I like to stress myself out and overdeliver. And, on occasion, I have also been known to overpromise, too.
What got me thinking about these habits is that I have been binge-watching the show, Suits. The show’s plot revolves around unrealistic over-achieving, overpromising, and overdelivering. (The handbags and shoes the female characters wear are also amaze-balls.)
Until I started watching this show, I hadn’t spent any time thinking about why I overdeliver.
If you’re a small business owner, you’re gonna want to read this…
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Doing Extra Work Without Extra Compensation Isn’t Worth It
At some point many of us are taught that overdelivering is part of the secret to success and showing how valuable you are. Perhaps, you even subscribe to the phrase “under promise and overdeliver.”
In fact, this is advice that most new business owners and entrepreneurs are given.
You and I have been sold lies.
Turns out overdelivering isn’t worth it. In general, it’s wasted effort because it’s not valued.
A study in 2014 showed that exceeding a promise produced little to no increase in gratitude or appreciation.
Sure, your customers might say they appreciate the extra effort, but it’s unlikely that it sways their actual perception of your service. This is because of how we value promises as a society. Keeping a promise fulfills a social contract and shows you are reliable and trustworthy. As a society, we see promises like contracts in our minds. Once that promise has been fulfilled, not much more is expected.
What is valued is that you did what you said you would do – not what you overdelivered.
So, it’s more important for your reputation to keep your promises and deliver what and when you say you will. Beyond being fair, generosity and going above and beyond don’t seem to be valued as much.
When I Overdeliver, I Am Overcompensating
There. I said it.
Being a business owner is scary. It is risky, there is a lot of uncertainty, and I have put my financial future on the line. So, to hide my fear that I’ll make a mistake, make someone unhappy with my service, and/or that I’m not good enough, I go above and beyond.
Overdelivering is a form of a survival strategy and even though I have owned and operated pet care businesses for 23 years, that “survive at all costs” mentality is still there when I smell a hint of doubt.
Like many other business owners, I obsess about going above and beyond because I want my business to not only be successful, but to be the best. I want to impress my clients and I will give all sorts of extra time and effort thinking it makes my client feel supported and valued.
But does it? I haven’t asked. I’ve just been assuming it does. It’s time to communicate more about expectations.
(Do you think I over or under deliver? Shoot me an email.)
What Overdelivering Is Really About
Overdelivering is about more than surpassing expectations, but about a need to prove your worth and ignoring your own boundaries and needs. You aren’t simply offering up more of yourself; you are creating unrealistic expectations that have to be maintained at a cost of your own financial and mental well-being.
What overdelivering does is create an imbalanced exchange. When you overdeliver, you have changed the terms of the agreement because of a fear of the unknown. You either don’t know what your client actually expects or you fear their uncertain response.
More often than not, overdelivering backfires because:
- It sets unrealistic expectations that are difficult, time consuming, or expensive to maintain.
- An idea hasn’t been fully thought through in a haste to deliver.
- Sometimes it wastes time, money, and a disregard for what is actually needed.
Overdelivering Is Actually Expensive For You
Something else to consider is that when you overdeliver, that often means you are underpricing. You are doing extra work without extra compensation. Basically, you’ve underpriced yourself when you don’t ask for what you and your service are actually worth.
What is it really costing you to aim for outperformance? What else don’t you have time the time, energy, attention, or willpower for?
As for my own effort to stop or at least slow down on overdelivering, I think it’s time I ask myself what I am truly worried about. Then, start communicating better with clients to quell the voice in my head that is screaming “More! More! More!”
I also need to have a conversation with myself about my worth. I have already “paid my dues” and I don’t need to prove that I deserve to be successful.
The next time you have the urge to overdeliver for a customer, ask yourself: what are you expecting in return?
For me, the answer to this question, made me rethink what I should be willing to give and give-up.
