Listen to the Customer – They’re Smarter than You Think
For those who know me, I tend to lean to the quiet and reserved side. Although being an introvert requires more effort to be “on” and can be a challenge for networking and sales, I have found a component of this behavioral characteristic that is very valuable for relationship building. That asset is listening.
Because I’m not the biggest talker, I tend to listen, observe, and process the information around me. This applies to one-on-one situations, small group settings, meetings, conferences, and in public settings. By listening and observing, I am constantly learning.
One great example of the benefit of listening is the information that I learn from podcasts. Whether it is business, industry, technical, or personal interests, I have gained a ton of value from podcasts like avnation.tv, eofire.com, theartofcharmpodcast.com, and podcastanswerman.com that I listen to while running, driving, or walking my dogs.
From a business and AV industry perspective, I think that we don’t realize enough about the benefit of listening to our users or technology managers. These individuals are our customers whether directly or indirectly. We need to take the time to truly understand their needs, identify their past experiences, isolate their pain points, process their requests and feedback, and learn how to provide value that makes their lives easier.
The importance of listening to technology managers was made all the more clear to all of us in the AV industry during a recent panel discussion in New York. The information and insight gleaned was extremely enlightening and valuable to any service provider in the AV industry.
Here’s what I heard, and what you should remember.
Are you taking the time to listen to technology mangers? What have you been hearing lately?
