Deliver twice what you promise!
12th September 2008
Yesterday, I was listening in to a team of sales representatives over coffee during a workshop break in a local hotel, and they were debating one of the tips that they had been given by their trainer. His tip was to ‘Deliver Twice What You Promise.' The logic was that when you consistently deliver more than was expected, new customers are drawn to you. This got me pondering on the journey home last night.
The web and U Tube are abuzz with angst and handwringing about service provided by big companies being well below expectation. The BBC has also made a number of programmes around consumer disappointment – Watchdog and Rogue Trader continue to churn out new series.
However, when it comes to learning and development what do customers expect? This is a tricky area. You can agree outcomes and objectives with your sponsor and work relentlessly to deliver on these. However, how are you going to meet the expectations of a group of delegates whom you have never met before? The classic wisdom for this is to agree a learner contract with the group. This can be difficult however, when you have a limited time together and some individuals do not want to be honest with other people in the room i.e. you will still not be aware of each ‘individual's' expectations. I would also feel uncomfortable sitting with a client and deliberately not sharing everything that is appropriate to their needs. For me most trainers are very open with their clients and only too willing to please.
Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares is a mine of thoughts on running a business. He is noted for using bad language, but some of his business wisdom is priceless; “Don't put your ego before your customers.” Wise counsel in my value set. Share what is appropriate, don't share all your knowledge. Give what you can realistically deliver within your skill set.
Thinking of the next step – how can I deliver twice what I promise into the coaching relationship. Consciously this is once again difficult to deliver. However, the good news for many business coaches is that this often happens automatically. Coaching is an intimate relationship between Coach and Coachee. The Coachee will share many confidences if the rapport is their and they trust their Coach. This makes it easier for positive outcomes to exceed the Coachees expectations, and if the changes in approach translate into working practice then the organisation should be impressed with the outcome.
My alternative tip for the sales team would therefore be “Add Value Just for the Joy of It!” When you add value because you enjoy it, then people are naturally attracted to your enthusiasm and you as a person.
