Have you ever had an experience in business (or life in general) that exceeded your expectations, leaving you utterly amazed and deeply satisfied? Maybe it was a realtor who went the extra mile, a mentor who genuinely cared, or a hotel stay that felt like a dream… These extraordinary moments are thanks to overdelivery and I’m so excited to dive in and share my thoughts on this powerful strategy.
As I reflect on the exceptional experiences I’ve had, overdelivery is truly about exceeding expectations. It’s about providing more value, care, and attention than anyone could anticipate. It’s about crafting unforgettable moments that leave a lasting impression. && It’s a mindset that can transform any business or profession.
Overdelivery isn’t a random act — It’s an art that requires meticulous planning and execution. It’s about going above and beyond what’s expected, making clients and customers feel truly seen, valued, and loved. My new motto is to under promise and over deliver. ✌🏻
Over Delivering in Phase One: Onboarding
The journey of overdelivery begins with the client onboarding process. This is the initial stage where clients or customers start their interaction with your business. This step is so crucial to provide clarity, guidance, and a warm welcome.
- Initial Communication: Reach out with a personalized message to welcome them and express your excitement about working together. Make them feel celebrated in the action they just took to invest in you. First impressions matter! You don’t want them to hear crickets after investing big.
- Clear Expectations: Clearly outline what they can expect from your program or service. Transparency builds trust. Buuut, don’t spill the beans on any over-deliveries you had planned, those can stay a secret. 🥰
- Engagement: If this is a group program, create opportunities for clients to engage with you and one another. Foster a sense of community and support. This allows walls to be broken down & everyone to feel comfortable to potentially get vulnerable together.
- Boundary Setting: If you haven’t done this in the initial communication, be sure to clearly communicate your availability and response times. Managing expectations ensures a smoother experience.
Over Delivering in Phase Two: Delighting Them in the Middle
Once clients have completed their onboarding process, it’s time to deliver an exceptional program or service. Simplicity, actionability, and purpose should guide your approach.
- 1. Simplicity: Keep your program simple and actionable. Avoid overwhelming clients with excessive content. It’s important to remember that overgiving inside of a program is not the same as over-delivering. Client’s should feel empowered to take action, not overwhelmed with information.
- 2. Actionability: Ensure that what you provide can be actively implemented. Real results come from clients being able to apply your teachings effectively.
- 3. Personalization: Curate your program to meet the unique needs of your clients. Consider their learning styles and preferences, and adapt your approach accordingly. For example, if it’s a digital program, do you have PDF’s for visual learners?
- 4. Surprise Extras: Add unexpected bonuses or surprises during the program. This could look like additional coaching sessions, resources, or personalized feedback. These unexpected touches leave a lasting impression.
Over Delivering in Phase Three: Offboarding
When the program or service comes to an end, don’t let the client relationship fade away. Offboarding is the perfect time & opportunity to overdeliver!
- 1. Celebration: During my offboarding process, I like to schedule a closing call with my clients to truly witness them, acknowledge their achievements, and celebrate. Yes, we want testimonials, but clients shouldn’t be the only ones hyping people up. We ought to be hyping them up to make them feel valued and appreciated.
- 2. Additional Resources: Offer access to additional resources or future programs — potentially at a VIP client discount! This keeps the relationship going and provides ongoing value.
- 3. Feedback: Like I said, we want the testimonials. Collect feedback to understand their experience and areas for improvement.
Over Delivering in Phase Four: Beyond the Contract
Carefullllll. This is where I get fired up. One of the most critical aspects of overdelivery is continuing to engage with clients even after the contract ends. Don’t just abandon them; nurture the relationship. I’ve experienced feeling like I fell off the face of the earth with mentors who I thought I’d built a relationship with after our contract ended. TBH, this feeling sucks. Mentors who are only in this industry for what clients can do for them rather than what they can do for their clients have it all wrong. Just because someone isn’t in an active contract with you doesn’t mean you can’t give them common courtesy and human interaction.
- 1. Active Engagement: Stay connected with past clients on social media. Engage with their posts, watch their stories, and show that you care about their journey. I’m not asking you to go out of your way to send them funny posts in the DM’s or anything crazy, but maintain a relationship even though they aren’t actively paying you.
- 2. Helpful Advice: Be open to answering occasional questions or providing advice, as I said, even if they’re no longer paying clients, this it’s a way to show ongoing support and care. You don’t have to cross any boundaries by giving away your expertise for free, but, if there’s an innocent question – why not answer it?! If clients have deeper questions, offer them additional ways you can support.
- 3. Personal Touch: Remember birthdays, milestones, or achievements and send a thoughtful message or gift. These gestures go a long way in making clients feel valued. Speaking from experience, it’s not about the gift itself, but the thought that they remembered you and wanted you to feel loved in that moment.
The art of overdelivery is about creating unforgettable experiences that leave clients and customers not only satisfied but genuinely delighted. By focusing on onboarding, delivering exceptional program experiences, and thoughtful offboarding, you can exceed expectations at every phase. && By humanizing the customer experience beyond the contract, you’ll build long-lasting relationships and a reputation for going above and beyond. Let’s make overdelivery the new standard in our businesses, where caring for our clients’ success and well-being always comes first.
By the by, if building a sustainable AND ethical business is what you desire, you’ll want to hop on the waitlist for The Mastermind. Here, we allow for self-witnessing because we know that a better you equals a better Founder, CEO, and leader. I hold space for the conscious collective of building you and building your ethical & sustainable business through refined company operations, consumer experiences, and more. This is the strategy that stands the test of time.
xx 😚
