When researchers asked prospective buyers about their biggest problem with service providers who are trying to sell to them, the answer came back that the seller "did not listen to me."
Yes, you read that right. According to the RainToday report, How Clients Buy, prospective buyers say professional service providers aren't listening to them.
I can see two plausible explanations for this finding. First, some people really aren't listening to their clients. And second, others are listening, but the clients can't tell. I'm going to skip the people in the first group. If they're not listening to their clients, it's pretty unlikely that they're reading this.
For those in the second group, here are some quick thoughts. If clients doubt you are listening, it should be easy to fix that. Maybe you're not active or responsive enough in your client interviews. It's not uncommon for people to think they're not being heard, even when they are.
Think about how you acknowledged what someone just said to you. You don't have to be a head-bobber to confirm your understanding with clients as they talk. Summarize what you know. Ask clarifying questions. Take notes on significant points. Any of these techniques will signal that you're keeping up.
It's also possible that a client feels unheard because your sales proposal or report doesn't reflect the issues the way the client wanted. In that case, the client could conclude that you didn't listen.
For some sellers, lack of appropriate detail can result from ineffective tools for gathering data during the sales process. If you don't have a systematic way to capture clients' information as they talk, it's easy to lose track of the details. You may want to consider how you prepare for client interviews so you do retain those details in the future.
There are lots of reasons why you might lose a sale. But to be called out for not listening is inexcusable.
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