The Obvious Choice Check
Are You the Obvious Choice?
A 10-minute check of what AI tells your next client about you
Built by Sujoy Basak, Founder, BetterEver
Your next client picks a favourite before they ever call you. In a 2025 study of nearly 4,000 B2B buyers, 94% had ranked their preferred provider before first contact, and 77% bought from that favourite. (6sense, 2025)
More of them now ask ChatGPT who to hire. So the question is no longer “Am I good?” It is this: when your next client asks, are you the obvious choice?
This check answers it in 10 minutes. You run it yourself, so you don’t have to take anyone’s word for it.
- You need: your website address, your LinkedIn headline and About section (copy and paste them, because AI tools often can’t open LinkedIn), and one sentence about your best client: what they do, how big they are, and where they are.
- Use ChatGPT. It’s the tool most buyers use. Open a Temporary Chat, or use it logged out, so it can’t lean on what it already knows about you. If you see a Search option, turn it on.
- Run each test twice. AI answers change from one run to the next. If the two runs disagree, score the lower one. That’s what some of your buyers will see.
- Score as you go. Each test scores 0, 1 or 2. Your total is out of 10.
Who this is for
Founders of advisory and expert firms who already have paying clients and suspect the market sees less than they deliver. If buyers push back on price, if referrals have gone quiet, or if you spend the first 10 minutes of every call explaining what you do, this check shows you why.
Who this is not for
If you’re still shaping your offer or have no paying clients yet, this won’t help. Fix the offer first.
The Blind Ask
Does AI name you when your next client asks for help? This is the test that matters most.
I run [describe your best client: type of business, size, location]. I need a [your service, in your client's words] who can help with [the problem your best clients bring you]. Who are the best 3 options, and why would I pick each one?
Don’t mention your name or your firm. Use the words your client would use, not your industry’s jargon.
- 2: you’re named in the top 3 in both runs.
- 1: you’re named in one run, or below the top 3.
- 0: you’re not named.
What it means: the firms AI named are not always better than you. They are easier for AI to understand and to vouch for. Every buyer who asks this and never hears your name is a deal you never knew existed.
The Name Check
What does AI say when someone asks about you by name? This is what a referred client sees before they call you.
What do you know about [your name] of [your firm]? What do they do, who do they do it for, and what makes them different from similar firms? If you are not sure, say so.
- 2: accurate and specific. A buyer reading this would want to call you.
- 1: roughly right but generic, or partly wrong.
- 0: it doesn’t know you, mixes you up with someone else, or gets you wrong.
What it means: a generic answer makes you one of several. Buyers who can’t see a difference compare on the only thing left: price.
The 5-Second Read
Can a busy buyer tell what you do, who it’s for, and why you?
Read [your website address]. Here is my LinkedIn headline and About section: [paste them]. You are a busy buyer with 5 seconds. What does this firm do, who is it for, and why would I pick it over 3 similar firms? If you can't answer one of these clearly, say which one and why.
- 2: all three answered clearly.
- 1: one is missing or fuzzy.
- 0: two or more are missing.
What it means: “why you” is the most common gap and the most expensive. When buyers can’t name your difference, they fall back on price.
The Side-by-Side
Would a buyer with four tabs open tell you apart?
Now find 2 or 3 firms that offer similar services to similar clients. If a buyer had all four websites open, could they tell [your firm] apart in 5 seconds? Which words and claims overlap? What does [your firm] say that no competitor says?
- 2: at least one clear claim no competitor makes, and it’s easy to find.
- 1: there’s a difference, but it’s buried.
- 0: mostly the same words as the others.
What it means: every word you share with a competitor makes the buyer’s choice harder. Harder choices mean longer sales cycles, more “let me think about it”, and more pressure on price.
The Referral Sentence
Can a happy client pass you on in one sentence?
A happy client is recommending [your firm] to a friend over coffee. Write the exact sentence they would say, in plain words, not marketing language. Would the friend remember it an hour later and be able to find this firm?
- 2: specific and memorable. The friend could find you.
- 1: accurate but forgettable.
- 0: vague, like “they help with finance stuff”.
What it means: you never see the referrals that die. If you get 2 referral conversations a month and half of them die on vague words, that’s 12 lost opportunities a year. Multiply that by what one client is worth to you.
Your score
| Score | Where you stand |
|---|---|
| 8 to 10 | The obvious choice. AI names you and describes you well. Protect it: run this again every quarter, because answers drift. |
| 4 to 7 | One of many. Buyers can find you but can’t tell why you. You win on referrals and lose on price. |
| 0 to 3 | Invisible. When your next client asks, someone else’s name comes up. This is the Invisible Tax: you never see the deals you lose. |
What this check can’t show you
- The real questions. You ran 5. Your buyers ask dozens, in their own words.
- The real spread. AI answers move between runs. In one 2025 test, ChatGPT changed its top pick in more than half of identical questions. (Yotpo, 2025)
- The fix. It shows the gap. It doesn’t show which change moves your score most, or how fast.
Send me your score.
Message me on LinkedIn with your score out of 10, for example: “Score 4. Test 1 was a zero.” I’ll reply with the one change that would move your score most. Free. If it’s worth going deeper, we’ll find 30 minutes.
Want it measured properly?
The Obvious Choice Audit tests the 20 questions your buyers really ask, across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google, three runs each. You get a scorecard and your top 5 fixes, ranked by money, in 5 working days. $750. Full refund if I find fewer than 5 fixable gaps, and fully credited if you hire me to fix them.
Some founders run this, see a 3, and promise to fix it later. They said the same thing six months ago. Others ask one question: “What’s the fastest way to become the obvious choice, with proof I can see?” If that’s you, send me your score.
