Practicing the Art of Listening – 4 Lessons
Posted by kboon on March 17, 2010 under Business Building Strategies | 
Comments are off for this article
For the better part of March, my focus has been on the Art of Listening. Chris Brogan defines listening as one of the key ingredients for any business committed to success. He recommends companies set up listening posts on the web. The purpose is to find ways to interact and talk directly to customers and build better relationships, establish trust and increase sales.
In the last two weeks I have interviewed a number of entrepreneurs and small business owners from a variety of professions. I have asked a lot of questions. My goal has been to get to know the individual, learn about their business and understand as much as I can about the opportunities and challenges they face.
Here are some of the lessons I have learned.
1. Every entrepreneur and business owner has unique challenges and opportunities
Like the business consultant I recently started working with, who wants to rebuild his network after a few years off.
His challenge: to find new clients in a world that has changed radically in the last 5 years.
Another contact, a financial consultant who has a great website, a newsletter with over 5000 subscribers, does workshops around the country, and has no problems finding consulting work.
His challenge: time management, prioritization and finding the time to create a subscription based website that will add a new revenue stream for his business.
Or here is another contact, a bookstore owner who wants to expand her business and add new services, but her top priority is to focus on the parts of her business that generate income.
Her challenge: Although she knows networking, social media and newsletters are important, she finds it difficult to find the time for these projects.
2. Solutions must fit the business, the person and their customers
Like the old saying, you can’t push a square peg into a round hole. Many times you hear a large chorus chanting “TWITTER!! FACEBOOK!! BLOGS!!” Unfortunately, if you jump in without understanding the value, how to use the technologies, or worse yet, if you can’t find your customers, then your efforts can be a big waste of time.
When working with small businesses it’s critical to step back and understand their day-to-day priorities. Look for opportunities to teach and have the patience to integrate new technologies if and when the company is ready.
This takes me to the next lesson.
3. Change for any small business must be managable
There might be 100 things a business can do to improve, but the real question becomes, where do you start? How do you prioritize and introduce change without jeopardizing the current business or revenue streams?
Change must be managable for the owner, gradual if resources are limited, have agreed objectives and the ability to test results.
4. Trust, Integrity and a focus on the clients needs are essential for success
Trust and integrity require listening, understanding a clients needs and delivering solutions that show you were listening. Results are good too! They both take time to build and are worth the effort for building long-term client relationships.
