Recently, my family found ourselves waiting for a cake for 50 people. We had ordered it in advance for a big event, and clearly laid out our timeframe. But when the day of the party arrived … the cake did not. We started weighing our options, with just a few hours left before guests started arriving. Would we bake a cake? Buy a cake elsewhere? Or trust that the bakery could make good on their promise to make the cake by five o’clock even though we had originally been told it would be done by three?
Don’t let your company fail in its commitments. Your strategic business communications will be strongest if you always promise what you can deliver, and deliver what you promise.
Your business communications should promise what you can deliver, and deliver appealingly packaged. Photo by Steven Depolo.
Don’t overhype an upcoming item, or you risk public relations fallout. Instead of relying on superlatives that convey no specific meaning, focus on statistics you can support. Read through the archives of Drop Kicker, a blog on which writers with a background in engineering and product development investigate the technical claims of crowdfunding projects, for some examples of questionable claims.
Our cake problem may not have been an issue of overpromising. It may have been an isolated incident due to a unforeseen circumstance. Whatever the cause, even though they did end up finishing a cake in time, it damaged our trust in that store’s ability to fulfill its orders. Protect your business from a similar situation by making the core of your messaging concrete facts about what your product or service can accomplish.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “under-promise and over-deliver.” Your business communications need to generate public and media interest in your company, but consider the long-term goals of your company. It’s better to build a vocal and devoted customer base over time by impressing people with your consistency and excellence than it is to snap up many customers only to lose them all when your work doesn’t live up to expectations. Build credibility to build your business.
