Marketing Dilema : Setting the Bar Too Low or High?

Ever found yourself at a marketing gig, doing your best to impress, and suddenly you are confronted with a random question like “What is our Under-Over proposition”? ….wait What???

Last saturday, a client popped that brain-buster on 2 of my colleagues and I. After 15 years of playing in the marketing sandbox, I thought I had heard it all. Well clearly, I had not! So there I was, scratching my head, humbly asking the client to explain what he meant. His answer? Oh, just the classic marketing mantra: “Under promise and overdeliver!” You know, that little tactic that’s supposed to have clients throwing rose petals at our feet? he thumped!

How could we be so far from the truth folks?
This Sales & Marketing Manager thought if we set the bar low, every time we soared above it, our customers would crown us as the marketing Bachwezi (Read: demigods). I was mentally trying to map that logic…I couldn’t help but think, “Well, it sounds logical, is this a universal truth, or….? But let’s talk real marketing for a minute!

In a crowded marketplace where everyone and their golden bell is vying for attention, yes, it is so-tempting to promise the sun, the moon, and maybe even a few stars just to close that first order. Honestly, it sounds like a solid strategy. Think Amazon – those delivery wizards practically teleported my last order and even delivered it a day earlier! The book was here even before I could decide if I was really going to read it!

But let’s remember, perception is everything! In marketing how your customer perceives your brand is the real deal. Under promising could lead your business straight into a dangerous perception pit – a slippery slope where your competition, those crafty contenders, are out there promising the galaxy! Let’s be real: under committing is not the runway to marketing glory. It’s like running a race and intentionally tripping before the finish line!

Instead, let’s strive to Promise, Deliver, and Communicate like the pros we are! Be upfront about what you can deliver, make bold commitments, and then go above and beyond to keep them. Stay in touch with your customers like they’re your BFFs (looking at you Amazon, with your impeccable order updates ).Keep them in the loop about your progress, and if things go awry, don’t ghost them!

But to be brutally honest, what Amazon does is not rocket science; it just takes a touch of marketing empathy (understand & relate with the feelings, needs and motivations of the customer) and communicate to manage expectations, which – SURPRISE! – is surprisingly rare in this day and age.