Listen, Observe, and Engage

Listen, Observe, and Engage.

I like that, but what does it mean?  In elementary school we are taught that to listen we must use our ears, keep our eyes on the person talking, and to sit in a comfortable position with our hands in our laps.

How is it then that this simple lesson is often forgotten by the time we reach adulthood?  Communication is a two-way street between participants, both internal and external customers.  It includes both listening and talking. 

Are we really listening to our customers?  Do we actually hear what they are saying?  Hearing a customer involves much more than just listening to their words.  We need to also “hear” what they are not saying.  Do we keep our eyes on the customers, learning their body language, responses to comments, and other critical details that tell us even more than words what the customer needs or wants?  And what about our position?  Are we calm in the face of chaos?  Are we comfortable with our position, with ourselves?  The more comfortable we become with ourselves, the more that confidence is reinforced in the customer’s mind about our abilities.

Once communication is flowing between us and our customers, engagement will occur, cannot help but occur.  This leads to a tight bond of cooperation and loyalty that is difficult to break – a commitment of two parties to each other, both benefitting from the other, making us more than the sum of us alone.