Create Great Expectations

What were your expectations when the quarantine began in March .... and were they realized?

What are your expectations about what will happen when the economy re-opens .... and how can you make sure they happen? 

Expectations are a strong belief that something will happen, or be the case in the future. Whether these expectations are realized or not will ultimately depend upon the actions you take.

Yes .... you can influence outcomes by simply rethinking your expectations .... or more specifically, rethinking the beliefs that underpin your expectations.

Let me explain.

As illustrated by the "Performance Model" below (shared by my good friend Dean Mannix at SalesITV), we can all agree that results or outcomes are driven by our actions.

But the actions we take, and the effectiveness of those actions, is driven by our confidence.

If we believe and expect something good or positive is going to occur, then we act confidently and, more often than not, we achieve a great result.

If we believe something bad is happening and expect a negative outcome, we generally avoid acting at all. Sadly, this inaction may exacerbate the situation or the negative expectation.

During these unprecedented times, our expectations have been seemingly out of control due to so many unknown factors. Consequently, this has significantly impacted our confidence and our actions/behaviors.

But during this time, there has always been something we can control .... and that is OUR BELIEFS.

Those people who chose to maintain positive beliefs were able to manage and create positive expectations for themselves .... AND their clients.

So why is it so important to be able to manage and create positive expectations?

Because it drives your behavior and that of your clients. Clients choose to do business with people they are confident in. They choose to do business with people they expect will deliver a great result with minimal fuss.

Are you committed to consistently meeting (or exceeding) your client's expectations?

Managing Expectations

During this pandemic, many people have visited hospitals in need of care. How confident would you feel if the doctor complained about the equipment or suggested they were unsure about their treatment procedures? I would suggest you would be driving to the next hospital.

Unless the situation is absolutely dire, most doctors do a great job of managing their patient's expectations and building confidence. And thankfully, with this current pandemic, most people are expected to make a full recovery.

So how well do you manage your client's expectations when they engage you?

Do your words and actions inspire confidence?

Do you take full responsibility for delivering the result they are seeking or do you make excuses?

Here are some simple tips for better managing your client's expectations:

• Identify their immediate desired outcome and enthusiastically commit.
• Outline your process and gain agreement for ease of completion.
• Prepare for any objections or issues. Pre-consider resolutions.
• Accept responsibility for all actions/progress and avoid making excuses.
• Communicate often and provide regular assurances/encouragement.

Creating Great Expectations

Great Bankers and Salespeople aim to create GREAT expectations. They are able to highlight a more exciting future for their client and how they can achieve an even better quality of life.

Great Bankers and Salespeople don't simply meet their client's expectations ..... they EXCEED them. In fact they create new and more exciting expectations.

Consider these ideas for creating GREAT expectations:

• Determine a highly desirable future state with your clients. Reflect upon the success of your best clients.
• Tell compelling stories to build trust and confidence.
• Clearly outline solutions to achieve this highly desirable future state and outline the simple next steps. Make it easy for your client to achieve greater success.
• Persistently follow up. Consistently add value and provide inspiration with every contact.
• Continue to develop your client engagement skills, behaviors and beliefs.

I remind you that your role as a Banker, Finance Professional or Sales Person is not to sell/promote products but to offer solutions that create a better future state (a better life) for your clients.

Once a client agrees to acquire your solution, then it is reasonable for them to expect to achieve that desired future outcome in the manner you promised. Learn to confidently exceed their expectations and you can expect YOUR future outcomes to also be a lot more brighter.

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Article written by Joe Micallef – Sales Strategist & Coach – Grow UP Sales. For more advice on how to create great expectations please email [email protected] or visit the webpage www.growupsales.com

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