Are you listening to what your customers are saying? Really listening? With open ears, open eyes, an open mind and open heart?” That’s a question that I often ask people I’m working with. And the reason that I ask the question that way is that it’s easy to forget that ‘listening’ isn’t just something that we do with our ears. Really listening to deeply understand what a customer or team member actually needs requires our full attention and engagement. And that means using our ears, our eyes and our thoughts and feelings: to hear’ the specific words that someone is saying and their tone of voice, to ‘see’ their facial expression, body language and surroundings, to ‘think’ critically and creatively to understand the meaning behind the words they’re using, and to ‘feel’ what they’re experiencing with compassion and kindness. Our customers and team members are complex, complicated, unique, wonderful human beings! Whole people! So, when you listen, don’t forget to ‘bring your whole self’ and listen with open ears, open eyes, open mind and open heart!
