What makes a good customer and how do we find more of them?

Last week I led a live, in person discussion on "Good customers and how to get more of them" for members of?Indie Cambridge.?

Most of the people in the room (in the delightful Hot Numbers) run small independent businesses and included a musician, a celebrant, an art gallery owner, interior designers, shop owners, foodies, artists, a website designer, festival organisers, a copywriter, a stationery designer, a chocolatier, makers and producers, a museum director, a property manager, health and wellbeing specialists and more.?

We all very quickly agreed that what makes a good customer is when there's a good match, when we share the same values and motivations and also when there are very clear agreements about our relationships, including good contracts, clear terms and conditions and very firm boundaries.?

You don't have to "scale and grow" to be successful

A shared frustration among the 6 million small business owners in the UK (4.5 million of which employ only the owner), is the constant urge to "scale and grow". When people realised that they shared a desire to stay small, to create a good living and a great lifestyle and that this didn't mean they were unsuccessful or unambitious there was a combined sigh of relief and a celebration of the unique and powerful position we all have to run our businesses in a way that suits us and not to satisfy shareholders or investors.? This freedom allows us to create a relationship with our customers - and each other - that big corporates pay millions for and can never achieve.?

• When we see each other as collaborators instead of competitors we can offer our customers an extended service. "I can't supply what you need but I know someone who can" is a regular comment from Indie businesses - directing customers to other Indie businesses instead of letting them drift away to buy from untried and untrusted businesses on-line.?

We're entering a phase when the acceleration of change will be akin to a new industrial revolution. We don't just need to understand A.I. we need to understand the profound changes that will happen in society as a result of its proliferation - an effect that will create a wave of change similar to the invention of electricity. ?

• We don't sit at our desks and ask "How will I use electricity today?" and we won't be asking that about A.I. either. It's already embedded in most of the tech we use.? ?

If relationships with customers are a big part of what we love about our businesses how can we use these changes to make that relationship stronger? AI will reduce the cost of many things, especially goods and labour. Many transactions will be automated and so the reasons customers interact with us will change too.

What might it mean?if we think of people less as consumers and more as participants in the work we do? Beyond simply transacting with them, what sort of relationship could you have?? Instead of just selling to them could you take a step back and ask what impact you’d like your business to have on the world, and then ask how people can join in and help you do it?

Strong human connections are the thing that will be valued most

If each business is an isolated unit the possibilities are limited but if all Indie businesses collaborate to create a strong culture that people feel part of, involved in, and a valued member of, the possibilities are endless. Strong human connections are the thing that will be valued most when so much is automated. ?How would it feel to have fans of Indie businesses wanting to support the impact we all have on the world?

What do you think? Are you ready to embrace the changes that are coming? Are you excited about the possibilities of working in a different way with your customers? I’d love to know what you think! If you'd like to explore this idea more hit reply and let me know or join in one of my drop-in calls and explore it there!?