The power of virginity

Remember your first time? You could barely wait for the day to arrive. Then you went to pick it up and bring it home. You almost drooled as you carefully took off the layers to get your hands on it...

Okay, so maybe you weren't quite that passionate to use your new product, but there was still an anticipation. It doesn't matter if it's a new cell phone or a washing machine. You fully expected that your life would improve because of your wise purchase.

And then you used it. Maybe you read the instruction manual, but probably you didn't. You thought some features were a bit confusing, but you eventually figured them out. You may have assembled it wrong initially, but even that got corrected.

Ah, to be a "first-timer" again. The first time we encounter anything we do so with an inquisitive mind and an assessing disposition. We immediately evaluate the product or experience for what it truly is. If asked (or observed) at that moment we could provide all types of valuable feedback to the provider in terms of suggestions or improvements. But how quickly that fades. Before long, we forget those ideas and compensate for the shortcomings in the design. Ask us three months later, and our thoughts are far less fertile.

How are you capturing your consumers' first experience with your product or service? It really is a great thing to ask someone while their "first time" is still fresh in their mind.