“Would you like to move forward?” is the weakest close in service sales. It invites a binary, yes or no, and gives the buyer every reason to say “let me think about it.” The Either/Or Yes Close replaces that binary with a choice that assumes the deal is happening and simply asks which version of it the buyer prefers.
The psychology is straightforward: when a buyer is offered two real options, their cognitive energy shifts from “should I buy this?” to “which of these fits me better?” That shift alone changes the close rate significantly. Both options lead to a signed contract. The buyer controls the direction. The deal moves forward either way.
How the framing shifts decision energy
Research on choice architecture consistently shows that offering structured options converts better than open-ended invitations. The reason is cognitive load. “Would you like to proceed?” requires the buyer to construct their own next step, justify the decision, and commit to an abstract forward movement.
“Would you prefer we start with the audit or go straight into the full engagement?” requires the buyer only to choose between two defined paths. The work of constructing the decision has already been done. The buyer’s role is selection, not invention.
The Alternative Choice Close, the formal name for this technique, appears in sales methodology literature going back to the 1920s. It survives because the cognitive principle it exploits is stable: people prefer selecting from options over constructing decisions from scratch.
The rule about genuine differences
The Either/Or close only works when the options are genuinely different. Fake differences destroy trust and mark you as someone running a script.
Genuine differences look like:
- Different scope: “We could do the full content system ($14,000, 12 weeks) or start with the editorial calendar and content brief package ($4,500, 3 weeks) to validate direction first.”
- Different timeline: “We could start the week of June 9 at full scope, or I have a deposit-hold option that locks in your spot for a July start, same scope, same price, just delayed by 6 weeks.”
- Different commitment level: “We could run the discovery sprint first ($2,500, 2 weeks) to make sure the strategy is right, or if the direction is already clear we can move straight to implementation ($12,000).”
In each case, the buyer is making a real decision with real tradeoffs. Neither option is a decoy.
The options that don’t work
Fake Either/Or examples that destroy credibility:
- “We could start Monday or Tuesday.” (Not a meaningful difference, the buyer sees through this immediately.)
- “We could do the $10,000 package with 3 revisions or the $10,000 package with 4 revisions.” (Same price, trivial difference, implies you’re not serious.)
- “We could do the full scope now or the full scope in two weeks.” (Unless there’s a genuine reason timing matters, this reads as artificial urgency.)
Buyers are perceptive. A manufactured choice is recognizable within seconds. When it’s recognized, it signals inauthenticity, which is far harder to recover from than a straight question.
The options in an Either/Or close need to be meaningfully different on at least two dimensions, scope, timeline, price, or commitment level. Anything less reads as a script, and scripts erode the trust you’ve spent the entire sales conversation building.
Three service scenarios with scripts
Scenario 1, Brand strategist with a hesitant buyer: “Based on what you’ve shared, two approaches make the most sense. Option A is the full brand platform project, positioning, messaging architecture, and visual identity system. That’s $18,000 over 10 weeks. Option B is a messaging-only engagement, positioning and messaging architecture without the visual work, then we revisit the visual identity in Q4. That’s $9,000 over 5 weeks. Which direction fits your current priorities?”
Scenario 2, Copywriter with a price-sensitive buyer: “I have two paths that could work for your launch. One is the full funnel package, homepage, about, services, and a 5-email onboarding sequence. That’s $8,500 with a 4-week delivery. The other is the homepage and services pages only, which gets the highest-traffic pages right for launch at $4,200 in 2 weeks. We can build the rest post-launch once you see the conversion data. Which makes more sense for your timing?”
Scenario 3, Operations consultant with a risk-averse buyer: “Some clients prefer to start with the process audit, 2 weeks, $3,500, so there’s a clear baseline before we scope the implementation. Others come in ready to go straight to implementation at $22,000 once the problem is diagnosed. Both paths work well. Do you feel like the audit would be useful, or is the direction clear enough to jump straight in?”
In each scenario, both options result in a signed project. The buyer controls which path. The consultant is comfortable with either outcome.
When the buyer invents a third option
Sometimes a buyer responds to an Either/Or close by proposing something outside both options: “What if we did [Option C]?” This is a good sign, not a problem. It means the buyer is engaged enough to participate in shaping the deal.
Respond with enthusiasm and adaptability: “That’s a good combination, I can make that work. Let me think through the scope and get you a quick number on that path.” Then close on Option C.
The Either/Or close isn’t a trap. It’s a conversation starter. When the buyer customizes, they’ve just told you exactly what they want to buy.
The email version
For asynchronous closes after a strong discovery call:
“Based on what you shared, two paths make the most sense given your timeline and budget. Here’s how each looks:
Option A: [Scope, price, timeline, key outcome] Option B: [Scope, price, timeline, key outcome]
Both [shared outcome they named in the call]. Which direction fits better?
If you want to talk through the differences before deciding, I have [two specific times] available this week.”
The email version is clean, respects the buyer’s time, and still offers a live conversation for buyers who prefer it. Most respond with a selection rather than a scheduling request, but having the fallback available signals confidence.
The follow-up if they don’t choose
If the Either/Or email goes unanswered for more than 48 hours, send a single sentence:
“[Name], any questions on Option A or B before you decide?”
Not “following up,” not “just checking in,” not deadline language. One question. It surfaces a hidden hesitation or brings the silent buyer back into the conversation. Either outcome is better than silence.
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