Relationships are inefficient

Relationships are incredibly inefficient.

You have to identify a likely potential candidate, present yourself in a way that you hope they will find compelling and attractive, if they agree to the possibility of a relationship you have the whole let’s-hang-out-together-trial-runs, and if the other party finally decides that YES, you are the one for them — you have to maintain the intimacy and personal connection by being sensitive and responding to their needs 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

At any given time relationships are romantic, loving, messy, dramatic, endearing, heartbreaking, adorable, cute, complex, …and every single color of the emotional rainbow from dark to light.

Yep, relationships are a great big time suck.

Oh… did you think I was talking about dating? Marriage?
Well, yeah. All those things are true about romantic relationships too, but I’m talking about the relationship with your customer.

You need to identify prospects who will find you and your services attractive, you have to let them know you’re interested in doing business with them, convince them that you are a reliable and knowledgeable business ally, and you have to anticipate and respond to their needs; delivering exactly what they want, when they need it (even if they aren’t immediately aware of their needs themselves!)

You could try to make your business relationships more efficient, but that would work out just about as well as trying to make your relationships with family, friends, and more-than-friends more efficient.

Can you imagine getting a call from your significant other and making that important person in your life sit through your company’s automated phone system?

• If want to talk to your sweetie-pie-snookum-wookums: PRESS [1]
• If you’d like to whisk them away for a candlelit dinner: PRESS [2]
• If you’re calling to make an appointment to shop for engagement rings: PRESS [3]

Ridiculous.

Social Media has created the expectation among clients that every interaction is a social and experiential one, rather than an impersonal and transactional one.

Here are [3] things you can do to be a better business date:

• [1] Don’t look at the other hotties
  When you’re on a date with your prospect don’t check out the other hot leads in the room. You are with your date — stay with your date.
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• [2] Don’t take calls or texts from your last hook-up
  Sure, it might be an open relationship right now. You’re both seeing other people. But no reason to rub their nose in it. If that hot business lead from yesterday’s lunch date calls or texts you, don’t look at your phone to weigh their attractiveness against the one you’re with now (or even worse, decide to take the call or return the text!) or this relationship will come to a quick end.
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• [3] Don’t be afraid of commitment — and keep your promises!
  A time is going to come in this relationship where you’re going to have to make a commitment to a level of service, a deadline, or a product guarantee. If you want to take this thing to the next level, you’re going to have to put your heart on the line and follow through on all that pillow talk. If you say you’re going to do something — do it. Keeping your promises is just one of the ways you’ll be able to keep this relationship strong and healthy (and keep your partner’s eyes from wandering…)

If a customer’s experience with you is unpleasant or rushed — they’re going to tell all of their friends (all of your other prospects and potential “business dates”) about how horrible or misbehaved you were on their own date with you.

What do you think that will do to your relationship status?

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