A business owner asked me what they could learn from competitors' mistakes. I came back to three things: communicate clearly, set expectations and keep your word.
Those sound basic, but they're easy to compromise when you're trying to win work. You want the customer to say yes, and it's tempting to make the offer sound better than what you know you can deliver.
That promise follows you into the job. The customer expects the thing you described, even if you thought of the wording as part of making the sale.
Setting expectations at the beginning helps both people understand what is going to happen. Without that, the customer can imagine a version of the service you never intended to provide. You discover the difference later, when they're disappointed.
Communication becomes more important when something goes wrong. That is when I want the customer to know what is happening, rather than have to work it out from silence.
And if I can't confidently deliver something, I shouldn't promise it. It is a simple standard, but keeping it can be uncomfortable when the promise would make winning the business easier.
A customer costs effort to acquire. You want a relationship that can continue and lead to referrals, rather than one that becomes frustrated as soon as delivery starts.
Look at the words you use to sell and the experience you actually provide. They need to fit together. Clear expectations and honest communication give you a much better chance of keeping the customer you worked to win.
