Listening is one of the most underrated skills on the planet—even in business. It is the key to understanding what someone wants, and it’s also the key to building better relationships. When working in digital media, active listening can be a make-or-break situation when it comes to understanding your audience, clients, and even those closest to you.
Defining Active Listening
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and they were interrupting you constantly? Or maybe you felt like they were not hearing what you were saying but just waiting to speak next? If you have been in these situations, you have seen the damage that the absence of active listening does.
Active listening is the ability to focus entirely on the speaker in the conversation to understand their point of view. It is not when you listen to respond, nor is it simply just getting the information you need and ending the discussion. Active listeners are constantly engaged with the people they are talking to. When you are speaking to a true active listener, believe me—you will notice the difference.
Here are some ways you can tell that someone is an active listener:
- Clarifying information and asking questions
- Paying attention to what is being said through body language and verbal cues
- Summarizing the speaker’s previous statement
- Withholding judgment until hearing the full story
- Sharing information and gathering their perspective
- Appropriate and mutual reflection on the discussion topic
These are the characteristics you’ll commonly see in active listeners. But you might be asking yourself one question: does this matter for marketing?
Why Does Active Listening Matter in Marketing?
Funny enough, marketing and active listening go together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s a perfect combination. All the most successful marketing campaigns actively listen to their audience. They produce and manufacture their company’s offerings based on what the consumer has said they need.
Without active listening, companies would not know how to market themselves, nor would they have the same impact on their industries. Therefore, active listening is a must in marketing! Here are some common reasons you need to implement active listening into your business and marketing if you have not already.
Build Strong Connections
Companies that actively listen to their employees and customers see significant differences in how they can impact their communities. When you actively listen, you understand what people say, find opportunities for collaboration, and even help to create trust in one another.
The best companies in the world say to listen first, then create what you know your audience needs. Just look at Amazon. They are all about innovation and expansion, but they are the most customer-centric company on the planet!
Solve Your Customers’ Problems
How often do you hear customers complain about the same issue, but companies fail to resolve it? Active listening can help you remain proactive and address your customer complaints. When your company focuses on active listening, you’ll notice issues and solve them before customers realize they are even there.
This is the key to solid marketing and a strong reputation for most companies. Just like people do their best to squash rumors before they spread, it’s best to actively listen to customers to find out what word-of-mouth issue can be resolved before you hear the echo of complaints months later.
Become More Customer Centric
In only two decades, Amazon went from selling books to delivering groceries, streaming content, and more. Trust me when I say Jeff Bezos probably did not wake up one morning and say he wanted to “do it all.” So how did he conclude that he wanted Amazon to become expansive and widespread in its offerings? Answer: active listening.
Active listening helps you become more customer-centric, and you can build long-term brand loyalty with your customers when you achieve this. Companies are responsible for listening to the customer’s demands and trying to match their needs. After all, how much easier is it to sell a product you know that your primary customer needs rather than trying to sell them on why they need something extraneous?
How Can Marketing Campaigns Improve Their Active Listening?
Individuals and companies alike can do better with their active listening. For companies specifically, a few methods help build active listening skills. Here are two tips that companies can use to tailor their marketing better today.
Tip #1: Create Conversation
One of the biggest mistakes companies often make is not including the customer in the conversation. They might do all the research but still not stop to listen to the customer. Instead, make campaigns that engage your consumers. Don’t be afraid to create conversation and show them that you want to hear their input.
Tip #2: Model Those Who Succeed in Active Listening
Amazon. Need we say anymore? They are the epitome of success when it comes to active listening. Their entire brand is built around becoming the most supportive towards their consumer. Not every company can do this and restructure its marketing overnight.
If Rome wasn’t built in a day, you don’t have to worry about rushing to the top to compete with someone like Amazon! Take small steps towards more customer-centric principles, and your success will come to you.
Build Your Communication Skills and Improve Your Marketing
Active listening is the key to seeing success in most relationships, and for marketing, it is vital to your firm’s success. We hope these tips helped you know where you can improve and how to help your marketing better relate to your consumers.
If you find yourself stuck on your marketing strategy and unsure what to do next, it is always a great idea to get insight from experts who work in the field. So book a strategy session today to workshop on your marketing ideas, figure out your ideal strategy, and get your firm on track to hit your goals for the next quarter.
