4) Always Under-Promise
We’ve heard it a thousand times, but in reality, under-promising and over-delivering is harder than it sounds. Saying "yes" is convenient and convincing because it’s what every client wants to hear.
As tempting as it sounds to agree to every deadline, extra feature, or client demand, understand that if you don’t deliver as promised, the relationship is bound to sour and ultimately meet its demise.
Sure, under-promising means you’ll have to say "no," but let’s consider how it can sway things in your favor. Let’s say you tell a client you can’t promise you’ll be able to hit a tight deadline. Setting the expectation that it may not be possible sets you up to play the hero if you’re able to complete the project early or add additional features. More importantly, it protects you from false promises that will end up damaging your relationship.