How do you avoid overpromising and underdelivering to customers?

Your advice on managing client expectations is spot on. Setting clear and realistic expectations from the beginning of a project is crucial to prevent potential issues and dissatisfaction down the line. The first step to avoid over promising and under delivery is to be realistic with the outcome. Establishing a transparent communication channel for discussing project goals, deliverables, roles, and responsibilities is key, Promptly addressing changes and issues is essential to maintain trust and manage client stress.

I find that I am able to earn my clients trust by sharing with clients that it is my responsibility to tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. While it might be easier to nod and say what I know they want to hear it is ethical to set accurate expectations for timelines, pricing, processes etc. It is not the quicker path to sales, but it generates trust and loyalty when they see that you have their best interest in mind.

One key way that's given me success in this area is to not be too quick to give an answer when making a commitment. I've come to realize that it's okay to say "that sounds great" or " I'd love to commit to that" BUT to always end these comments with "let me look at my calendar and see if I have the time to commit to this project" or "let me look into what this project needs to make sure I'm the right person to help". Doing this will demonstrate 3 key things: 1. You are truly interested in participating in the project, 2. You truly want the project to succeed, 3. You truly appreciate the project itself.

When a customer buys or decides to buy the product, they at first gets convinced by the product and the second influencer would be the sales person. Setting the right expectations is the key to avoid any confusions in the implementation stage. I case when there is a need of overpromising or making some modifications, there should be a clear communication regarding the expectations Vs Deliverables along with the timelines. Later In the implementation phase, execution plan and regular updates about the project plays a crucial role. This may help avoid client frustrations in the long run and win their trust.

I always read an SOW and highlight any questions I may have with the stakeholder. I look for things like what did Sales promise we could do for them, what is realistic based on the timeline and resources. Too many times I have had to create a Change Order and adjust pricing because the solution was incorrect and either the Solution Architect did not ask the questions or the Sales team just made assumptions. Always, always review the SOW and schedule that first stakeholder meeting immediately and have an honest conversation about their expectations.

When clients are provided with consistent projects status updates, it will be easier for them to understand the decisions needing to be made and be more accepting of changes or detours a project may take. This is because they will feel that they have not been kept in "the dark" and are more acceptable to twists and turns that a project might take before its conclusion.

When working with a a prospective client, it is crucial to treat every conversation like a stage in the learning process. By asking the right questions and developing an understanding of the client's pain points and/or needs, it becomes significantly easier to deliver on expectations. Deliverables can be "hand crafted" and consistently be on par, leading to opportunities to EXCEED expectations.

The trick is to use your tools and resources to manage your workload and to learn how to work smarter not harder. The right tools could be delegating, bringing in someone who has expertise in a particular area or getting the opinion of someone who has successfully completed a project similar to yours.

It has been written that a fool learns from his own mistakes but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. This is where analyzing similar projects comes in. Before starting a project in a area that I am not familiar with, I'll do research or interview others who have experience in the area. This way I can anticipate problems, find out how others have successfully managed those problems and search for useful data that I can use in my research, preventing from me "reinventing the wheel". I believe this will better enable me to ensure my project's success.

Follow up, I believe, is the most important part of a project. This demonstrates that not only did you care about the success of your project but that you care about how your end-users or customers feel about what you've delivered, and most important that you value their input.

Evaluate Resources One thing I find helpful is a regular assessment of resources, team capacity, and capabilities to ensure you can fulfill the promises made to customers. Inform/update the customer about possible changes in deliverables or timelines if and when there are issues that will possibly affect the project outcome. Quality Assurance Also, Implement robust quality control measures to ensure the products or services delivered meet or exceed customer expectations. Learn from Mistakes If underdelivery occurs, analyze the root causes and use it as a learning opportunity to improve processes and avoid similar issues in the future.