Listening is vastly under-rated these days. In the "me first" world we are often so busy trying to get our own point across that we don't listen to the people we are talking at. Sorry, I meant talking to. Or better still, talking with. In business this often means that we are so intent on telling our clients what a great product or service we have to offer that we fail to discover what they actually want.
To be successful in business it is crucial to understand the needs of our clients or customers, but we can never do that if we don't learn to listen properly. Effective listening takes practice. We have to forget about ourselves and what we want to say next. Instead we have to concentrate on the other person and pay attention to what they want to tell us. Many of us believe we already know how to listen but this is rarely the case. "Good listeners" are valued because there are so few of them.
Almost every day I get a cold call from someone trying to sell me a new phone package or a new energy deal and, no matter how often I try to get a word in edgeways to tell them I'm not interested, they persist in following their script to the end. Sound familiar?
If only they stopped for breath and listened for a moment they could save us both a lot of time Then move on to annoying someone else instead. A few years ago someone rang me up trying to sell me patio doors. They were so eager to describe all the advantages of their fabulous product that they completely failed to hear me tell them that that I lived in an upstairs flat and so patio doors would really not be the best way for me to get into the garden. Unless they came with a free parachute of course.
As a coach who helps clients improve their business skills, I spend a lot of time listening. I need to have a clear understanding of the issues my clients want to address and the only way I can do that is by paying attention to what they tell me.
If we want to build strong relationships, either at work with colleagues or clients or at home with family or friends, listening is essential. Remember also, we never learn anything when we speak, only when we listen.
How Was It For You?
Another real benefit of effective listening occurs when we ask for comments about our product or service. The "F" word. No, not that one. Feedback.
If we want to make sure we are performing to the best of our ability we have two choices. We can make like an ostrich, stick our heads in the sand and tell ourselves we are perfect. That's the easy option but all it gets us is a sandy face. Alternatively, we can ask our colleagues, clients and customers to tell us how we are doing. Scary at first, I admit. What if they say "Rubbish!"? Well, thank them for their honesty then ask them the following four simple questions:
What should I keep on doing?
What should I do more of?
What should I do less of?
What should I do differently?
The answers to these questions can provide us with a wealth of information on how to be more effective. Frequently people will notice things about the way we operate which we are unaware of. If we ask the same questions on a regular basis to a range of different people and respond positively to the answers then we can continue to improve and keep ahead of the competition.
Feedback can be sought face-to-face, by phone, online or using a paper form, whichever method is most appropriate. The crucial point is to make the process as quick and easy as possible for the customer or client. We all know how boring and tedious long feedback forms can be and how we just tick any old box to finish the form as quickly as possible. Or is that just me? You may even want to give a discount on a future purchase as an incentive to provide feedback if your clients are reluctant to do so.
Want to know more?
If you'd like more information about effective listening and seeking feedback, or about any other topic just email me at contact@chriswilkie.co.uk