GLOSSARY
Uncertainty
Uncertainty describes limits to what is known about a situation, a claim or its consequences. It can arise from missing information, conflicting sources or an unresolved future. Fluent wording and model probabilities do not establish whether a specific statement is true.
Which gap changes the negotiation?
A customer names a preferred implementation date. Internal approval, available resources and the consequences of delay remain unclear. These gaps have different implications: decision authority can be clarified, while future priority changes remain partly unpredictable. Assigning a single confidence score to both can obscure the next useful action.
Good preparation separates supported facts, assumptions and open questions. It shows which decision depends on which assumption. Salespeople can then ask targeted questions, agree conditions or prepare alternative proposals. This also gives customers room to discuss internal constraints before making a premature commitment.
Evidence and a proportionate response
Describe uncertainty through its cause and possible consequence. Percentages need a defensible basis and appropriate evaluation. Where evidence is missing, a narrower statement may be more reliable. Further reasoning about options is most useful when it changes an actual decision. Otherwise, a well chosen question may contribute more than another round of speculative analysis.