Most people say that their clients are of the highest importance and that they do whatever they can to meet their needs.  But are you really listening to your clients?

In order to truly understand what another person is saying, it’s not enough to just listen to the words.  You should also listen for the   emotion behind the words.

Imagine if you asked someone to help you with Excel, and the person said, “Sure I”d love to!”  You would be able to tell based on the tone and body language if the person really wanted to help you or not.  If the tone was sarcastic and the person refused to look at you, it would be an indication that, for some reason, she doesn’t mean what she just said.  By listening to the tone and watching the body language, you can ask questions such as, “Is there a time that would work better for you?”

When we fail to truly listen, we may hear the words, but miss the emotion behind the words.  The emotion behind the words reveal more than the words themselves.  By listening to your client’s tone and the emotion behind what they’re saying, you can ask follow-up questions to really get at their needs, which can help translate to better client relationships and more sales.

How to Really Listen to Clients:

1. Choose a location where there is little or no chance of distraction.  Put your phone on silent or vibrate.
2. Choose a time when you’re better able to give your full attention.  If you’re grumpy in the early morning, don’t schedule a meeting during that time.
3. If you notice that the tone and body language don’t match what the person is saying, ask questions to better understand how the person is feeling.  If the words say, “We can do that,” but the body language is fidgety, then ask questions that delve deeper such as, “Are their obstacles standing in your way?”  or “Are you comfortable with doing that?  Why or why not?”  or “What can I do to help make you more comfortable with it?”
4. Take notes.  If you have any questions while the person is speaking, write them down so you can ask later.  That way, you won’t interrupt the person in that moment to ask the question or tune out the person because you’re trying to remember your question.
5. Don’t jump in to fill a pause.  Before moving to another topic, ask if the person is ready to do so.
6. Focus only on the person and the conversation at hand.  Don’t distract yourself by thinking of everything else that you have going on.
7. Show your clients that you are listening and understanding what they’re telling you by paraphrasing and following up with relevant questions.
8. Listening should be followed up with action.  After listening to a client’s problems, do what you can to help solve those problems.