand what they do
- Ask questions to understand their experiences when working with attorneys, and what their clients have experienced working with attorneys
- Ask questions to understand where there is opportunity or challenges
- Ask questions to gain an understanding of what your services mean to them
- Ask if they think their clients are planning properly
- Ask questions to help you identify what to expect from this relationship
- Ask questions that let them discuss how they see your firm supporting them and their goals
As you can see, a professional’s answers to these types of questions will give you an opportunity to further demonstrate your value by addressing his or her greatest concerns and showing how the two of you can work effectively together. Equally important, the answers will help you determine whether you want to work with this professional. We’ll talk more about qualifying your referral sources next time.
