Customers refer to the first one or two weeks of their relationships with companies as the “honeymoon period.” The commitment is solid, no one’s made a mistake, and no one’s been fired – yet.
Worse time to get comfortable
This is the worst time for you to step back and enjoy the victory, because your company may never have another chance at a totally positive emotional time again. It’s the perfect occasion for customers to find out what to expect from your company and for your company to learn what it needs from customers.
Access to the people
It’s also the best time for your company to access the people who will be important to the long-term relationship. Making the most of the honeymoon phase will help your company overcome the issues that may arise when the honeymoon is over.
Emotional framework
The personal emotional framework established during the honeymoon period may help you adapt to changing expectations and handle complaints and problems more effectively.
Here are three traits customers look for in the honeymoon period:
- Customers want to do business with people who are interested in them. They want someone who will listen and learn about them, their problems and their goals.
- Nothing will make your customers more certain of your ability to meet their needs than being thorough. They expect quick replies to requests for information and look for salespeople who follow through without continuous badgering.
- Customers won’t deal with salespeople who don’t know their products and can’t answer simple questions. They expect quick replies to requests for information, especially when problems occur.
Adapted from: “Strengths Based Selling,” by Tony Rutigliano and Brian Brim.
