Sometimes, I don't want a relationship with you. I just want the Buy Now button.

Photo: Glengoyne Distillery, Scotland.
“The Right Way is the Long Way.”
Except when it isn't. 😉 Booking the tour was delightfully quick and easy.

I don't want to schedule a discovery call. I don't want to fill out a form and wait for someone to contact me. I don't want to "hop on a quick call" so you can better understand my needs.

I know what I need. Please just let me buy it.

And the more I think about customer experience, the more I think we've occasionally overcorrected in our pursuit of personalization. We've been told customers want connection, relationships, customization, and white-glove service and many times, we absolutely do.

But sometimes what we really want is less friction.

Think about shopping. There are purchases where I want someone knowledgeable standing nearby. If I'm making a significant investment, comparing complicated options, or genuinely don't know what I need, having a real person available can completely change my experience.

But if I already know exactly what I want? I don't necessarily want someone walking me through the store, asking what brings me in today, explaining three alternatives, and trying to add something else to my cart.

I want to find the thing. Buy the thing. Leave with the thing.

Working out isn't that different. There are times when a trainer, coach, class, or workout partner can be incredibly valuable. They provide expertise, accountability, encouragement, and sometimes the push we wouldn't give ourselves. Then there are days when I want to put in my headphones, do the workout I've already planned, and go home. Neither experience is inherently better.

The right experience depends on what I need in that moment.

I think businesses sometimes forget that.

We add required consultations because we believe they create a more personalized experience. We hide pricing because we want the opportunity to explain our value. We require customers to speak with someone because that's how we've always sold it.

Sometimes all we've actually done is add another step between the customer and the thing they already decided they wanted. I've encountered this in the B2B world, too.

There are services where I absolutely want a conversation first. If we're going to work together for six months, you're going to represent my business, we're building something customized, or there's a significant investment involved, we should probably know whether we can stand being in the same room together.

That's where relationships matter enormously, but not every service needs that.

If I want to purchase a workbook, register for a workshop, reserve a seat at an event, buy a defined package, or book something straightforward, I shouldn't necessarily need a relationship with you first.

Give me the information I need to make an informed decision. Make the next step obvious. Then, I cannot stress this enough, get out of my way. That's still customer service. In fact, sometimes it's exceptional customer service.

I've spent much of my career believing that relationships make businesses stronger, and I still do. But customer-centered business development isn't about forcing relationships into every transaction.

It's about understanding when the relationship adds value and when it adds friction.

Maybe the best businesses aren't choosing between high-touch relationships and self-service at all. Likely, they're building both.

Give me a person when I need expertise, reassurance, nuance, or connection.

Give me the easy button when I already know what I want.

If you have a perfectly good Buy Now button, don't make me schedule a 30-minute call to find out how much the thing costs.

Making it easier to do business with you is the most customer-centered relationship strategy you can have.

Built by Relationships. Driven by Growth.