Yes, Vito would have handled Geary differently. For one, he would have told Geary that he would consider his proposition. Then he would have tried to "find a way to reason" with him just like Vito said to Tom about Woltz in the Saga. Remember, Vito's big thing was reason.
"Generosity. That was my first mistake." "Experience must be our only guide; reason may mislead us." "Instagram is Twitter for people who can't read."