10 more things in 360 days …

So, Cameron Moll’s (link) been freelancing for over a year now. Of his 10 (more) bits of wisdom, I especially liked number 9:

Don’t under-promise, over-deliver. Instead, promise consistency, deliver consistency. We’ve all heard the cliched phrase too many times before. “Under-promise, over-deliver!” That’s a noble ideal many aspire to, while failing to prepare for the costs incurred by over-delivering. Further, it’s easy to exceed expectations the first time with a client, but extremely difficult subsequent times. Instead, analyze the deliverables as best you can, set reasonable expectations, word the contract accordingly, and then go give it your best. Clients will typically come to you for one or two specific reasons — they’ve been told you’ve got a great turn-around time, or they know you as someone who always puts out quality, and so on. So promise quality and deliver quality. Or promise speed and deliver speed. Whatever you excel in, be consistent at it.

His complete list is available at his web site (link).

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard under-promise, over-deliver. And frankly, I’m over it.