Why listening is good for business

Many business owners think that communicating with customers is a one way street - putting lots of information and messages out there and hoping that some will stick, resulting in greater brand awareness and ultimately sales. But the fact is that listening to customers is just as critical for business, and an essential part of all communication planning. There is a great example of a business that spent months innovating and developing a new product, finally getting it ready to test with consumers before launching into mass production for the marketplace. During the first phase of testing, it was noticed that consumers were using the product incorrectly, meaning that the business had to spend time and effort in explaining how to properly use the product for best effect. The business soon realized that they needed to listen to their consumers, to find out what the problem was, and then fix it using that invaluable feedback. The ability to listen, and then learn, is a key trait of highly successful entrepreneurs. Richard Branson says on the subject of listening, “If you want to stand out as a leader, a good place to begin is by listening. Great listeners are often terrific at uncovering and putting in place strategies and plans that have a big impact.” So, how good are your listening skills and are you putting them to good use for the business?