Shape of Things

“We’re not for everybody” — my wife, Peggy Kelly.

“I don’t want to get another pair of Hush Puppies” — Nick Lowe

There will never be another Michael Jackson. Or another “Hey Ya.” Or another Pong. The days of the massive hits are over. Customization rules. 

It means you need to profile your customers and decide who you want to engage intensely and how, and who you need to leave behind. Your product or service can’t be for everyone.  If you’re lucky, you can develop a devoted tribe that will interact with you, spread the word about what you are doing, and give you a nice welcoming reception for new offerings.

Not being for everybody is marvelously freeing.  Once you define who your customers are — their needs, problems, working habits — and address them with respect and great products or service, the relationship can deepen beyond vendor/buyer.  You can engage in honest dialog. If you make a mistake, you’ll likely have a bit of a cushion to pad your landing.

Find your tribe, and be true to it.

Matthew Scudder, the long-running character in Lawrence Block’s detective series, once coined an acronym for how he would treat his new wife.  It was SCHLEP. I believe it stood for share, cooperate, help, love, encourage and protect. 

It always struck me as a good mantra for every relationship: spouse, significant other, friends, clients, business partners and customers. 

If that sounds too personal for your customers, think again.  It’s all personal and it’s all a relationship.  Bad things happen when we turn a customer or partner into a thing.  Good things happen when we treat customers as sentient human beings.