MOVE 08 · INFORMATION GATHERING · FREE
Ask for the Constraint
Find out whether the obstacle is budget, authority, timing or confidence before you offer anything to remove it.
You cannot remove an obstacle you have not identified; a discount only solves one of four.
WHY IT WORKS
Objections usually come from one of four constraints — money, authority, timing or confidence. Each needs a different response. Asking which one applies stops you from offering the most expensive fix (price) to a problem that may be about approval or risk.
WHEN TO USE IT
- A deal has stalled after initial enthusiasm.
- You are tempted to offer a discount to restart momentum.
WHEN NOT TO USE IT
- The constraint is already explicit and confirmed.
- Asking would reveal confidential information you are not entitled to.
SIGNALS IT FITS
- 'We love it, but…' with no specific reason.
- Repeated requests for 'a bit more time'.
PREPARATION
- Prepare a matching response for each of the four constraint types.
- Decide which you can address without changing price.
STEP BY STEP
- Name the stall neutrally.
- Offer the four possibilities and ask which applies.
- Confirm the constraint in their words.
- Respond only to that constraint.
OPENING LINE
“It sounds like something is in the way. Is it budget, approval, timing, or confidence in the approach?”
SCRIPT
It feels like we've slowed down. Is the main obstacle budget, getting approval, timing, or confidence in the approach? I'd rather solve the right thing.
LIKELY RESPONSES & COUNTERS
- If they say budget
- Ask whether the issue is the total, the timing of payment, or the approval threshold before discussing price.
- If they say approval
- Offer materials that help your contact win the internal case.
- If they say confidence
- Offer a smaller first phase or a clear success measure rather than a discount.
SECOND MOVE
Address the named constraint, then use Name the Decision to confirm a date.
FOLLOW-UP
Restate the constraint and your proposed fix in writing.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Assuming budget is the constraint because it is the most common.
- Offering several fixes at once, which looks like panic.
WALK-AWAY CONDITIONS
- The constraint is permanent — for example, the budget has been cut entirely.
EXAMPLE (FICTIONAL)
A training provider was about to cut price 15% to revive a stalled deal. Asking for the constraint revealed the buyer's director doubted the outcomes, so the provider offered a measured pilot cohort at full rate instead.
ETHICAL BOUNDARY
Do not pressure someone to reveal internal politics they are not free to share.
RELATED MOVES
Content version 1 · Drafted by Power Move IQ Editorial · Not yet human-reviewed · Educational decision support, not legal, financial or employment advice.