Expanding the Pie

A client wants your £4,800 quote lower, and you can’t afford to drop it. If the job is fixed, any discount simply moves money from you to them. The pie stays the same size and the argument is only about the knife. But if part of the job is optional, a different package might suit you both: less work for you, less cost for them.

That’s expanding the pie: finding terms both sides prefer to the deal on the table. It works because people value things differently. A term that matters a great deal to one side can cost the other very little.

It’s something to look for, not to assume. Some limits really are fixed, and some needs can’t be traded. Adding options can reveal a better fit, or confirm that no deal works.