If you ask anyone in business whether or not they’re listening to their customers, the answer will almost certainly be “yes”.
But the reality is often different.
But listening skills are very important – whether they’re face to face, on the phone or Skype or interpreting what someone really means in an email, text or Facebook comment.
The cliche says that you’ve got two ears and one mouth and that you should use them in that ratio.
Which can be good advice but leaves a lot unsaid with regard to listening skills.
Too often, when we claim we’re listening we’re really thinking about what we’re going to say next.
We aren’t necessarily paying much – if any attention – to what the other person is actually saying.
Things aren’t much better with the written word – most of us skim what’s been written.
Which is why so many enquiries you make to customer services go badly answered – assuming they’re being answered by real people, there’s a time deadline to answer in. So it’s often a question of skim the question, copy and paste in a fairly relevant answer and hope it solves the problem.
Next time you engage in any form of conversation with customers or potential customers, take the time to listen to (or read) what is being said.
Give it your full attention.
If this is the first time you’ve done that for a while, you’ll be surprised what you learn.
A friend of mine did this to a computer salesman the other day.
He was in the market for a new machine, their website was rubbish – he asked me which of about half a dozen possible links I’d choose for the kind of machine I knew he was after, I chose the same one he’d chosen initially and it took us to a page that was triple his budget.
Even an estate agent (realtor) would have thought about blushing before suggesting that.
The other links were equally bad – he probably didn’t want an over-clocked chip but that was the only choice on another link.
It went on.
I’d have found a different supplier but he liked the fact this company had good reviews.
So he sent an email and – surprisingly – got a phone call back.
But the salesman was defensive from the get-go.
And wasn’t listening to a customer who wanted to spend money with his company.
Again, if I’d got that far, I’d have called it a day and found a different supplier. It’s not as though there are only one or two firms making PCs.
But my friend told the salesman that he needed to chill out and listen.
After that, the conversation improved (remember, you may not be the only people on the call, speaker phones are common) but not significantly.
All because the salesman was only listening for the parts of the conversation he wanted to hear – the complaint about their expensively revamped website that was doubtless dragging down his commissions as customers were taking their custom elsewhere. The website design really was that bad. “Customer hostile” would be the best description.
You’re doubtless thinking that you don’t do that.
And I hope you’re right!
But – just in case you’re not – pay extra attention on the next few conversations you have.
Listen when you’re spoken to.
Rather than letting your mind wander everywhere else.
Consider repeating the words that are being said back to yourself – in your head of course, it would be weird to repeat them out loud.
That works well and concentrates your mind on what’s being said rather than doing like the salesman above and concentrating on what you thought was being said.
There’s often a world of difference.
And it also leads you to be a better supplier.
Because you’ll know what the customer wants.
And you’ll be able to repeat it back to them in their own words, so they’ll know you know.
Very neat.
Then you can start to incorporate the kind of words your customers use in your conversations and on your web site.
That’s when the real magic happens.
Because people quickly work out that you understand them, rather than treating them as a number in your sales book.
Try it and feel free to put your results in the comments box below.
And if you’d like more help with your copywriting, check this out.