Underpromise and Overdeliver?

Jeane Level 1

November 19, 2018, 12:58 am

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Underpromise and Overdeliver?

Many freelancers often leave their clients disappointed because they promise much but fail to deliver.

I'm thinking, to avoid this (though one school of thought thinks this is terrible advice), maybe it would be better for those who sell services to promise only what they can deliver. Then you can do your best to over-deliver. The good ratings that follow will secure more jobs for you.

Thoughts?

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amelia88

amelia88

That's an interesting approach for sure. I think it's definitely better than the alternative of over-promising and then having disappointed clients who will either be angry or give bad word of mouth about your business to others.

I think being honest about what you can deliver is smart. That way if it exceeds their expectations you're going to have happy clients who think you're incredible!

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. The latter one is better than giving your customers too much promises that are broken.

6 years ago

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Jeane

Jeane

Yeah. It's better not to promise anything at all. Best to actually say you'll do your best. It is a fairly safe bet since there is no way a newly acquired customer can quantify what your "best" is.

However, if you tell your customers you'll do something for them and you fall short, there will obviously be negative consequences. Perhaps you could deal with them and come out only a little singed or it could permanently tarnish your reputation.

6 years ago

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Wenkx03

Wenkx03

I agree with you. You should avoid making promises that you think you can't give. Although its good to push through your limit, it's still best that you've be honest and be humble to what you can do. Always say that you'll give your best shot instead of giving your yes to a risky situation.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

That should really be the norm, but it's business and in sales there's a saying, "At the end of the day, what matters most is profit". This means a salesperson can sometimes become unethical by promising things that can't be delivered. The downside to this is that his reputation will be affected.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

Yeah, that's marketing strategy and we can't blame those that try to over promise. However, when they get a bad review from those clients, I believe it is help them acts against me.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Yes, it's all about their marketing strategy, they don't about you anymore once they got what they want.

6 years ago

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anyone01

anyone01

I strongly consider an excellent marketing strategy, no matter what promotional channel you're eyeing, must always be hinged at the client's direction to buy. In doing so, your brand will immediately occupy the pinnacle-of-mind spot in instances in which your client sooner or later makes a decision to buy your product.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. People have the eye for money. Thus, whatever chances they can get, as long as it's for their own benefit, then they will grab it.

6 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Under-promise is a tricky word. Ultimately, if a purchaser fails to read what a service offers, or choose to have crazy expectations for a freelancer's work, there's really nothing you can do. I promise what my service says it will deliver. If you are expecting more than that, it's really not my problem. If you come in with expectations that no one can deliver - just because ''it's what you want," then I can't help you there either.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

It is necessary for many of us to find ways that we can promise those that we work for the few things that is possible for us to achieve such as giving them a realistic tike that we are going to achieve this targeted goal. So, surpassing that time pass to finish earlier makes it an interesting one for all.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

This is why it is important to always set a limit on what we promise to the level that we know can be highly achieved. With that we can be sure to not let them down.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. Sometimes, we tend to forget our limitations hut to gain customers. Blwe should always balance everything.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Yes, it's actually very effective. But it may also give you a negative impact on getting more customers. I actually think that it's true to online online shop that I know. They promise cutomers that it would be delivered in 5 days, when in fact they always deliver in three days. They have a great strategy in making customers feel that they are important.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

Exactly my thoughts. The idea itself is good but the negative impact it creates in getting customers interested to working with you is the downside to this idea. With online deliveries the shop owners need to consider a lot of things that's why their regular delivery days are between 3 to 5 business days which gives enough time in case something happens with the courier service. But yeah still a good idea especially if you can get your clients to drop in a good word and rate for you.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

Definitely better than over-promising. But there is also the risk of having abusive employers. They may get used to your performance even though they are paying for less. Some would surely asked for more had they get used to your performance. They may even think that you are slacking off have you decide to slow down a bit later on. After all we may run out of fuel sooner or later. I feel that if that happens, it has the risk of ruining your reputation before it getting well established.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. That's the sad side tho. They will think that they are paying less for a project that have a high quality. That is when you should consider of selling your products in higher prices, prices that it deserve to be sold.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

This is the downside of overperforming. They'll expect more from you since you started like that. And you're right, there are abusive ones, knowing that you'll not quit because you need the job and your life depends on it.

6 years ago

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overcast

overcast

I think it's always better to under-promise but over deliver. Because that way we can make the proper connections with the people. I have learned that some of the time under-delivering means losing the customers. People need to be understanding of the fact that we make mistakes and for that reason, we should be moderate in our claims. That's what most of the people do these days while doing freelancing.

6 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Hut some people have different ideas of 'under-delivering.' Sometimes, if a buyer doesn't get the EXACT results they wanted after purchasing a service from you, they'll immediately mark it as a negative experience. Even if their goals were unrealistic to begin with.

6 years ago

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Jeane

Jeane

This is especially true for many who pay for SEO services that promise better rankings within - say - three months. Some could pay for this service and expect that within that time they have to see their rankings improve.

So even though, you the SEO expert did everything right, when the buyer doesn't get what they paid for, they'll most certainly say you failed to deliver what you promised even though (honestly) their expectations were unrealistic.

6 years ago

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overcast

overcast

I think most of the SEO services are just blasting the links in some random PBN sites. And some are just blasting the content out there in the hope of links. I didn't find much value for the SEO agency for myself as of yet. But in near future I may have to focus on the doing things on my own because it does not sound reasonable that way.

6 years ago

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overcast

overcast

I think some of the time buyer also have their own expectations wrong. For example, buyers expect having a logo designed gets them clients. That is not the purpose of the logo design. Branding is the purpose of the logo design. Something many people don't understand or even check.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. Over delivering can make your customers happy and satisfied. They have set into their mind that you will only be able to provide an average level or work. But they didn't know that you could do better and they will be glad and surprised that they have received more than what they thought.

6 years ago

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jaymish

jaymish

I agree it is better to under promise and under deliver.Unfortunately this does not quite work out like this.Most people over promise and under deliver. Buyers tend to go with those who over promise, and leave your offer. They than complain that they are many scammers out there. I also tend to promise something that is realistic and over deliver above and beyond what I have promised the client. I tend to give the clients more than they even knew that they wanted.

6 years ago

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agbuyarashel

agbuyarashel

Ofcourse, one should never promise something that can't be done, especially to freelancers who earn just under the minimum.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

Hmm, it depends. If you want to be more valuable in the eyes of your client, it's not that bad sometimes to overdeliver to give a lasting impression even though you are underpaid. Higher pay will come if you have already proven something.

6 years ago

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burgosmichael24

burgosmichael24

That's a good advice. We have to remember that reputation is based on what we have done and not on what we are going to do. All great stories have humble beginnings. Always remember, nobody starts at the finish line. Don't rush, success has no shortcuts.

6 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

I don't think it's an awful advice considering that honesty should always be the first to consider whenever you apply for a job or a task as a freelancer. I mean it's good to be seen as a Jack of all trades or someone who is vert talented and knowledgeable, however it's not good to disappoint clients and underpromise them because it will definitely lead them to stop asking for your services. For me, I do agree with you that it's better to surprise them with your excellent skills instead or what you call overdeliver so that they will trust you more and might prefer your services instead in the future.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

The online freelancing world is a competition, and to win it is essential sometimes to outdo everyone even if sometimes you have to sacrifice a few things.

6 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

That's very true sir. The online freelancing world is definitely a competitive world and you must do your very best in order to compete. However, I don't think giving false credentials or lying about skills is a good strategy to compete. After all, it's not about being the top I guess that we freelancers are concerned with, in the end it's the salary that matters.

6 years ago

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cks003

cks003

Freelancers should not promise something beyond their ability to perform. It not only creates bad reputation to himself, but also gives a bad impression to the overall industry. However, in the race to get more customers, most of the freelancers will tend to forget the ethics and the good practices, their actions have tarnished the reputation of the whole industry and the rest of the freelancers have to bear the cost.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I like what you shared. It's so much better to keep things on the low profile. Just let your work speak for itself. You don't have to promise a bunch of stuff to the clients. You can tell them that you'll get the work done. It's as easy as that. If they're satisfied with your service, then they're likely to contact you again.

6 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

Yes, I agree with this. We must be honest in whatever capacities we have. We should not promise anything that's beyond our capacity to do things. If you promise, you must fulfill what's in your services as this will affect your performance as being a freelancer.

6 years ago

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luv2xacosta

luv2xacosta

You can never please everybody. Also I would like to comment that when dealing with business both of the parties should be committed. Like for instance, the clients must check from time to time the work of the employee and and always give them feedback about what kind of outcome they would want to get. The same also to the employee when he/she have difficulty about the job he/she should ask the clients regarding his/her preferences. Communication is very in dealing with business so when the other party does not communicate well it only live a bad impression especially to the client.

6 years ago

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anyone01

anyone01

Some individual are fully willing to deliver, and have every cause to achieve this, however some different force willfully interfers, then you definitely have a messed up scenario, no fault of their own. But I do not like people who make promises they never sincerely meant to keep. I do not like the ones with a purpose to not increase the bar, so that anything over minimum looks like they may be over performing.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

Overpromising is like giving too many expectations to your customers. And underpromising but overdeliver is a good strategy to gain your customer's trust. As a customer, I don't want to hear more promises from someone. I just need something to be done. As they say, people respect people that do what they are saying.

6 years ago

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gutzman

gutzman

I think the very reason why most of the freelancers overpromise is because there are a lot of competitions happening for them to be chosen. Yes it is kind of to good to be true but the thing is, after you have chosen, you can show your real capability. The downside though is when you are all just a boastful shrimp who really doesn't have any good service that you can do.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

The simple truth is that I never try to sell someone a service that I know I can’t provide. You’re just asking to get an awful review and less business in the future. It’s like telling someone you want to sell them a Ferrari but you show up in a Ford Pinto.

It’s definitely better to under promise and over deliver, but under promising also might not get you as much business. The best thing to do is to simply promise what you know you can definitely deliver, and work to surpass your own expectations.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

Never say something you can't provide at the moment. As for me, when my clients give their requirements, I always say 'give me a while to do research, and I'll do my best.' That's it, and luckily they still keep on coming back and assign me jobs.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! Wish makes more freelancer writers to make such absurd promises is simply greed to demand more pay from their clients by promising heaven and earth that they will be able to deliver but at the end of business transaction, they would still end up disappointing.

It's good to be greedy when it comes to business but too much of it is going to put you in a tight spot.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

There is a saying here in my country that goes "Anything excessive is bad for you."

But to be fair, I think both the employer and the freelancer needs to realize and understand the objective of the work first, then agree upon it to avoid disappointments and misunderstandings.

6 years ago

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beerthooyah

beerthooyah

It would be better to over deliver. As a freelancer, we should always see to it that we satisfy the expectation of our clients. In that way, our reputation will be improved as a freelancer and jobs will keep coming to us.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

It's good to overdeliver initially, that's how I was when I was also starting. But once you gain that reputation, you'll realize your worth, and might demand more from your employer.

6 years ago

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jpk0007

jpk0007

Well that is one of the smartest marketing strategy for any freelancer. If you are able to effectively implement this strategy with your clients then it will certainly increase your rating as a freelancer. However, it can be very difficult for a newcomer to understand it and implement it initially. I think with experience one can be able to promise less initially and deliver more at the time of completing an assignment.

6 years ago

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Franzel2oo

Franzel2oo

Yes, it'd best to promise within your competence and to outdo yourself when you deliver. No one likes to be taken advantage of. And that's exactly what you do when you oversell yourself and fall short come delivery time. It makes no sense really that someone will do this. Because more important than your current job, are the many jobs the current job can bring you. Honesty is the best way to go for the freelancer. Let your services sell you.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

Personally, I think it is better to work to a contract, only say what you can do, for what price, and in what timeframe. Make it clear your extra time will cost the client extra money if fhe core contract is fulfilled.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I completely agree with you on this about working like it's a contract work and work on what you are paid to do and not work outside it in order not to cross your mark or fail to meet up with your mark on what's promised.

When you don't deliver on what you have promised your clients, it puts a big dent on your business reputation.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

The problem starts when you try to over impress your clients, in as much as it's very important satisfy your clients with your services, it's also very crucial to promise on what you are absolutely sure that you can deliver because once you have disappointed a client, he or she will find it very difficult to trust you.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

Yes, and this usually happens to beginner freelancers out there. They want to overdeliver to impress the client, sometimes offering extra services for free. However, the problem comes when you realize that he/she got used to that set-up. It will not be advantageous on your end.

6 years ago

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mhingnhormz

mhingnhormz

Underpromised and overdeliver: It better to market your product as what it is that you think you can meet the expectation of your customer than promising them more than your product it was. Offer your product exactly in a nice way to your customer to gain their trust and do over deliver is really much better than promising them to the point yhat you can't meet.

6 years ago

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angie828

angie828

I always promise to myself that I will never under any circumstances underpromise someone. I lay out my terms before we start work, and the client lays out theirs. We devise a plan that will work for both of us. That way we are both on the same page. I will always strive to over-deliver, but if I can not, then it is not something that I should be ashamed of, as I am always working very hard.

6 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

To be frank with the issue, there is no standard yet in the freelancing industry. It is just like an open market with not much rules that anyone can do whatever they want to do. We have to admit that scammers are just around the corner. Aside from them the so called non-performers would promise heaven to the client even if they certainly know that they couldn't deliver. It's just like earning quick money. It's really sad to think that freelancers don't have a good reputation in general because of those cases.

6 years ago

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