Seth Godin, when asked what he does for a living likes to say he notices things.
I like to say, I listen.
My work each day as the Chief Listening Officer at The Marketing Sage with various clients and projects means I attend a lot of calls and meetings. By practicing active listening, I can offer suggestions and ideas to solve problems, but I force myself not to make suggestions while I am in listening mode.
A good listener may ask questions for clarification. They won’t offer opinions until everyone else has spoken. They are too busy trying to understand the other’s perspectives and observes the group’s dynamics. Being attentive means you are in listening mode to understand, not talking mode.
Customer Interviews
On a recent project, I got to interview a dozen of my client’s clients for a rebranding effort. The discussions were about 20 minutes, and all I did was ask questions. It reminded me that asking questions is a powerful tool to gain insight and better understanding intention.
In ten of the twelve conversations, the person I spoke with talks about speed as their number one priority. They said it in different ways, but it was crystal clear that they needed results within 48 hours. In their way, I kept hearing the same theme told in slightly different ways, that although price and quality matter, their world is moving so fast, that they see my client as sprinters. And speed was what they valued most in their engagement with my client.
Listening to Build an Image
By listening, I could guide some of the branding and image building work around this visual metaphor of running fast. We came to understand that the image in the customer’s head was about racing, moving forward at a rapid pace and momentum.
Had I spent time talking, I would never have understood or recognized the pattern.
Listening is a superpower for marketing.
Listening isn’t a bad life skill too.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com The conversation is free, and we can explore working together.
Photo by Alex Blăjan on Unsplash
