I came across a great article in which author Joe Hadfield outlines four lessons in turning customers into converts. I thought I'd pass along the highlights.

Lesson 1: Design Products to Feel Familiar
This is a seemingly obvious but often forgotten piece of advice. Well-known examples of this include the Nintendo Wii and everything Apple makes. Last time I went to Japan, I visited Toyota's Universal Design Showcase, which also exemplifies this principle.

Lesson 2: Hire a Guide for your Demo
When airlines first introduced do-it-yourself kiosks, participation was lower than expected. It wasn't until customer service reps assisted clients through their first time that they became familiar with a new way, more efficient way of checking in.

Lesson 3: Take Advantage of Technology and Timing
If you offer support for a product, try to time your assistance so that the customer has had a chance to open and interact with the product first. Most people who buy phones think they will be able to figure them out, so offering assistance at the time of purchase may be less effective than offering later when they call to activate it.

Lesson 4: Buy Time with Bundled Pricing Incentives
For products and services with a steep learning curve, this lesson helps customers get over the bump of failure. For example, it is better to offer five golf lessons in a bundled package than to offer a free introductory lesson and hope people stick with it.