"You Always Over-Deliver." Was That A Compliment?

We’ve all heard the saying, “Under promise, over-deliver.” Creating and managing expectations are important in all aspects of our lives– personal and professional. But a few months ago, one of our clients said that they were impressed with us because we always over-deliver. I can’t stop asking myself, was that a compliment?

In Orange Slice’s first year of business, the goal was to help as many small, local businesses as we could. Our price point was low, since we were just getting started, and we felt personally attached to helping these local companies flourish. We continuously went above and beyond our contractual obligations, which, of course, made the clients very happy. But as we continued to grow, we started to reexamine the sustainability of overdelivering.

What exactly is an expectation? It’s a destination that both sides agree on arriving at. At Orange Slice, we now understand that true strength comes in setting appropriate expectations–and meeting them. There needs to be a mutual understanding before moving into a partnership.

I gave “over-delivering” a Google, expecting to find plenty of evidence supporting how important it was, but what I found was surprising. Many people agree that over-delivering actually doesn’t make the person/business on the other side any happier. What people want is for their expectations to be met. By going above and beyond, you are putting your boundaries, resources, and value at risk.

As a people pleaser myself, the “over-deliver dilemma” is a hard concept for me to grasp. At Orange Slice, we’ve discovered that a great way to “over-deliver” is in communication. We pick up the phone. We don’t let emails go unanswered. We proactively reach out to make sure we are on the same page as our clients. This goes a long way– not only does it cost us very little, but it also helps us reach those client goals we set in the first place. And in all honesty, if you ask our clients, we’re often guilty of sprinkling in a little extra. 

A successful business understands its value and has the confidence to set goals and achieve them. Don’t be afraid to set your markers and aim right at them.