Partners, not customers

Someone asked me at an event how many customers I have.

I said I don't count. Ten, maybe fifteen active projects at a time.

They said I should have more.

I said no.

The people I work with aren't customers. I look at them as partners.

We go through things together.

When a project falls apart at 2am and someone's reputation is on the line, we're in it together.

When we close a deal that looked impossible six months earlier, we celebrate together.

I don't want a thousand customers.

I want enough for a good living, and enough room in the market for the other people who do this work well to also live well.

There is more than enough work for everyone who does it right, I've always believed that.

When you treat customers like line items in a CRM, they feel it.

They buy once, maybe twice, and then they find someone who truly sees them.

When you treat them like partners, they come back. They refer you. They call you first when the next project lands.

You can build a business on relationships, or you can build a spreadsheet full of names with no trust.

I know which one I'd rather have.