MOVE 13 · DECISION CONTROL · FREE
Offer Two Paths
Present two acceptable options instead of one proposal, so the conversation becomes a choice rather than a yes-or-no verdict.
A single proposal invites rejection; two good options invite selection.
WHY IT WORKS
A lone proposal is judged against 'no'. Two options you can both live with shift the question to 'which', give the other side genuine control, and make the trade-off between them — usually scope versus price, or speed versus cost — visible without you having to argue it.
WHEN TO USE IT
- Scope has grown without an agreed change in price.
- The other side tends to reject first and think later.
WHEN NOT TO USE IT
- You would be unhappy with either option.
- Options would confuse a decision that is genuinely binary.
SIGNALS IT FITS
- A 'small' addition keeps being requested.
- Previous single proposals were declined without counter-offers.
PREPARATION
- Design two options you would accept, differing on one clear axis.
- Price or schedule each option precisely.
STEP BY STEP
- Acknowledge the request.
- Present Option A and Option B with the trade-off between them.
- Ask which serves them better.
- Confirm the choice in writing.
OPENING LINE
“There are two good ways to do this — let me lay them out.”
SCRIPT
I'm glad to include the workshop. We can either keep the current fee and the original deliverables, or add the workshop and weekly reporting for an additional $3,200 and two more weeks. Which works better for you?
LIKELY RESPONSES & COUNTERS
- If they ask for Option B at Option A's price
- Restate that the difference reflects real work; offer to phase B if budget timing is the issue.
- If they ask for a third option
- Consider it if it trades something real; otherwise re-present the two.
- If they choose an option
- Thank them and confirm in writing the same day.
SECOND MOVE
If they push for both, move to Trade, Never Concede and ask what they can give in return.
FOLLOW-UP
Send a written confirmation of the option chosen and the revised terms.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Making one option deliberately unattractive.
- Offering three or more options and creating paralysis.
WALK-AWAY CONDITIONS
- They refuse both options and insist on the expanded scope at the original fee.
EXAMPLE (FICTIONAL)
A brand strategist was asked to 'also run a quick workshop'. She sent two options with prices; the client chose the original scope and booked the workshop as a separate engagement the next quarter.
ETHICAL BOUNDARY
Both options must be real and honestly priced. A decoy option is a manipulation, not a choice.
RELATED MOVES
Content version 1 · Drafted by Power Move IQ Editorial · Not yet human-reviewed · Educational decision support, not legal, financial or employment advice.