Skimmed through the thread only....
My take is this, you do what you're paid to do. This is the main reason I do a Pre-Detail Inspection before every detail, whether a client says budget is $300 or $3000. During the inspection I'll detail the trunk lid usually, taping off 3-4 sections and doing 2, 3, 4 steps respectively. This way the client sees exactly what they're getting for say $300, what they'd be missing out on for $450, $600, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for 5+ polishing steps and perfect paint, and I've done quite a few of those over the years, but no matter how you look at it, there is a middle ground between restoration to perfection (or close as possible) and a clay + M205 job to just refresh the paint a bit. Different people want different things and I think the only ones that should be turned away (considering you're trying to build a high end, enthusiast clientele) are those who want a POOR 1-step or 2-step for $100-150.
Oh and I completely disagree with the previous statement in the thread that a 2-step is bad for business, etc, made by gigondaz I believe. It's actually contradictory to his (and my) school of thought, as the only criticism you'd get on a 2-step that doesn't look perfect is from those who aren't experienced enough and don't have the knowledge to appreciate a proper 2-step, which always improves the paint quite a bit even if it's really beat up. No it's not perfection if the car is truly beat up but I do a lot of 2 or 3 step detail jobs and I can say from experience the paint looks like night and day after the whole "sheet" of swirling is off, and some deeper swirls removed. Color usually comes back to life and car looks brand new from a few feet away. I see the point gigon is trying to make, and if you truly do only want to go after clients paying for 4+ steps for perfect finishes, then I agree you have no business dealing with anything less than a process that will make it perfect or close to it. However I know or have heard of no-one who simply perfects cars and doesn't do less correction.
Long story short, OP I would highly suggest doing a paint inspection and the popular test spots to show the client in person exactly what changes he can expect for what amount of money. As an added bonus, you get a very good idea of how the paint on that particular vehicle reacts to your process and you save time later on experimenting with different pads/polishes before doing the entire car.
