Never promise what you can never deliver

It’s always interesting to hear people making predictions.

When the predictions go drastically wrong they will then tell you of all the unforeseen events that led to the lack of achievement.

In the days of my youth I thrived on increasing my value to my Company.

Generally, into the tenth month of the existing sales year our Sales Director would ask us to do an itemised prediction of how and where we would Increase the following year.

Done by product it was a very useful tool.

Whatever figure you arrived at he would add another 20% even though you had already predicted decent increases.

Here was a question for me that I put to him.

“My reasoning is clear with figures to support it but can you just show me what I missed in my calculation?”

In short he just liked the figure and it would stand.

The next year I completed my next prediction.

My shrewd Managing Director said “I am surprised by your figures Derek because you are better than that”

“I know” I said “but you know to add in another 20% so it will be fine”

My view is always that whatever I promise I always deliver more.

The difference is that my prediction is “doable” based on facts and hard graft.

People who make predictions they can never achieve will fail and only embarrass themselves and those who have to give the figures to the Board.

What was Ironic was that my Managing Director got the figure from his Sales Director but always reduced it by 20%!

He used the same principle I do and you cannot build a business on false hopes.

Everyone knows more is needs and it’s a matter of pride.

The day you promise something you know you cannot deliver the clock of failure is ticking.

The best motivator for sales people is to be ahead of target at the end of quarter 1.

As a sales and marketer I know the value of making good assessments.

Being remembered as an achiever is far better than being “almost there” because almost there is remembered as “Nowhere”