I agree that giving people a "get-out" clause allows for more honest answers. It pays off because you don't waste your time chasing the 'maybe' that turn out to

I agree that giving people a "get-out" clause allows for more honest answers. It pays off because you don't waste your time chasing the 'maybe' that turn out to be a 'no'. I think that builds up more trust and pushes more towards a yes than any other technique.