One of the key components to success in any endeavor both professional and personal is delivering on expectations. But all too often we fail to establish “great” expectations at the start that are realistic, reliable, and fuel our success. A significant portion of your marketing success strategy needs to be devoted to creating and managing “GREAT EXPECTATIONS.” Let me give you an a couple of real life case studies.
I’ve worked for many years with a very talented decorative painter (otherwise known as a faux finisher). He is capable of incredible creativity and transforming a room from drab to fab with his design genius. Interestingly he downplays his talent (reducing expectation) on his positive attributes and features instead the impossible delivery of his services in unrealistic time frames. The outcome is such that while you are pleased with his work, it often takes so long to get there and more than one deadline has been missed that the satisfaction of the creative transformation is tainted by unrealistic expectations of a timely completion. A “GREAT EXPECTATION” for him to set, and marketing success strategy to follow, would be that the client will surely be thrilled with his creative magic and please allow him the time and flexibility to get there.
Often I’ve met coaches who are focused on a single expectation from their services and fail to understand that the benefits in coaching are often less tangible and more unique to each client. While certainly there are coaches with all manner of specific focuses from marketing to weight loss, relationships and dating to energy work, it is vital to be keenly aware that a coaching client can often take away something wonderful that wasn’t rigidly defined. A “GREAT EXPECTATION” from coaching is to achieve a professional or personal break through that creates a quantum leap to the next level of success. Imagine a marketing strategy applied that creates this. Ultimately all coaching is designed to move you forward whether professionally or personally and inevitably that means clearing obstacles and making break throughs both large and small.
In working with the occasional bargain provider, and we’ve all been there, the expectation is that you’ll get what you pay for. You’ll get the basic service at the bargain price, hopefully on time. Now a “GREAT EXPECTATION” here would be a guarantee of service or product delivery or your money back, along with follow up to ensure your satisfaction. Very few bargain providers offer “GREAT EXPECTATIONS.” It’s the difference between Target and Walmart. Target offers a much higher level of expectation and doesn’t disappoint (at least not in my experience so far!)Target also leverages their marketing strategy to communicate “GREAT EXPECTATIONS.”
Think about what you can consistently and persistently deliver, be realistic and then create the plan to communicate that to your prospects and clients. Don’t make them guess, be clear, be concise, and follow through. Most often we survive on low expectations and get pleasantly surprised by anything more. Imagine changing that paradigm and being known to deliver on “GREAT EXPECTATIONS!”
Tell me about your experiences personally and professional with GREAT EXPECTATIONS, and how your marketing strategy can be upleveled to use this with your prospects and clients.
