Blog 25: Listening

Listening has become a strength for me when it comes to doing business. You have to be a better listener than a you are a better speaker in these meetings. You have to listen and pay attention to what the other person is saying and then think about what you’re going to bring to the table. If all you do is talk and you don’t hear what the other person is trying to get out of the deal, then the deals that you make will be unsuccessful. It’s that simple, but very important.

Listening to your employees is also huge. Discipline yourself to listen when your employees are giving you feedback. This will help you understand what the feeling around your company is. If there is low employee morale, your productivity will suffer because of it. When your employees know that their boss is a good listener, they are more willing to be open with you and honest with you on how to improve the company. The only way to build a culture is by being honest, sharing opinions and developing strategies to achieve the same objective.

Last but not least, listen to your customers. Your customers are what keeps your company going. Listen to their feedback and read their reviews. Know what they want next. Know what they want different. Know what they like about your brand. These are all things you can do just by listening and paying attention.