When we have yet to learn to see the difference, it's easy to confuse the two. Serving people means embracing their unspoken needs, while fitting in means forcing customers to comply. The difference is subtle but significant.
Serving looks like this: respecting every customer's need to be seen and understood through choice. Before we bombard their inboxes with emails (regardless of what they're about), we identify what benefits the customers to know and what does not. Respecting customers' choice to opt out of the emails they are not interested in is one way to serve their needs.
Fitting in looks like this: We require everyone to receive every email from us regardless of their interests or needs. We prohibit them from opting out and bombard their inboxes simply because that works for us and meets our needs.
Serving offers learning opportunities. When we serve, we learn about our customers, what works and what doesn't, from people's choices and responses, and improve our offerings accordingly.
Fitting in is about compliance. When we force people to fit in, we get what we want. It's about us and our needs.
Refusing to learn and jumping into the defense at every opportunity is precisely why fitting in isn't helpful.
