Should I take this client? (small business)

Top picks

Protocol

1. 1

   Paste facts (5–8 min).

   Assemble only what you actually know. Mark gaps [MISSING] / [NEED FACT]. Do not invent rates, BATNA, legal outcomes, or benchmarks. This small-business engage-or-not gate sits upstream of freelance-proposal-from-scope, service-estimate-from-job-notes, and sales-objection-pack-from-notes: whether to take the work, not how to write the proposal. Not a generic decision memo.

   Paths at a glance

   Path	Lean this way when (from your paste)
   A — Take	Budget clear, deposit ok, scope clear enough, capacity free, decision-maker reachable.
   B — Take with tighter terms	Fit exists but deposit, change-order, or access gaps—engage only if they accept terms you name.
   C — Refer out	Wrong niche/capacity; you have a real partner to introduce—or mark [MISSING partner].
   D — Walk	Hard limits hit, chronic vagueness + pressure, or unpaid-risk facts you already know.

2. 2

   Lock decision-tree rules (step 2).

   Paste the rules first so the model cannot mint budget, risk scores, or typical red-flag percentages.

   Copy-paste prompt

   Copy

   Help me run a TAKE-THIS-CLIENT decision tree.
   Hard rules:
   - Use ONLY facts I paste. Do not invent budget, margins, competitor demand, legal risk scores, or typical red-flag percentages.
   - Output: (1) FACTS vs [MISSING], (2) scorecard from my criteria only, (3) exactly 4 labeled paths—not a single prescription.
   - Paths: Path A Take / Path B Take with tighter terms / Path C Refer out / Path D Walk.
   - Optional sendable wording ONLY after I choose a path—and only using terms I authorize.
   - Not legal advice. I decide and send.
   Confirm in one sentence, then wait for my pack.

3. 3

   Fill pack (step 3a) and generate (step 3b).

   Paste the pack, then send the generate command. The model must not pick a path for you.

   Paste pack

   Copy

   PROSPECT / CLIENT LABEL (no sensitive IDs needed): [ ]
   WHAT THEY WANT (scope as stated): [ ]
   BUDGET STATED / RANGE: [or MISSING]
   DEPOSIT / PAYMENT STANCE: [or MISSING]
   SCOPE CLARITY (vague / clear / conflicting): [ ]
   DECISION-MAKER ACCESS: [who; how reachable]
   TIMELINE / URGENCY THEY STATED: [ ]
   MY CAPACITY NEXT [N] WEEKS: [ ]
   FIT WITH MY NICHE / PROOF: [ ]
   PRIOR FACTS (payment history, referrals, prior work—only if real): [or NONE]
   HARD LIMITS I WON'T BEND: [e.g. no work without deposit; no unlimited revisions]
   REFERRAL PARTNERS I ACTUALLY HAVE: [or NONE]

   After you send the filled pack, copy the Generate command in the next box and paste it into the SAME chat so the AI runs the decision tree / produces the output.

   Generate command — copy and send this next (same chat)

   Copy

   Build the decision tree now:
   1) Facts vs [MISSING]
   2) Scorecard table: Criterion | My fact | Lean (+/0/− or NEED FACT) | Note
   3) Path A Take / Path B Take with tighter terms / Path C Refer out / Path D Walk — for each: when it fits, what must be true from my pack, 3 owner-verify bullets
   4) Do NOT pick for me. Do not invent facts.

4. 4

   Choose a path (step 4); optional wording.

   Only after you pick a labeled path. Owner-verify: facts still match your pack; [MISSING] gaps filled or accepted; any sendable wording uses only terms you authorize.

   Path wording

   Copy

   I chose Path [A/B/C/D]. Draft a short sendable note for that path only.
   Use ONLY terms I authorize: [deposit %, net terms, scope boundaries, referral intro, decline reason I'm willing to state].
   No invented fees, timelines, or legal threats. Mark [NEED FACT].

5. 5

   Second-model check (step 5).

   In the other tool, paste the tree or path wording plus your fact pack:

   Second-model check

   Copy

   Here is a take-this-client decision tree / path wording from another assistant plus my fact pack.
   Find: (1) invented budgets/risks/scores, (2) a single forced recommendation when facts were incomplete, (3) hostile decline language I didn't authorize, (4) tighter terms not in my authorized list.
   Return only corrections. Not legal advice.

6. 6

   Human decide and act (step 6).

   Pick one path. Fill [NEED FACT] gaps from real sources. Send or implement yourself—AI drafts are not approvals, contracts, classifications, or tax elections. After Take / Tighter terms, use the proposal or estimate how-to. Objection handling comes later.

When not to

• Do not invent red-flag percentages, market rates, or legal outcomes.
• Discrimination, harassment, or regulated work—route to counsel/owner process; don't let AI classify legality.
• Skip if you have almost no discovery facts—book one clarifying call first.
• Not a substitute for your written engagement letter or estimate recipe after you decide to engage.