On Saturday I was in Toronto having breakfast with a passionate CEO of a very successful company.

We both ordered a Toronto-must-have-special: A fresh Peameal bacon sandwich.

For all my American friends, here’s a quick porky lesson. Peameal bacon or “Canadian bacon” originated in Toronto. Peameal differs from regular bacon which comes from the belly of the pig. Peameal comes from the loin.

I could talk about bacon all day, but we’ve got more important matters to tend to in the Tuesday Tidbit…

A few minutes after ordering, our server eagerly pounced back to the table to share some exciting news.

He said: “Gentleman, the Chef has made a decision to make today’s feature even more delicious for you! She will finish today’s sandwich with a freshly fried egg. Would that be suitable for you?”

We both nodded simultaneously — in complete agreement. The only thing that could possibly make this sandwich better would be the addition of a fried egg!

Five minutes later, our sandwiches arrived, without the egg.

Mistakes happen – of course.

For us, it wasn’t really a big deal. The egg was merely a bonus after they had already sealed the deal.

There was no additional cost and they were just doing their best to delight and exceed our expectations.

But there’s a marketing lesson to be learned here.

If everyone was so excited about the egg, how on earth did they forget it?!?? The Chef missed it… The line cook missed it…The server missed it…

We need to be constantly asking the following questions:

Are we delivering on the promises stated in our marketing?

Are we delivering on the promises made by our sales and marketing team?

Are we over-promising things after the sale is already made – like customer support or additional benefits?

One of the deadliest combinations in ALL sales and marketing efforts is over-promising and under-delivering.

Don’t leave your clients wondering about the eggs.