“No one promises more than the person who has no intention of delivering.” This quote, often attributed to Francisco de Quevedo, provides a useful starting point for the reflection and exercise I would like to share.
Every business faces an inherent dilemma between the what and the how—between what we promise customers and how we actually deliver on those promises.
The easy—but ultimately flawed—answer is to promise very little. This approach makes it much easier to meet expectations. It is flawed because prospective customers rarely get excited about modest promises. At least initially, they tend to choose the company that offers the most compelling value. If your offering appears limited, many prospects will never give you a chance, or they will only come to you after being disappointed by the competition.
The opposite approach is to promise everything. The idea is to attract customers with an impressive promise and figure out the details later. It reflects the mindset of, “Just tell them yes—we’ll figure it out somehow.” This approach leaves delivery to a kind of magical event that never materializes, reducing the how to an afterthought dependent on the creativity—or heroics—of employees and managers.
So what are the underlying problems with these approaches?
The first is the tendency to define the what without considering the how. It is the belief that the key is finding the most dazzling promise while ignoring the operational requirements needed to fulfill it and the capabilities the organization actually possesses. The consequences of failing to deliver are significant. Customers will always compare what they receive—or perceive—with what they were promised or expected. If your goal is to build long-term customer relationships, consistently delivering on your promises is essential.
The first lesson: build promises that are both realistic and inclusive. They should be developed jointly by the teams that interact directly with customers and those responsible for operations and support.
The second problem is more strategic than operational. It stems from the temptation to build promises incrementally, using competitors as the benchmark and always trying to offer more than they do. This way of thinking puts tremendous pressure on operations while eroding financial margins. Giving customers more for less is rarely a winning strategy unless demand increases enough to offset the lower unit margin. In other words, you end up promising more, chasing volume, sacrificing profitability, and placing unnecessary strain on your operations.
The second lesson: your customer promise should not simply be bigger than your competitors’.
How can companies make better promises?
Returning to Quevedo’s insight, the answer is neither to promise too little nor to promise more than you can deliver. The key is knowing what to promise, guided by one fundamental principle: what you promise, you deliver. That is what builds customer loyalty and protects your business against future competitive pressures.
To rethink your customer promises, I suggest the following exercise:
- Identify what matters most.
List everything customers expect from your product or service, then rank those attributes from most valuable to least valuable. Be as thorough as possible and involve the people in your organization who truly understand your customers. - Assess your own capabilities.
For the top third of the attributes identified in Step 1, conduct an honest evaluation of your company’s current ability to deliver. Rate each attribute on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 represents excellent performance and 1 indicates serious deficiencies. - Assess your competitors.
Evaluate your competitors’ ability to deliver on those same attributes using the same 1-to-5 scale, based on your knowledge of their performance. - Identify your competitive advantages.
Compare your ratings with those of your competitors by subtracting their score from yours. Negative results indicate areas of weakness, while positive results reveal competitive strengths. - Promise what you do best.
Confidently commit to the areas where your company already has a clear advantage. Let your competitors focus on promising—and delivering—the attributes that customers value less. Don’t chase them there. - Strengthen your weaknesses.
Launch initiatives to improve the most critical attributes—those that matter most to customers and where your competitors currently outperform you.
This exercise, dear reader, is a strategic reflection on both your value proposition and your operational capabilities. I hope you find it useful.
Originally published in Transportes y Turismo magazine: https://www.tyt.com.mx/nota/prometer-es-facil-cumplir-es-estrategia
