Category: Listening Seeds
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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THE HARD WORK OF ATTENTION
In the best selling book The Road Less Traveled, author M. Scott Peck emphasizes the work of attention. He states that “Listening well is an exercise of attention and by necessity hard work. It is because most people do not realize this or they are not willing to do the work that they do not…
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TRULY LISTEN
If you truly want to manifest the act of love, then listen. Listen with attention, listen with abandonment of your point of view, listen with total dedication to another’s vision, listen with intent to hear their meanings, their intent not just their world. Truly listen. If you truly want to manifest the act of love,…