"I could do this package, or we could do this one, or there's also..."
"Here's what I recommend based on what you told me"
What It Sounds Like
- I have three different packages...
- We could do Option A, or Option B, or there's also Option C...
- Which one feels right to you?
- I can do it this way, or that way, or...
- So what are you thinking?
- Let me show you all the ways we could work together
Why We Do It
We think we're being helpful. We think choice signals confidence—*look at all the ways I can solve this*. We think the buyer will appreciate the flexibility, that offering options is generous, professional, consultative.
But here's what's actually happening: you're afraid to make the call.
You're afraid that if you recommend one thing and they don't like it, you've lost. So you spread the risk across three options. You let them choose so you don't have to be wrong. You're not offering choice; you're offering escape routes for yourself.
The menu is a fumble disguised as service. It looks like options. It is actually indecision. And the buyer feels it immediately.
What the Buyer Hears
When you present a menu, the buyer doesn't hear flexibility. They hear doubt.
They hear: *I don't know which one you need, so I'm making you do the work*. They hear: *I haven't listened well enough to know what fits*. They hear: *I'm covering my bases in case I'm wrong*.
Choice without guidance is burden. The buyer came to you because they don't know what to do. When you hand them three options and ask which one they prefer, you've just made them the expert. You've reversed the relationship. Now they have to evaluate, compare, second-guess. Now they have to choose between things they don't fully understand.
And because they don't trust themselves to choose correctly, they stall. They say "let me think about it" because they need time to figure out what you should have told them in the first place.
Before / After
The Fumble
You: "So I have three packages. There's the basic at $2K, the standard at $5K, and the premium at $8K. They all include the core work, but the upper tiers add more touchpoints. Which one are you thinking?"
Them: "Um... I'm not sure. What do most people do?"
You: "It really depends on your goals. What feels right to you?"
Them: "Can I think about it and get back to you?"
The Clean Version
You: "Based on what you told me—needing to launch in Q1 and wanting hands-on support—here's what I recommend: the $5K package. It gives you the core build plus the two planning calls you'll need to hit that timeline. Does that feel like the right fit?"
Them: "Yeah, that makes sense. Let's do it."
The Fix
**Notice** — Catch yourself presenting options. The moment you hear "or" or "which one do you think," stop.
**Name** — Say to yourself: *I'm menu-ing. I'm making them choose because I'm afraid to recommend*.
**Interrupt** — Pause. Acknowledge that the buyer doesn't need options; they need direction.
**Swap** — Make one clear recommendation based on what they told you. "Here's what I recommend" or "Here's what fits based on your timeline."
**Rehearse** — Practice recommending one path out loud before the call. Get comfortable being the expert who makes the call.
The buyer hired you to have an opinion. Give them one.
There are five of these. Find yours.
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