The last thing you want is for your client to think you are pushing them in any way towards something they don’t know if they want yet. The other last thing you want is to babble about nothing for your entire meeting and get absolutely nothing done, and walk away with no new information on your client and no information to help you progress in your sale. You want your meeting to be meaningful so no one’s time is wasted. Fortunately, by asking the right questions, both of you will leave satisfied knowing what you can do for one another. Here are two examples of how to break the ice and make progress.

What’s Your Budget Like?

If you’re good at what you do, you probably have several service options, and those options all have different price points and targets. Some are meant to target those who are on a strict budget, and some are meant to target those who may have more funds to work with. Make sure you’re both on the same page so you know how you can best serve the client.

What Would You Like to Improve or Enhance?

If your client is looking to improve their phone systems and you only work with computers, then it’s important you know that upfront so you can figure out what to do about that together. In many cases, you can still help them with an upgrade yourself, or you know a good company that will take care of them for the other services they need.