Be patient building the relationship!

I was on a great discussion hosted by Kim Clausen today which got me thinking about how one develops relationships over time.

We all recognize the stereotype of the desperate date – the one who’s so clingy and pushy that you look for any way out of a relationship.

Business relationships are like that too.  Does this sound familiar?  You work up the courage to go into a car dealership, and before you get a chance to talk about what you need, the salesperson is already pushing you to part with many thousands of dollars.

Despite the fact that this has turned into a the core of many jokes, it continues to happen.  Do they really succeed with these tactics?

Real business relationships, as in your personal life, take time and patience.  It’s a courtship of sorts, where each party is progressively opening up more trust and taking more risk.  As the relationship becomes mature, it contains enough trust that mistakes can happen, be forgiven, and be corrected.  But at the beginning you need to be careful not to move too fast or too slow.

What does this look like?  Here’s a simple example:  You’re advertising to potential customers on your website.  At what point are they willing to buy from you?  First, they have to understand that you’re a reputable vendor that won’t rip them off.  Second, you have to explain that you understand their problem, have an appropriate solution, and will stand behind any problems.

And that’s just to make an inexpensive sale.  If your customer is going to part with a significant amount of money, they need to develop a much deeper understanding of who you are and the value you can provide.  It’s not going to happen with just one web page, or with just one contact.

The good news is that there are more tools than ever to help you do this, and it’s cheaper than ever before.  The bad news is … there’s too many.  We’re bombarded with conflicting messages, noise, and distractions.  Sorting through the mess is becoming harder and harder.

As the vendor, you have to be consistent and patient.  Let the relationship develop.  Listen.  Your customers will let you know when they’re ready to buy.

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