Why Sharing Release Dates Hurts Your Business

This article discusses how sharing planned release dates with customers can ultimately harm your business. The author, a founder of a successful startup, shares a personal experience where they learned this lesson the hard way.

The Case Against Sharing Release Dates

The author explains that even though they always aimed to meet their development milestones, unexpected issues often arose, leading to delays and missed release dates. This, in turn, caused customers to feel misled, even though the delays were unavoidable.

• Unexpected issues are common in product development, making release dates difficult to predict.
• Missed release dates can lead to a loss of customer trust, even if the delays were not intentional.
• When a customer's trust is broken, it is incredibly difficult to regain.

The Importance of Honest Communication in Business

The article emphasizes the importance of being honest with customers, even when it means not providing a specific release date. The author argues that honesty builds stronger relationships and fosters trust.

• Honest communication is essential in building strong customer relationships.
• Customers are more likely to forgive unexpected delays if they are kept informed.
• Transparency about product development demonstrates commitment to customer satisfaction.

Three Steps to Improve Communication and Customer Trust

The author outlines three practical steps that businesses can take to improve communication and manage customer expectations effectively, without misleading them about release dates.

1) No Product Announcements Until the Product Is Ready

This step highlights the importance of only making announcements about new features or updates when they are fully functional and ready for release. This practice ensures that there are no broken promises or unmet expectations.

• Avoid making promises you cannot keep, even if it means delaying announcements.
• Only announce features that are fully tested and ready for release.
• This approach builds trust and avoids negative customer experiences.

2) Only Give Customers Info You Know to Be 100% True

Instead of giving specific release dates, the author suggests being honest and transparent about the current state of product development. This involves providing updates on the progress of features and addressing customer concerns.

• Communicate honestly about the progress of feature development.
• Be transparent about any challenges encountered during the development process.
• This fosters trust by demonstrating accountability and openness.

3) Better Communications Between Development and Support

The article emphasizes the importance of open communication within the company itself. This means ensuring that the development team and the customer support team are in constant communication and understand each other's roles in serving the customer.

• Encourage collaboration and information sharing between development and support teams.
• Ensure that both teams have a clear understanding of the product roadmap and current development status.
• This helps create a cohesive and informed team that can better serve customers.

Applying This to Your Own Business

The author encourages all businesses to adopt an honest and transparent approach to communication, even if it means not providing specific release dates. This strategy can help build strong customer relationships and foster lasting trust.

• Focus on building long-term customer relationships, not just meeting short-term deadlines.
• Embrace honest communication as a core value in your business.
• Remember that customer trust is invaluable and should be protected at all costs.