There’s Money in the Maybe: Why Your Intake Needs a Smarter Filter

Watch the full episode above or listen here →

   

Some firms win, not because they market better, but because they think better at intake.

If your intake team is only looking for “sure thing” cases, you might be missing six-figure opportunities. That’s the hard truth Gary unpacks in Episode 6 of The Intake Playbook Podcast.

The key?

Stop asking, “Does this person qualify?”
Start asking, “Could this be a case?”

The Power of the Word “Maybe”

At a recent conference, Gary asked 300 personal injury lawyers:
“How many of you have ever signed a ‘maybe’ case?”

Every hand went up.

Then he asked:
“Please keep your hand raised if any of those ‘maybe’ cases earned you at least $100,000.”

Half the hands stayed up. That’s a staggering amount of revenue most law firms are leaving behind—all because they’re screening too tightly.

Why Your Intake Criteria May Be Too Strict

Strict intake filters are designed to protect your time. But if your team is applying them without context or curiosity, they’re doing more harm than good.

Intake isn’t just about protecting the caseload. It’s about spotting the opportunities. And many of those opportunities live in the gray area, not the obvious yes.

So What If You Have to Drop the Case Later…

That’s part of the process. Dropping a case isn’t a failure. If done professionally, it can increase trust.

Here’s how to do it right:

🔵 Call the client

🔵 Thank them for trusting your first

🔵 Explain the review process and decision

🔵 Remind them it costs them nothing

🔵 Offer to refer them elsewhere, if possible

Handled well, these clients may still refer others, or come back with another case.

The Smarter Question Every Intake Team Should Ask

It’s not “Is this a case?”
It’s “Could this be a case?”

This shift gives your team permission to be curious. To dig deeper. To ask one more question or wait for one more record.

That mindset can dramatically increase your sign-up rate—and your revenue.

Final Takeaway

There’s money in the maybe. You just need to stop filtering it out before you even see it.

Watch or listen to the full episode above.