Eight Ways To Over-Deliver

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You hear it said, and its true: You've got to over-deliver. Especially now that the world is networked and people have more choices than ever.

But the real question is, how? How the heck can you over-deliver? It's not something you can just switch on like you turn up the gas when you want the pan to get hotter. They tell you to over-deliver but they don't really tell you how - and don't give you an action plan as to how you might do it.

"Going beyond" is a challenge. This article is designed to get you thinking about ways to over-deliver, and to give you some cards you might play.

1) Set higher standards

This can mean a lot of things, depending on which field you are in. For some companies, it might mean producing purer products, which might in turn mean obtaining new equipment with finer tolerances, learning new techniques or adopting new procedures. More importantly, doing things to a higher standard also often takes more time, and is more expensive. Budgets might already be tight.

Setting higher standards may also mean producing work which contains fewer errors.

Even if you are sole proprietor of a business, everything you produce should run through Quality Control. Everything. Create a "quality control" department, even if it is "just you" - and develop a system for checking all work. If you produce articles, create a method and stick to it: Have you checked the web code? Do all links work? Have you run the work through a spell checker? Does it read smoothly and flowingly? Are your pages cross browser compatible? And so on; develop and tailor your own system depending on your line of work. It's always better if you find a mistake than if one of your customers does.

Checking the work was something drummed into us at school, and it's one of the more valuable things I actually took with me.

(Aside note to school system - I still haven't once used a quadratic equation since I left school twenty-something years ago, but you never taught me a single thing about mortgages or cars!)

Even if you think you've done the work perfectly; check it. The number of occasions on which a final check uncovers a previously unnoticed error, is huge. Make it a habit.

When I worked in event production, we used to do what we jokingly called the "idiot check" before leaving the venue. This means, when we think we have loaded the last item in the truck and it's time to go, to do a quick walk-through of the entire work area.

The number of times this saved our butts is uncountable.

2) Be more knowledgeable

Well ok, but this is still a bit like "go and get me a kingdom". You can't necessarily just go and do it. But the old adage that "knowledge is power" still holds true.

Allocate more time to study. Develop the habit of learning more. Dig deeper into a subject. Cross reference research from more sources. See my article "How To Be A Researcher". [coming soon]

3) The commitment

An interesting thing about doing excellent work, is that it very often starts with a decision - an affirmation of commitment. This is a kind of pledge to yourself and it can reap rewards. So you might say to yourself, "Today, I am going to do the best work I possibly can. I am going to try to make as few errors as I can, and I am going to go beyond and over-deliver."

Why not make this sort of commitment every day? You will end up over-delivering as a subconscious habit - watch the effect this has on your reputation and level of success. Try it.

4) Put more effort into it

Sometimes, it's a simple case of putting in more effort.

People generally, don't want to work harder than they have to. This makes sense - why do more than is required?

Humans are innately pleasure-seeking, pain-avoiding creatures. And sometimes, our short-term drives rule - making it possible that we become our own worst enemy!

However, those who can put more effort in, in the short term, often reach a point in the long term where the total amount of pleasure they can achieve, is greater. The key phrase is "Delayed Gratification".

If you put more effort into over-delivering, you will rise faster, go further, and then be able to relax longer - it's as simple as that.

It is all about building things with strong foundations. Foundations for life.

Putting in more effort may mean taking greater care over something, being more focused and packing more actual work into the same amount of time, or simply taking more time over something.

5) Give people more for their money

The usual attitude is, once you've got their money, get out of there as fast as possible.

This also explains why some businesses and services struggle to find enough clients. They don't know the value of creating customer loyalty.

You know that hollow feeling you get when you get the thin end of a deal. When you've handed over your money and then, after about 10 minutes with your new product, you start thinking "Well, it works, but it's kinda disappointing. Seems kinda flimsy now I look closely. I wonder how long before it breaks."

That feeling when the entity at the other end of the table has under-delivered.

Imagine the opposite of that feeling. Imagine the person getting the product and going "Oh wow, this is even cooler than I thought it would be." Remember the last time you had that feeling. Maybe it was the first time you tried an iphone. Or Gmail. Whatever it was, chances are you were not alone - and chances are, that product was a runaway success. It's not a coincidence.

Cream still floats. In a world where the majority under-deliver: If you over-deliver, it will stand out in sharp relief.

It is one of the ultimate strategies for customer retention - and, in fact, for the acquisition of new customers.

Because, people talk.

Assume that everyone you do business with, will talk about you, and that you cannot possibly stop them from doing it.

The only thing you have any control over whatsoever, is what sort of thing they say about you, and whether they will give you the thumbs up or down, when talking to their peers.

The other thing to bear in mind is that people love to help out those close to them. They will make the best recommendations they possibly can to those they love - and you want that recommendation to be you, because this is worth more than any form of advertising.

In my view, reputation is the ultimate marketing tool, and over-delivering is the best way to boost reputation.

6) Choose well where to put your effort

One of the things about being self employed that I have always liked, is that I work for me. I am not working for someone else. Sometimes, if you work for someone else, they will not reward you in kind for your extra efforts.

Many of the modern crop of entrepreneurs are in fact disenchanted workers who got sick of feeling as though they were working to make someone else rich - and not only that; but also that the person in charge actually wanted to keep them down in some way, in order that they might take the benefit from this person's continued labour.

They grew to resent working - even though it is not actually the work that is the problem.

So it's worth noting; choose well where to put your effort. If you do not feel your extra efforts will be noticed or appreciated, perhaps it's best to seek avenues to over-deliver which will be seen.

Another thing to note is that over-delivering often takes more time. (One of the main reasons why poor work is done, is because it is done hastily.)

If you are the kind of person who over-delivers, you will know all too well about the limited amount of time in the day. So choose well what projects you take on.

7) Find other over-deliverers

One of the worst things, for an over-deliverer, is to over-deliver and then have someone under-deliver in return. Seek to surround yourself with other over-deliverers. Seek them out as employees, employers, clients and associates. Learn to observe and notice the qualities these people have.

8) The principles of business

Many people get into internet marketing, thinking it is going to be some kind of easy ride to wealth.

This needs a little correction.

There is practically no upper limit to possible earnings - this much is true - and the top internet marketers and web sites can make huge amounts of money and become financially independent way before "retirement day".

Also, when they really have things rolling, they can make money on auto-pilot from automated systems and digital content delivery that works round the clock.

However, in reality, most of those who attempt to make money online don't get very far.

The principles of business are still the principles of business - and if you look at the most successful internet marketers and web companies, they are not con-artists. They are serious business people who got things right and, essentially, delivered better than the rest.

This takes hard work, ingenuity, brilliance and persistence. It takes knowledge and understanding of marketing. And it takes producing results.

9) What's this got to do with making money while you sleep?

Some of you may have looked at the domain name of this web site and may be questioning what over-delivering has to do with making money while you sleep.

Everything, in fact.

Because the whole concept of making money while you sleep, as written in my book, is not about trying to get something for nothing from people, so that you can then go and do nothing. No way.

It's about doing brilliant, much needed work - and then using principles of digital content delivery, asset management, automation, and innovation in order to continue to profit from systems that have been set up.

Doesn't that sound like a good way to make money? It's about seeking to over-deliver first, in specific ways, and then continuing to make money from work that has been done and assets that have been acquired, on auto pilot - in responsible, fully legal ways.

It has long been my contention that you will only be able to make real money while you sleep, if you over-deliver in some way first.

I discuss these principles and strategies in full detail in the book - and if you're ready right now to take your understanding of making money while you sleep to the next level, and are ready for a slice of the action, I suggest you get yourself a digitally downloadable copy here.

-- Alex Newman

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© Alex Newman 2011