The old cliché in business is that you should under-promise
and over-deliver. But in a crowded marketplace, under-promising is
a one-way ticket to oblivion. Because consumers and businesses are
moving and shopping at warp speed these days, they won't slow
down long enough to fully understand your under-promise. To grab
their attention, you must over-promise.
By over-promising, I don't mean you should promise things
you can't deliver. Instead, I mean you must make an outrageous
claim on which you can deliver. Most companies already have
such capabilities, which is why their current customers do business
with them. But their marketing teams haven't taken the time to
understand exactly why their current customers really stay loyal,
and then articulate their unique capabilities in an outrageous
over-promise.
While doing research for my most recent book, Overpromise and Overdeliver: The Secrets of
Unshakable Customer Loyalty (Portfolio), I was astounded by
how many products, services and companies didn't have an
articulated over-promise. If you don't tell customers why they
should buy from you, but your competitors do...then guess who gets
the customers?
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Here are three excellent examples of over-promises you can use
for inspiration:
- American Girl over-promises by offering girls dolls that will
utterly enchant them...and then over-delivers by giving each doll a
fascinating biography.
- Google over-promises by offering everything a customer would
want to find on the Web...and then over-delivers with an average
search time of 0.2 seconds.
- Hummer over-promises a driving experience that's "like
nothing else"...and then over-delivers with an
attention-grabbing design, extra comfort and a built-in Hummer
community.
So how can you create your own over-promise?
1. Start by examining your vision for your company. Why
did you start it in the first place? What was missing in the
marketplace that you vowed to fix on behalf of your customers? I
often find that the essence of a brand can be drawn from a business
founder's original thoughts. You could feel it even if you
couldn't articulate it. Now's the time to make that
articulation.
2. What is your product or service's single, most
important attribute? What makes it unique? What one word do
customers think about or feel when they hear your company's
name? Volvo means safety. Lexus means luxury. What does your
product mean?
3. Ask your customers why they buy your products. Then
ask them why they don't buy your competitors' products. In
the chasm between these two answers, you'll find a beacon that
points to what your over-promise should be.
4. Ask non-customers why they don't buy your
products or services. Then ask why they buy your
competitors' products. This pair of questions will give you
insight into the misperceptions they have about your product or
company, or will point you toward serious shortcomings in your
offerings.
5. What emotions do your customers feel when they use your
products? Why do customers pay a premium for a Hummer, a Lexus
or an American Girl Doll? It's because of the way it makes them
feel or because of the way it makes others feel about them.
These are powerful brand-building insights you must consider when
you're crafting your over-promise.
Once you've done your research and have brainstormed some
potential over-promises for your brand, be sure to test them with
your customers and your potential customers for effectiveness in
both their ability to grab attention and to accurately reflect the
actual brand experience. Too many companies make the fatal mistake
of creating aspirational over-promises that they can't fulfill.
It will take your customers a very short time to find out you
can't deliver on your over-promise. You'll know when
you've got the right over-promise because it will resonate with
both customers and employees.
Now, over-deliver!
My research showed a clear pattern in the companies that were
able to consistently over-deliver on their over-promises. They
focused on creating unique customer experiences at three critical
touch points: the product, the systems and the human element.
First, the product must reliably perform as
promised--appropriate design is crucial. Second, the product must
be easy to acquire, finance, assemble, use, store, fix and dispose
of--this is the system. The greatest product in the world is worth
far less if getting it is a hassle or if it's too complicated
for customers to use. Finally, your people--the human element--must
clearly understand the role they play in delivering the overall
customer experience. How should they dress? What should they say?
How should they act? Don't leave these details to chance, or
your people will make up their own version of your brand.
Over-promise and over-deliver is a formula that's been
proven to be successful by American Express, Pottery Barn, Samsung,
Washington Mutual and many other top businesses. If you're
willing to invest in the research required to get your over-promise
right and the attention to detail required to get your
over-delivery right, your brand, too, can join the ranks of the
irresistible!
Rick Barrera is president of Overpromise Inc.,
a consulting firm that designs and executes differentiating
marketing strategies for companies of all sizes.