Over the past few years I’ve had encounters with businesses, government agencies, consultants, and professionals in various service fields that have not only been unproductive, but they’ve been nerve wracking, tedious and frustrating.
With one agency, I sent them an email to ask why I never received a particular payment. The responder had me to update all of my previously submitted information. Twelve weeks later, after being sent on endless and needless trails, I sent an email and posted in all capital letters: WILL SOMEONE PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL AND ANSWER MY ACTUAL QUESTION?
The response was that their department did not handle my issue and they provided the phone number to the appropriate entity and the matter was resolved in a matter of days. It took twelve weeks for someone to actually listen to me.
You would think that was an isolated incident, but this non-listening climate has become the normal. I see it most prominently among professionals who have offered their expertise in helping my coaching business with website, marketing, and establishing a social media presence.
When I tried to explain the thought and history of my work (so they would have the right perspective in how to design my website or promote what I do), most of them were far more interested in educating me on the proper strategies and what is trending now. The results were always something that they were very happy with, but often, not even close to what I truly needed or desired. I’d click on my new website or social media pages and sigh in frustration asking, “Will someone actually listen to me?”
For some reason, what has been lost in today’s world of "experts", is that the business owner, the consumer or the client still knows what will work best for them. It’s not the job of the consultant to first educate the client on what is best. Their first job is to listen and educate themselves on the individual or the company that they are about to serve.
I would always try to explain that my clients are obtained by actually physically attending community meetings and events. I have to pass out flyers, meet with people face to face, shake their hands, have real conversation, and build actual relationships. Most of my clientele do not do the social media thing. Most of my clientele do not do the slick and fancy website design thing. Most of my clientele are older and they don’t do texting. They want a phone call or an email. So I need a website and marketing plan that adapts to my clientele.
It’s been difficult to get them to listen because they insist that I drag my customers and clients into the new way things are done. So again, I come away with a product that works for the experts, but not for me and my clients.
So what am I saying to you today?
As a professional, it’s not your job to convince people that your way will work best, even if you know that to be true. Your job is to allow them to take that journey for themselves. When you step over or stomp on their thoughts and views to implement your best ideas, you’ve already lost them. You become just one more loud voice, in the long list of people, organizations, agencies, businesses and systems that are so caught up in their own fantastic ideas, that they no longer do the first, basic, and most important step: LISTEN.
