Stop Setting Yourself Up For Failure!
Setting clear expecations that are attainable will keep you from disapointing friends and customers.
Over promise and under deliver is one the original sins of sales. Let me modify this slightly for you. You have to set clear expectations with everyone you work with in sales. Prospects, clients, co-workers, managers, EVERYONE.
Have you ever been the last one out of your friends to see hilarious movie? Let me guess, it wasn’t as funny as everyone made it out to be. This falls in line with one rule that is true above all others. People are only disappointed or upset when their expectations are not met. The expectations were set so high by your friends on that movie that it would never be funny enough. It is up to you communicate clear, realistic, expectations with everyone you interact with so that your clients are not left disappointed.
Here is what people forget about the impact of setting the right expectations. When you set the right expectations and you deliver on what someone is expecting, you build trust. Trust leads to faster decisions and faster results. People want to do business with people that they trust and are reliable.
Every conversation you have with the prospect should end with clear expectations about the next step. If there is no next step that you’re setting expectations for, why did you have the conversation?
If you rely on other people to deliver to the customer make sure those individuals understand how important hitting deadlines and setting expectations is for your relationship with your client and your relationship with them.
Tips for setting clear expectations:
Clear expectations must have specific deliverables, the date and time they will be delivered, and the agreement of the other party that the proposed schedule is acceptable.
Always give yourself a cushion. If you can deliver by the end of the day, tell them you will have it by the end of the following day. Don’t set yourself up to fail. Also, it never hurts to exceed expectations.
If something comes up and you’re not going to hit the expectations. As soon as you find out that you can’t deliver, call the other party immediately with why it can’t get done and the new timeline.
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