Show the Value You Actually Deliver: Insights from the PROMISE Framework™ for Business Growth

Most mid-sized businesses I work with are delivering far more value than they’re recognised for. The results are real – but they’re often buried beneath technical language, feature lists, or internal assumptions. When customers can’t see outcomes clearly, they default to price, delay decisions, or disengage altogether.

This isn’t just a messaging problem – it’s strategic, operational, and commercial. I’ve seen it hundreds of times through my work with CEOs and leadership teams across New Zealand and beyond.

That’s why I wrote A Guide to Communicating and Delivering Customer Value. At its centre is the PROMISE Framework™ – a practical structure for redefining value from the customer’s perspective, linking it to meaningful outcomes, and proving it with credibility and clarity.

From Features to Outcomes – How Arlo Transformed His Growth Strategy

Introducing the PROMISE Framework™ — a practical guide for CEOs who want better conversations about customer outcomes. The PROMISE Framework™ is a seven-step system for business growth that helps leaders prove the value they deliver. It aligns teams around Purpose, Results, Outcomes, Magnifiers, Indicators, Storytelling, and Engagement to turn features into measurable outcomes customers trust – driving stronger sales, renewals, and sustainable growth.

Arlo, a CEO I worked with, had built a brilliant platform and a strong team. But something wasn’t landing in the market. Sales conversations kept circling features: integrations, dashboards, automation tools. Technically sound but commercially unclear.

So, we shifted to the PROMISE Framework™.

Purpose – Every conversation began with “What would success look like 12 months from now?” One client answered, “Reducing production delays and hitting release targets.” That became the anchor.

Results – Arlo linked his offer to business impact: “If we reduce your average project cycle by 25%, you could unlock over $1 million in revenue.” The conversation moved into the boardroom.

Outcomes – They set specific metrics: “Reduce onboarding time by 50% within 60 days.” Everyone knew what success looked like.

Magnifiers – They shared proof stories: onboarding down from 40 days to under 20; a bottleneck fixed in weeks. Confidence rose; risk felt smaller.

Indicators – Dashboards tracked automation rates and resolution times in real time, building trust through visibility.

Storytelling – They used human narratives to make data memorable. Stories turn results into something people feel and retell.

Engagement – Purpose guided sales, Outcomes anchored delivery, Results informed leadership reviews, and Magnifiers shaped marketing. It became a business rhythm, not a sales script.

The result? Shorter sales cycles, higher renewal rates, and stronger trust with every client.

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The PROMISE Framework™ Explained

P – Purpose Start with your customer’s definition of success. Use their words to shape the conversation.

R – Results Link your work to margin, growth, or efficiency – the board-level metrics that matter.

O – Outcomes Define how success will be measured. Make it visible and specific.

M – Magnifiers Use proof points and stories that make your claims credible.

I – Indicators Track progress in real time to show value as it happens.

S – Storytelling Translate data into emotion. Stories stick; spreadsheets don’t.

E – Engagement Embed this thinking across sales, delivery, and leadership so every team member owns the promise.

Why This Matters for Business Growth

The PROMISE Framework™ helps leaders prove value, not just deliver it. When you make outcomes visible and measurable:

• Sales conversations move from price to impact.
• Teams align around what clients actually value.
• Renewal confidence and margin increase without extra effort.

Across my client portfolio, companies using this approach have closed deals faster and grown profit margins by double digits – not because they added new features, but because they proved the value already there.

Freedom by Design in Action

When you reframe your conversations around PROMISE, you create freedom for your business and your leadership. You gain:

• Clarity on what truly drives growth.
• Systems that make proof of value automatic.
• Time to lead strategically, not sell defensively.

This is the essence of Freedom by Design – growth that creates space, not stress.

Next Step

If you’d like to demonstrate the outcomes your business delivers and drive sustainable growth through the PROMISE Framework™, get in touch for a conversation about practical next steps.

Sharn Rayner
Business Consultant | Executive Leadership Coach | Author