A future where customers find the right fit
I think customers could eventually describe what they need, what they value, and what they can spend, then have an AI help them find businesses that fit. For independent service business owners, a useful step today is to talk about your values and your story online, with enough detail for people to understand what those values mean in practice.
By Eric Yim, Protocol Text, a marketing services business based in Lincoln, Nebraska.
What I mean by a matchmaker between businesses and customers
I think there's a future where businesses are able to share their values, and consumers are able to share theirs. Some kind of matchmaker could bring them together.
In my interview, I used shoes as an example. Someone might want shoes made by a Christian, made by hand, without child labor, and within a certain price point. That person has several requirements. A recommendation based only on shoe size or popularity would leave out much of what matters to them.
I believe people could eventually get perfectly matched up with what they're looking for. That's my view of the future, not a claim that a system can deliver perfect matches today. In practice, some combinations of preferences may have no available match.
I picture AI becoming a personal concierge that understands what someone wants and reads information across many businesses. But a recommendation can only reflect the information available to it. Businesses need to explain themselves, and customers need a way to express their priorities.
Give customers something specific to recognize
One size doesn't fit every customer. People want shoes that fit their feet and prescription glasses that fit their eyes. Services also need to fit the person buying them.
For a service business, that fit might include how you communicate, what work you take on, or how you handle a change in scope. Values matter when they affect those decisions.
Saying “we value honesty” doesn't explain much by itself. As a hypothetical example, a business could explain that it discusses additional work and gets approval before proceeding. That gives a customer something concrete to evaluate, provided it accurately describes the business's process.
Your story can explain why a value matters to you. Your service information should explain what the customer can expect because of it. Put both online in language you would comfortably use in a conversation.
A practical exercise for explaining your fit
Here's an exercise I'd suggest for an independent service business owner. Choose one service and write answers to the following prompts. Treat this as guidance for your own business, not a description of work Protocol Text has completed.
- Name the situation you serve. Explain what someone needs help with and what falls outside the service. “We help everyone” gives a customer very little to compare.
- Connect a value to a decision. If you value careful communication, explain when customers hear from you and how decisions get approved. Only describe practices you can actually maintain.
- Explain the constraints. State the service area, availability considerations, and what affects a quote. A shared value won't resolve a schedule or budget mismatch.
- Ask customers to rank their priorities. Try: “What matters most when you choose someone for this work?” Follow with: “What would rule a provider out?”
Use those answers to improve the relevant service page. You don't need to publish a long statement about everything you believe. Start with information that helps someone decide whether to have a conversation with you.
What a useful match could look like
Consider this illustrative example: an independent cleaning business offers recurring appointments and explains that it uses a particular set of products. A prospective customer wants recurring help but needs to avoid a specific ingredient.
A useful matching system would compare the customer's requirement with the business's actual product information. A broad phrase such as “thoughtful cleaning” wouldn't settle that question.
If the information is missing, the next step should be a question, not an assumption. If the products don't meet the requirement, a shared outlook or an appealing story doesn't make the service suitable.
This is where values and practical details need to sit together. A customer might like how a business approaches its work but still need a different schedule, price, or service. Making those limits clear helps both sides decide what to do next.
What this means for marketing now
I want to help people find their people: the customers who resonate with their message and their specific values. That starts with making the message understandable.
Don't write as if every customer should choose you. Explain the work you offer, the choices that matter to you, and the limits a customer should know before reaching out.
Clear information can help people evaluate your business today. It may also give future matching systems better material to work with. It doesn't promise immediate results, a particular ranking, or a recommendation from an AI.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to publish personal beliefs to attract customers who share my values?
No. Decide what you're comfortable making public and what's relevant to the service. You can explain work-related commitments without sharing private beliefs. Customers should have the same choice. Ask about their needs rather than trying to infer sensitive details about them.
What if my business practices change after I publish them?
Update the pages that describe those practices, including service information and FAQs. If a change affects an existing customer's agreement, address it directly with that customer. An online description should reflect what you offer now, not a process you stopped using.
How can I tell whether clearer information is helping?
Ask new inquiries what they read and what made them reach out. Notice whether people understand your scope before the first conversation and which questions keep coming up. Use those conversations to revise unclear information. A smaller number of inquiries alone doesn't prove that you're attracting a better fit.