Business Quote by Mark Twain
“Great enterprises usually promise vastly more than they perform.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Nature of Enterprise, 1885
Businesses often overpromise and underdeliver, creating a gap between expectation and reality.
In simple terms: Enterprises overpromise, underperform.
Key Takeaway
Set realistic expectations.
Themes
business
expectations
performance
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
business
inspirational
When to use this quote
- marketing strategies
- project management
- customer service
Key Concepts
promise vs delivery
consumer trust
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you manage expectations?
- What causes the performance gap?
A Different Perspective
Some overpromises are strategic.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)