Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching
How to Under Promise and Over Deliver
"I'll get back to you…" When you hear that, what do you think? It could be minutes, hours, days - or you're about to be blown off.
If you said that to a customer, they may think you mean within an hour, while you're thinking by the end of your work day. You may miss a customer commitment without even thinking you committed.
My suggestion is to be very specific, and tell the customer they will hear back from you within the hour or even state a specific time. If you need the rest of the business day to get back to your customer, make sure you're operating on their time zone and business hours - not yours. If you don't have an answer within your time frame, at least contact the customer and give them an update. Remember that "no" news is usually perceived as "bad" news - as well as having the customer think you don't care about them.
If shipping something to a customer takes 7-10 days, what did your customer hear? Usually, the customer will focus on the first number they hear, so if the product was received in 8 days (clearly within your range) your customer may believe you're late.
My suggestion is to say that the product will be received within 10 days (clarify if you mean business days or calendar days). Your customer will be delighted to get it in 8 days. You didn't need to pad the time, just go with the higher of the two numbers.
Under Promise and Over Deliver (UPOD) is a good thing, while Over Promise and Under Deliver (OPUD) is a bad thing – yet seems to be the norm. Meeting customer commitments is one of the best ways to create customer loyalty and set yourself apart from your competition. Be clear, specific and even literal when making commitments.
Mike's Upcoming Sales Skills Workshops for November
1. Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial!
After learning some tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial, we will work on your specific message. Your opening statement will create customer interest and assist you with developing networking relationships that are critical to your business development.
Date/Time: Thursday, November 13, 2008 from 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx
Investment: ASBA Members - $30 or Non-members - $40
Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.
2. Sales Skills 301: Increasing Revenue Through Negotiation and Refining Your Closing Skills
Date/Time: Friday, November 14, 2008 from 8:30am – 11:30am
Location: Arizona Small Business Association at 4130 E. Van Buren St, Ste 150 - Phx
Investment: ASBA Members - $59.00 or Non-members - $69.00
Register today at 602-265-4563 or rsvp@asba.com.
Have a great sales week!