The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who deliver on big promises.

When I work with small business owners to help them build their businesses, one thing I notice is how timid most of them are. They speak of their benefits in terms of wimpy statements like, “We are different because we care.” or “We offer free shipping.”

First off, these are boring. There is nothing in these phrases that creates differentiation. If the most amazing part of your service is that you care, you need to call my office right now and get some help with your positioning because you’re losing money everyday.

One of the most significant changes you can make to move your business forward is to develop what I call a big promise- and then deliver on it.

This may require a bit of brainstorming, so make sure you have pen and paper handy.

What is the biggest, boldest, and scariest promise you could make to your ideal client?

Write that down.

You’re on the right track if you feel a little bit scared or overwhelmed by your own audacity. It doesn’t mean you have to offer this promise, but it’s good to write down what’s the biggest promise you could make- and then ratchet it down a notch or two to make it the biggest promise you could deliver on.

So, for example, one of my clients is a professional organizer. Her big promise might be “Get your home organized in two hours, and keep it that way forever.” Now, if she can truly deliver on this promise, that would be bold and compelling to her clients, because most of them hate the process of getting organized- but would probably be able to handle it for two hours. Now, adding the “forever” is a stroke of brilliance, because who wouldn’t want to do something once and benefit forever, right?

So when she wrote out this biggest, boldest promise, she felt a little overwhelmed and started thinking of all the exceptions- all the ways that she couldn’t deliver on this promise. So, for instance, she didn’t really think that people would maintain results forever. So, instead, she backed off from that just slightly, and said she felt that people could maintain the results for six months. So her promise became:

“Spend two hours organizing and keep it that way for six months.”- and then she offered to come back for “mini-booster” organization sessions at Client request. This was strategic, because she was able to keep the clients organized, and offer other services when she visited their homes on a second or third visit. It was also easier to sell her services, because clients felt they would be getting longer term benefits from working with her compared to other organizers in her town.

As you can see from this story, a big promise kicks up your game, and makes it easier to make sales.

What’s your big promise?

Create More Value, Make More Money

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