I saw this clearly over the course of the past week. Since I am usually on the move, I often eat fast food. Up to a few days ago my food of choice was a burger from Burger King. A flame broiled burger made just how I like it? Count me in! I was a frequent customer until I made the decision that had finally had enough of their broken promises. What promises you ask? Well, Burger King has built a brand on the back of a promise to let you "Have it your way" but the past few times (actually 3 in a row at completely separate locations) I chose them over their competitors I was faced with the disappointment of yet another broken promise. I kindly asked for no onions on my burger (not world peace, just no onions) and they failed to come through. In fact, it's almost as if they added more onions just because I asked for a burger without them. This would not have been a problem at McDonald's because I would have expected to have to peel them off myself but since Burger King has built their brand on the promise of completing my order as I requested it, the margin for error is a lot smaller. Since they have consistently failed to come through I have decided to step away from "the King" and allow someone else to reign. No more burgers for me (as far as they're concerned) and it's all because of their failure to keep their promises.
What does this have to do with you?
Are you failing to receive the promotions and new opportunities that you desire? Are your sales down this quarter? Are you losing business, revenue or fresh assignments? Perhaps it's because you have been providing a bogus bill of goods to your employer, customers or clients. Maybe they have heard one too many broken promises from you. You said that you could get the deal completed before the deadline and didn't. You said that you were willing to stay late when needed and haven't. You said that you were self-motivated and aren't, and maybe the people you serve have just had enough. If this describes you don't be offended, be inspired. Be inspired to change your behavior. Be inspired to change your approach to business. Be inspired to make a personal commitment to begin to come through on the promises that you make on a daily basis.
If you say you can do it, do it. If you say you can provide it, provide it. If you say you're willing to offer it, offer it but if you're not willing to put your money where your mouth is, it's best to not make the promise in the first place. Build your brand based on what you can do and not just what you think your boss or customer wants to hear because they may look over your broken promise once or twice but after a while your brand (or you as an employee) will become known not for your remarkable branding, but for the promises that you're continuously breaking...and who wants to keep paying for that?
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