A decision question used before buying, joining, trusting, promoting, or building around an offer. It asks what happens after the pitch, payment, trial, tool failure, or trend change.
How Then What? Works
The Then What? approach extends a decision beyond the initial promise. After identifying the advertised benefit, it asks what work, cost, dependency, learning curve, maintenance, or next purchase appears after the first step.
Simple Example
Before buying a tool, you ask what work, cost, subscription, skill, and maintenance still come after the purchase.
Why It Matters for Beginners
This matters because many offers look attractive only when the first step is considered. Asking what comes next exposes ongoing costs, dependencies, workload, and whether the opportunity still fits the buyer.
A Common Mistake
Stopping at the headline benefit or initial purchase price instead of examining what happens after the first step.
Related Terms
- Fine Print
- Durable Relevance
- Evidence