Listening - a simple action word that's really hard to do. I've been thinking a lot about this word and how I can improve my listening skills in every aspect of my life. If you are married like me sometimes it's hard to listen to your spouse. I see my husband's mouth moving but nothing is registering. My selective hearing skills are very impressive...which is not a good thing.
Not only is listening really important in maintaining good relationships with your friends and family but as a market researcher we need to continually challenge and hone our listening skills. By trade market researchers should be the best listeners in the world. Even better than therapist I dare say. Why? Because there are a lot of money at stake.
To get started on becoming a better listener I've put together 4 main questions you should ask while listening to your customers/respondents:
1) Is anything distracting me from giving my full attention to listening to my customers?
The world of cell phones, internet, email, etc. has detrimentally affected our ability to give full attention to specific tasks at hand. There is nothing wrong with being a multi-tasker, however, in the event of listening to respondent/customers it's important to pay special attention to what they are saying. Put your phone on silent, don't review or reply to emails when they are giving you their opinion or reviewing their survey answers. One small distraction may end up costing your company revenue down the road.
2) Am I being completely unbiased and open to what people are saying to me?
It's human nature to act a certain way based on our past experiences. Life experiences shape who we are and our opinions. As a market researcher, especially in the consulting world, it's important to stay as neutral and unbiased as possible. I remember many times I had to remind myself to check my personal opinions at the door. Easier said than done of course.
While gathering data it is also important that the tools and methods to collect data are not biased either. Have coworkers review your survey to identify any loaded questions and don't be afraid to question whether the clients you are working with are skewed with their own agenda.
3) Am I tapping into all possible channels to listen?
I don't want to call anyone out but I've known companies who use selective hearing when it comes to listening to their customers. Some of them only want to hear the good and not the ugly.
Ignorance is not bliss in this case. Sorry, but every company must be able to hear the good and the bad or risk having it come back and bite you in the ass. Have you Googled your company? Have you checked your comments on Facebook or Twitter? Is anyone talking trash and if so who is it? Although you are not in the business of moderating a bitch-fest it's important to take what they say into consideration and be able to prioritize which opinions require an actionable response.
4) Do I really understand what people are saying to me?
As a researcher I recall myself reviewing data and instantly categorizing the responses into specific data segments. It's hard to remember that I'm not just presenting data- I'm presenting real people and real customers who want to give their opinion. We spend a lot of time putting together an outline for a project, a statement of purpose within a specific budget and deadline to meet. Spend ample time understanding the voice of your customers from different angles. I even challenge you to throw out your research outline (just as an exercise during your project) and just talk to them. Isn't it amazing what you hear when you don't have a preconceived agenda?
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