The dream of a kept promise

I, like many others, believe that entrepreneurs are the engine that can change this country. I think we can make things work well – both for the community and for us personally. And what we must change is the respect for a promise kept.

• If you are (say) in the car business and you promise that the car will be delivered on the 1st of September – well, on the 1st of September it should be clean and waiting to be picked up. If you can’t promise the 1st of September, promise the 1st of October, or November. It’s not your right to say “I thought two weeks wouldn’t matter”, it is the bitter taste you leave to your client for not having kept that promise. Plus that he/she, the client, relied on your promise.
• If you are in the online payment business (let’s say) and you promise to deliver the money in 14 days after collection – in exactly 14 days, the money up to the very last penny must be in the client’s account.
• If you are a bank and you say that X branch works with companies not just with persons – surprise: someone in that branch must know how things are done with companies.
• If your product has 20 features and the website says it has 21, someone will buy that product for what is not there and that person will be unhappy!
• If you have a date at 12 noon, don’t arrive at 12:15. If you want to arrive at 12:15, set the date for that time to begin with

In general, let’s try to promise only what we know we can deliver. And, once we promise, let’s do everything in our power to deliver!

Let’s not imagine that something in our promise “was not important” for the client. I guarantee you that this is the only way to do serious business at an international level. It is how people will perceive us as being serious. It is how we will perceive ourselves as being serious.

• Those of you who have small businesses, who are freelancers (either programmers or electricians, or mechanics etc.), promise only what you are sure of being able to deliver and deliver it 105%!
• Those of you who work in big companies, each with his job, don’t promise your managers to do more than you can handle. And, once you promise something, you work you butt off to deliver it. And, just as important, if you see someone in the company (your manager, website and sales team) promising something you know it’s not possible, say something and draw their attention!
• Last but not least, entrepreneurs, company shareholders: don’t encourage your teams to sell “at all costs” – and I am talking here about selling lies. The time will come when there will be companies that will really deliver and that moment is when you will get burned. Build your company culture from the very beginning in such a way as to encourage openness and honesty towards your clients.
• We are all clients. Let us (yes, us, from the other side ) force providers to keep their promises. Let us ask for contracts with penalties and let us put them into practice. Let us not accept compromises “after promises”.
• Don’t be afraid others will take projects by promising more than you do! If they cannot deliver and *clients have alternatives*, next time clients will actually look for the right alternative.

Let us change something and be recognised in the world as the country with companies that keep their word. Let us be the companies that promise what they can deliver and deliver what they promised. And I promise you we will sell more.

PS: Another beginning for this post would have been: For 10 years, my nightmare has been that people don’t keep their word, either when I buy a tomato in the market, or when I buy a car, or when I commission a paint job or the construction of a website. Why would companies with such mentality be successful (internationally or locally)?

(English version by Teodora Popescu)