Don't be a pig: court your customers

Imagine a time-traveler who went out to a bar last night and got himself laid. Good for him, right. High-five, bro.

It was so good, in fact, that he decides to go back in time and repeat it. But this time, being an impatient time traveler, he tries to pick up the pace:  this time he walks up to the girl in question, and gets to the point right away:

"I am the best guy in this bar and in three hours, you'll come home with me. So let's get started: what's your name?"

And he proceeds to get his face shampooed by her cocktail.

Defeated, he drags himself home alone wondering went wrong. After all, if she was willing to go him with him last time, what changed? He's the same guy, right?

Selling the exchange of bodily fluids with another human is probably a lot tougher than selling your business's products or services - but the concept is the same: people buy emotional experiences, not products.

 You might be the best guy in the bar - the best future lover or boyfriend or husband, but again, people buy experiences, not products.

Instead of getting right down to it, wouldn't it be better to find out more about your client and allow them to learn more about you? Is the client flexible or rigid? Are you innovative and collaborative? Think about you and the client as if you were finding each other on dating web sites. Do you match up?

Business relationships often have a lot in common with personal ones. If you are not courting your customers, you might be guilty of being a business pig.