Have you ever broken a promise you made to a child? Recall the expression he/she had when you didn’t bring with you the yellow bicycle or the golden unicorn with the pink hair? All those tantrums and the sulking can be the worst to deal with. Each time it happens you swear not to repeat it. Then you begin thinking of ways to make up and you know that you have to outdo yourself.
Here is when you decide to buy that expensive doll house or the limited edition action figure of the Transformers. Undoubtedly this act receives the desired effect. The child is ecstatic and tells you that you are the best thing in the world. Happy you are and relieved to be back in the good books.
Now this is a part of life but if you were to apply the same principle to business, the consequences can be very damaging.
Making up is expensive without guaranteed success
I know you are thinking that no business owner in their right mind would apply this to business; but think again. How many times have you come across websites that promise you the Earth and don’t come close to delivering it? Also the flyers you get in your mailbox telling you of the best property deals which you learn was not even worth the effort of checking it out. Would anything appease you after that?
Maybe only a flat 50% off would make you consider the place again.
So you see making up is expensive and you can’t be sure it would work. The lesson to learn is “promise something only if you can deliver it.”
The balancing act
The concern most business owners have with selling their products or services without over-promising is that it won’t appeal to people enough. They fear that people simply wouldn’t be thrilled by it; which is a reasonable concern. The only way to make sales without over-promising is to come up with creative ways to convey the message. It is about achieving the balance between saying truth and creativity. It is about investing in clever marketing while being sure of the product /service. This way you will gain customers who won’t be disappointed because they get what they expected to get.
So don’t go around promising the Earth just to attract a crowd. Sure you can promise it if you can give it, else rework your marketing strategy. Don’t put yourself in a position where you would have to spend a bomb in efforts to cheer up your customers. It is worth the while only with kids and people you love.
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