‘Don’t make the mistake of giving advice based on your own beliefs before attempting to listen and u

Simone Micheli
Jul 28, 2017
4 min read

'To be frank nobody wants to listen to what you have to say unless you have taken the time to show them you care'

Does it frustrate you when you walk into a clothing store and the shop assistant walks over to you. Greets you hello and tells you the store has a 40% discount offer off knitwear and shoes and walks away. You politely thank her and under your breath think to yourself I really don’t give a S**T, care factor ZERO as I am looking for a new dress to wear on Friday night!

What’s the issue here? What important steps are missing?

Let’s Take #2

Shop assistant walks over. Greets you with a friendly hello and warm smile.

Shop Assistant “Hi my name is Stephanie, Welcome to ‘insert store name here’ Have you been to our store before?”

Approach is open and customer focused, not self-focused on making a sale.

Customer Responds NO

Shop Assistant “No problem, Is there something in particular you are looking for today that I can help you with?”

Customer “Yes I am looking for a dress to wear Friday night”

Shop Assistant “Fantastic. Where are you planning to go? What style and colors do you prefer to wear; shorter, longer, bright, or plain tones?”

Customer “Something short and revealing, preferably in black”

Shop Assistant “We have had some new arrivals come in today and I have a dress in mind I feel would suit perfectly for what you are looking for, let me show you!

Customer “Sounds great thank you”

Let's Take #3

Customer Responds YES

Shop Assistant

“ Welcome back! My name is Stephanie is there something in particular you are looking for today that I can help you with?” Continue with the above dialog.

We can see in both situation the shop assistant is engaged and taking a genuine interest in her reason for visiting the store. She is attentive and offering suggestions which are specific to the customer’s needs. Don’t you agree the sale offer is irrelevant?

Why not spend the time to ask the right questions to offer the right solution?

This leads me to my frustration to the skeptics who suggest;

‘There is so much competition and information out there in the Fitness Industry, it must be difficult to do well’

I usually have a little chuckle on the inside when these comments present.

I don’t attempt to argue with them or try to change their opinion, instead I choose to listen.

They are definitely not wrong… Yes of course business can be challenging! There is always going to be competition regardless of what field you are in right? How is the Fitness Industry different to any other?!

What I have learnt from my personal experiences and mistakes, business has very little to do with what you know. Please don’t take this comment out of context, of course you need the knowledge and qualification in your field, however this can be useless if you don’t seek to understand your customers. ‘Learning to understand their needs better than anyone else can is key’

To achieve this we need to LISTEN, there is a theory behind why we have two ears and one mouth! It took me 30 years to truly understand this. Yes 30! Now I am giving away my age 😉 For those who may know me I love to talk! I used to take the ‘know it all approach’ which after a few months soon realized this was not working for me nor anyone else! No SH**T! For me this was one of the biggest lessons I have had to learn, better late than never right?!

We need to ASK the right questions to seek the right answers

We need to understand the real reason behind our customers purpose and needs.

As we go through this process with them and the answers start to surface they may start to shed a tear, or begin to feel overwhelmed. This is completely normal as often people have not been asked the right questions to discover the underlying issue which could be holding them back from success. When we become a better listener, we have the ability tap in and open people’s minds to look at things from a different perspective. This is where being an active listener separates you from the rest.

You show you genuinely care and are continually seeking to understand their needs, from this point the relationship builds. NOW we are in the position to TALK and share with them ‘what we know’ and offer advice and a solution!

“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care” Theodore Roosevelt

Questions Like

What else?

If you knew the answer what might it be?

Build tension… silence is good!

Keep in mind this process is not only useful in business however in our personal relationships. Try it!

Reflection

Ask yourself….

Are you speaking the same language as your customers?

Are you singing a different song?

Are you actively listening?

Are you a know it all?