Under-Promise. Over-Deliver.
© Depositphotos.com/Roob9
“Expect the unexpected.”
“Plan for the worst; hope for the best.”
Mentors, managers, and co-workers have been sharing lessons like these with us for years. But why is that so many of us are still making the same mistake? Why do we ignore their words of wisdom?
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a brand new customer. We hit it off from the start, and it was clear that our companies were going to do a lot of business together. As we were hashing out the final details of their account, a simple question turned into a two-hour conversation:
“So just as an example, if I ordered a transmission right now, it would arrive tomorrow (Friday), right?”
The customer was right. Based on the shipping estimates given by various carriers, there was no reason to suspect that their transmission wouldn’t arrive the next day. There was plenty of time before our shipping cutoff and they were only a couple of hours away. Most sales people would have answered simply, “Yes.”
Rather than setting my shiny, new customer up for a potentially bad experience, I chose to educate them on expectations. My answer went like this:
“Three of our most trusted carriers show that it is indeed a one day carry. Pending any kind of natural disaster or mix up, yes, you would see that unit tomorrow. That being said, my recommendation would be to tell your customer Monday, and look like a rock star on Friday when the unit arrives at the shop.”
Is there a difference? Both answers were essentially the same – they both mean ‘yes.’ In the event of a mix-up, though, one answer results in a very disappointed customer. It comes down to managing expectations with your customers. Sure, you can over-promise in the hope of sticking that first sale, but you’ll learn your lesson the hard way. Inform your customers up front, make promises that grab their attention, then over-deliver bigger and better than your competition.
We’ve all heard the typical “under-promise, over-deliver” phrase, but that’s not the way Hopeless Remantic Anthony Stanley slings trans. How do you set yourself and your customers up for success? Comment below or email Anthony directly!
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