One Size Does Not Fit Every Customer
Share your service business’s values and story so customers can understand how you work, what matters to you, and whether that fits what they need. A service list helps someone find the work they’re looking for. Your story gives them reasons to choose between businesses offering similar services.
By Eric Yim, Protocol Text
Customers need different things from the same service
I think there’s been a lot of one-size-fits-all that people have tried to implement on the entire world. I don’t think that works. People want shoes that fit them, pants that fit them, and prescription glasses that fit their eyes so they can see correctly.
I think services need that same attention to fit. Two customers can need the same work and still care about different things. One might want help comparing options. Another might already know what they want and prefer fewer decisions along the way.
Neither customer is wrong. But if both businesses describe themselves with the same service list and the same general promises, those customers have little information to help them choose.
I want to show people that they can find better fit solutions. One way to do that is to have businesses actually talk about their values and their story and put it out online. That’s my job.
Explain what a value changes about your work
Words like quality, honesty, and communication can matter a lot to an owner. By themselves, though, they leave customers guessing. Someone reading “we value communication” still doesn’t know when they’ll hear from you or what you’ll explain.
I’d start with a decision that value affects. If you value helping customers understand their options, what do you explain before they approve the work? If you value careful use of materials, how does that affect what you recommend?
Here’s an illustrative example, not a description of a client’s work. Imagine a service provider that explains options before a customer makes a decision. A useful description might read:
Before you approve the work, we explain the available options and what each one includes. If the scope needs to change, we discuss that with you before proceeding.
That gives a customer something concrete to evaluate. Only use language like this if it describes a process you can consistently follow. Otherwise, explain your actual process, including its limits.
Use your story to explain a choice customers will notice
Your website doesn’t need your whole life story. I’d choose the part that helps someone understand why you run the business the way you do.
A useful connection is: this matters to me, so it affects this part of the service. The reason can be personal, but the reader should be able to see what it means for working with you.
For example, an owner might care about giving people time to understand a recommendation. If that’s true, they could explain why that matters and how their approval process allows for questions. The story and the process should support each other.
Don’t manufacture a dramatic origin story. A straightforward explanation of a real choice can tell a customer more than a long biography that never connects to the work.
Try a short exercise before changing your website
Choose one service you want people to understand better. Then write answers to these questions:
- What does a customer need to know before choosing this service?
- What matters to me about how we deliver it?
- What do we actually do because that matters?
- Who would appreciate that approach, and who might need something different?
Use those answers to draft a paragraph beside the relevant service description. Keep the service details visible. Someone should still be able to find what you offer without reading your story first.
Then check each sentence. Does it describe something real? Can the people delivering the service follow it? Does it help a customer make a decision? Replace broad praise with an explanation wherever you can.
If your team’s process varies, describe what stays consistent and what depends on the situation. Avoid turning an intention into an absolute promise such as always responding immediately.
Help people judge fit without promising a perfect match
I want to help people find their people: the customers who resonate with their message and their specific values. That means accepting that an honest description won’t appeal equally to everyone.
Someone may like your values but need a different schedule, service, or price point. Shared values help with a decision; they don’t settle every practical requirement.
I believe there’s a future where people and businesses can share what matters to them and be matched much more closely. That’s a belief about what could become possible, not a promise that putting a story online produces perfect matches today.
My focus at Protocol Text is helping people tell their stories and explain what’s special about them. For an independent service business, a useful place to start is giving customers enough truthful detail to decide whether they want to talk.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I put my values and story on my website?
Put the fuller story on your About page, then place relevant details beside the services they affect. If a value changes how you explain an estimate, describe that near your estimate process. Customers shouldn’t have to visit every page to understand what working with you involves.
Can I share my values without discussing private beliefs?
Yes. You can explain the decisions you make at work without sharing your religion, family history, or other private details. Share personal beliefs only when you want them public and they help explain your business. You don’t owe readers a complete personal history.
What if other businesses say they have the same values?
You don’t need to invent a unique value. Explain how you put it into practice. Several providers may value communication, but their update schedules and approval processes can differ. Those details help a customer compare approaches without requiring you to claim that nobody else cares.
How can I tell whether my explanation is clear?
Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to read it and describe what they’d expect from your service. If they repeat only words like friendly or professional, add a concrete detail. If they expect something you don’t provide, revise the wording before publishing.