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Creating Multi-Option Estimates
Creating Multi-Option Estimates

What is a 'multi-option estimate' and how does it help me build a better estimate?

Luke Ehresman avatar
Written by Luke Ehresman
Updated over a week ago

Providing customers with 3 choices that meet various performance needs helps guide them to the best outcome for their piano.


Creating multi-level estimates is easy:

Step 1: Create a full estimate for everything their piano needs.

Step 2: Clone this option and add/remove services to offer a different level of service.

Step 3: Use Recommendations to guide your customer to the outcome that best meets their needs.


When should I give a multi-level estimate?

Most piano technicians struggle to provide estimates that capture the entire picture. By creating a multi-level estimate you are customizing an option that meets your customer's budget and performance needs; but more importantly, you are helping their brain process new information in a way it is naturally wired to so it can evaluate options and make a decision.
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Essentially what you are saying is "For your piano and your situation I recommend you do [this], I don't recommend you do [this], and if your situation changes I would eventually recommend [this]". For clarity in this article we will call these different options:

  • recommended

  • not-recommended, and

  • conditional recommendation.

By giving customers a recommended option, you make it easier for them to articulate specifically how they are going to benefit from this level of service, seeing the option you don't recommend makes it easy for them to articulate why they don't need to consider a different level of service, and by providing a conditional recommendation you make it easy for them to articulate under which circumstances they need to reevaluate this decision.

While you are giving your presentation your customer's brain is working hard to process this new information you are providing about their piano; and searching for the answer to these four questions, in this order:

  • What problem is being solved?

  • How will I benefit?

  • What happens if I do nothing?

  • Will this be enough?

Your job is to deliver your message to their brain in a way their brain is wired to process this information. You can easily achieve this if you answer these four questions (preferably in the order they are listed above). Also, consider that your customer will probably discuss this decision with their spouse and this is where the sale is lost if your customer is unable to articulate the answer to these four questions.


Why a three-option estimate is best

This way of presenting estimates works best because your 'Recommended' option answers the first two questions, the not-recommended option answers the third question, and the conditional recommendation option answers the fourth. Offering a multi-level estimate in this way is more effective than just giving a single option estimate because you are efficiently packaging all the information they need to understand in a way their brain is wired to receive it.

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