Under Promise Over Deliver

Sales Man Up

Under Promise, Over Deliver

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep. - Denis Waitley

It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises-but only performance is reality. -
Harold S. Geneen


It is an easy thing to make promises along the pathway to closing a sale, isn’t it ?
Some sales people will say just about anything to land the business and seal the deal. I think this is where the term originated “ smooth talking salesman”. I have learned from experience that this method of sales can come back to bite you. Like an old R&B song stated, “ Don't let your mouth write a check that your body can’t cash”.

We all know that life happens, don’t we ? Containers fall off of ships enroute from Europe, materials are delayed, products are damaged, manufacturing takes longer than expected, things show up in the wrong color or finish. What do we do about our promises then ? Tell the truth . Even though they won't like it, our clients can usually handle the truth. What they cannot tolerate are stories, excuses and lies. If something is beyond our control, then it is what it is. If we are doing everything within our power to rectify a bad situation and make it better, and be a problem solver ; then our clients will see our behavior and trust is built. Most people don’t expect perfection, unless we have over promised.

Which comes to our next point regarding managing expectations. For a number of years, I officiated a number of wedding ceremonies, and when I met with the couples-to-be on several occasions before the wedding day, I made it clear they would not “ live happily ever after. “  Just leave that mindset in Hollywood and fairy tales ! One of the first assignments I would give, would be to discover their significant other’s Love Language, and work at speaking it on a daily basis . Marriage is work, and if you see a good relationship; it is because good people have invested a lot of time and energy to make it so. A well groomed landscaped yard doesn’t happen by accident, but the fruitfulness of hard work brings the owners great delight, as well as those that behold it. In the same way, we have to temper our promises to our customers, being realistic in how we portray our products & services, making sure that we preemptively handle expectations before a crisis takes place. It is our job not only to make the sale, but to  act as tour guides for our clients, walking them through the sales process, and ensuring that they feel our constant presence and support. I believe this is an acquired skill, but the best salespeople that I know and respect manage their client relationships in this manner.

My wife and I love the staff at the Longhorn Restaurant located in the Villages., FL. Where else can you go and feel like a celebrity ?  If we are calling ahead, we are greeted with warmth and excitement. Many times the hostess will welcome us with a hug at the front door, and we are treated more like family and less like customers. We know many of the staff by first name, and are familiar with their life stories. This restaurant  consistently exceeds our expectations, so guess what? We keep coming back !  Yes, the food is good, but we can buy food from a lot of restaurants . What keeps us coming back to Longhorn are the relationships and the fact that we truly feel appreciated by the staff and management. Don’t you think that mindset crosses over into any professional relationship ? I do. Under promise, and deliver with such positive abundance that your clients won’t want to go anywhere else !  Our performance IS reality. Bon appetit !


Over Deliver on promises and deadlines. Show up early, deliver your product early, and deliver more than you promised. Overdeliver now, and in the future, you will be overpaid. - Clay Clark