What to do when a company has yet to put forth a job offer, but wants me to stop my job search?

I participated in an informal, panel interview with a firm. Neither the hiring manager nor the company president was present, although I did interview with the hiring manager over the phone. The hiring manager wants me to suspend my job search (I’m currently unemployed) before they have even presented me with an offer. The hiring manager would like to ask the boss a few more questions before making an offer, they said. Should I suspend my search until they have an offer? If not, what can I say to prompt them to move faster?

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