Do you make promises to your clients and then fail to deliver? This is a pitfall that some business owners fall into — they think they can “do it all” and perhaps they can, but they don’t set a realistic timeline for completion. If you’re working with a client and are offered a task, take a step back and consider how long it will truly take you and how many other projects you have in the works. You need to be realistic when setting deadlines.
Here are some tips on over-delivering on promises made to your clients:
- As mentioned, set realistic deadlines. If you can deliver a product prior to a set deadline then that’s great. It’s better to be early on a deadline than to miss it or to have to go back and ask for an extension.
- Is a client asking you to do something or provide a service that is outside of your realm of expertise? If so, you need to determine whether it’s worth it for you to take on this project or if you have a trusted business partner with whom you can share this task. Don’t say ‘yes’ just because your client asks, especially if you can’t deliver a high quality product.
Bottom line: Go above and beyond for your clients and they will thank you for your attention to detail as well as your willingness to help them solve their problems.