Author: Rick

  • FISHING FOR CUSTOMERS…..BY LISTENING

    FISHING FOR CUSTOMERS…..BY LISTENING

    Leigh Perkins, former CEO of Orvis Co., a sporting goods mail order company, listened his way to success. Early in his career, as a sales professional, Perkins learned the key to good salesmanship isn’t demonstrating the virtues of a product, but demonstrating the virtues of a product the customer needs. “You have to find out…

  • 12 BLOCKS TO LISTENING

    12 BLOCKS TO LISTENING

    COMPARING: Comparing makes it hard to listening because you are always trying to assess who is smarter, more competent, more emotionally healthy – you or the other. MIND READING: The mind reader doesn’t pay much attention to what people say. In fact he often distrusts it. He’s always trying to figure out what the other…

  • KNOW WHEN TO STOP SPEAKING

    KNOW WHEN TO STOP SPEAKING

    A man attended a meeting where the guest lecturer was extremely long-winded. When the listener could stand it no longer, he got up and slipped out a side door. In the corridor he met a friend who asked, “Has he finished yet?” “Yes,” the man replied, “he’s been through for a long time, but he’s…

  • GUILTY AS CHARGED

    GUILTY AS CHARGED

    Following is an example of how one manager realized the value of listening: “My secretary said to me today, “Steve, you’re not listening to me.”, and she was right. It was an awakening for me. I had totally tuned her out and proceeded with reading the text I just received. Jennifer is a loyal and…

  • LISTEN NOW, OR PAY LATER

    LISTEN NOW, OR PAY LATER

    I received the following example from a listening leader who deeply listened and responded with an important decision.  Her boss chose not to listen.  The results are devastating.  Several years ago, I was employed with a company as a Credit Manager. I was responsible for minimizing the accounts receivable and bad debt. Even with success…

  • THE MILLION $ LISTENING ERROR

    THE MILLION $ LISTENING ERROR

    I received the following example of a huge listening breakdown that resulted in a $1 million loss. “There was a huge communication breakdown at the commercial bank that I work at between a sales executive and a portfolio manager. Sales executives make calls to current customers as well as establish new customers. They sell all…

  • LISTENING-BASED INNOVATION

    Listening leads to learning, which sets the stage for innovation.  Innovation is more likely when employees are well informed about the customer, unafraid to try something new, and committed to the organization’s success. Charles Schwab uses multiple methods to listen for customers’ dreams that often start with the phrase, “I know it’s not possible, but…

  • THE POWER OF THE PAUSE

    It is the call the parent of a teenager dreads. The policeman phoned at 2:30 A.M. to tell this single mother that her daughter is at the police station. She had been picked up in the wake of a wild party. Relieved that her daughter was not hurt, the mother’s attention quickly turned to disappointment…

  • LISTENING LEADERS ARE SEARCHERS AND SEEKERS

    Listening leaders are searchers and seekers. They cultivate a listening habit of curiosity. Although they recognize the simple reality, ‘We cannot listen to all people talk on all things at all times,” productive listeners are careful not to turn off their listening prematurely. They listen optimistically and seek to share the speaker’s enthusiasm for and…

  • THE COSTS OF NOT LISTENING ARE MOUNTING UP!

    THE COSTS OF NOT LISTENING ARE MOUNTING UP!

    THE COSTS ARE MOUNTING UP! The following real example submitted by a listening leader, who wants to go anonymous, shows what happens when listening breakdowns occur. “I am a part of a sales team for a retail store in a large mall. For reasons of confidentiality, I will not mention which one. Over the past…