We have heard this phrase, “The customer is king/God!” Fractal Entrepreneurs are taught that the customer is God, too….well, just like everything that exists around and about us till the end of where things are, if at all there is an end, that is! This strong visualisation fixes their perspective in no uncertain ways. This directs them slowly over time to become aware beyond their senses through their minds and every cell of their being. It makes them treat their customers like they would treat God and yet it will make them demand from customers in a nonviolent fashion, that the customers, too, treat them as such. Fractal customers are thus encouraged to become ambassadors over time and not simply folks who demand the sky for the pittance that they pay.
Let me clarify at the outset. Every principle I talk about does not result in an immediate action on ground. Learning the principle takes time, practising it takes time. Implementing it naturally takes time. Getting the desired result takes time and getting the desired result consistently under any circumstance…also takes time. But fractal principles are nurturing principles that were always the most relevant in the past, are relevant now and will be relevant into the deep future. So is every fractal customer there yet? You may ask. Well, they are getting there, let’s give them a big cheer! Hip hip hurray!
How do we practise such a difficult concept on ground? Well, the following principles are introduced to every visionary entrepreneur:
- The Branding Principle: The branding of “impact” created by the sustainability drive of the venture is most important, more than the product or service. People listening will want to be a part of the venture and not just a buyer of its products or services. Every Fractal Venture is loved for its noble pursuit by its group of customers! From designing logos, to bringing in newer customers, to investing and more, customers form the backbone of the spread of fractal ventures.
- The Hospitality Over Selling Principle: Every customer transaction should be an act of hospitality from the very first step onwards. Focus on hospitality, as the product or service has already received its due attention prior to selling. As one of my incubatees says,”Everyday is like gearing up for a wedding! Need to put on my best hospitable behaviour.”
- The Technology For Timely Retrieval Principle: Smart usage of technology to properly maintain every information about the customer is a must. Entrepreneurs ensure that such information is retrievable and that every transaction is also recorded with information of time and date. I remember every time a visionary entrepreneur reaches The Fractal Technology Point! While conducting low cost experiments prior to launch, all transactions seem simple on a piece of paper. But the moment business begins to roll out, the seats of management would get so hot that they will all embrace technology to solve their issues, however opposed some of them might have felt earlier about them!
- The Relationship Building Principle: It is never about just the single transaction. It is about the relationship with each venture and other fractal ventures and the whole fractal community. Customers within our community know about all fractal ventures and support other ventures as well. It amazes me every time I see this!
- The Nobility Principle: This involves enabling customers to see that they are leading a noble life by buying your products or services. Oftentimes fractal entrepreneurs face customers who think they need to be served with servitude. Patiently fractal entrepreneurs are enabled to make the customer see that while the transaction may involve certain amounts of money, the service actually was offering them a priceless opportunity to be noble, which they could never dream of being otherwise! Imagine by eating food if you are healing lands, water; increasing biodiversity; lifting someone out of poverty; not polluting the planet; …all and more for just a small purchase of a product for less than Rs. 300…Should customers hold such a venture by their collar for pardonable difficulties or should they be grateful that the venture even exists?
- The Value Alignment Principle: Entrepreneurs should understand related values that customers might have and develop synergies of alignment of their values and those of the customers. This will strengthen the relationship and further the cause more, than just transactions. Having said that fractal ventures are God’s gifts to humans, it however requires immense work and smartness to ensure that customers recognise this. This is simply because the pain points of all human beings are too intense for them to see things, as they are sometimes. There was this one customer of a fractal venture who wanted a garden. Bringing in native plants that save soil and water, while sounding noble, did not strike a chord with the customer. The visionary entrepreneur who is a lover of dogs, discovered that the client, too, had pet dogs. Dog Friendly Garden design was created in that interaction and it has today become an important offering from Urban Mali Network.
- The Enlightenment Principle: It is not just about profit or loss for a transaction, as I keep saying. It is about educating the customer to be a part of the Fractal Community. A Fractal Entrepreneur needs to have the zeal of a missionary/activist/spiritual leader when it comes to dealing with a customer. The entrepreneurs are taught that every opportunity for communication with a customer has to be a reminder for the customer to join the movement and do their bit as well. It is a favour they extend to the customer bringing in more meaning into their lives apart from just offering the product or service. To enable another to be noble is the highest form of nobility.
- The Value Addition Principle: While making a customer return to a venture, entrepreneurs should ensure that they increase value for the customer in little to big ways through thinking for each customer individually. Sampoorna Ahara takes a lot of pain to deeply understand its customers’ medical history, preferences and allergies. Such documentation is often helpful in prompting customers better choices in their purchases when they return.
- The Securing The Future Principle: While dealing with each customer, entrepreneurs should develop insights and technologies that help you predict what they might have as pain points and needs into the future. Suggesting and directing customers on what might be useful for them into the future in another point of huge relief for customers.
- The Art Of Giving Principle: Giving should be done in abundance through compassion and careful thinking. Giving is a must. Money from a customer should only be a basic transaction that takes care of basic needs. The customer should be so impressed that they seek to give back more than money to the rractal community. Business metrics should focus on capturing how soon and effective customers become ambassadors. We have so many customers who have turned into ambassadors in the Fractal Community. Several seek to invest in the companies. Several bring in other customers and have also brought in entrepreneurs to join the ventures. Several volunteer to help with the actual work on ground as well. Fractal ventures in turn reward customers generously for becoming ambassadors.
Every time a customer turns to become a Fractal ambassador there is a deep sense of pride and accomplishment amongst all fractal ventures. Fractals survive mainly because of community expansion. We cannot have customers who cannot become one of us! Just transactions with money get replaced with Giving leading to Prosperity For All.
Would you want to become one of us as well? I am sure you do. Do reach out and let’s explore. Write to me at radha@fractalentrepreneurship.org. Be blessed.