Expressing your wants feelings and opinions clearly and effectively is half of communication, and the other half is listening and understanding what others communicate to us.

However, when we talk of communication, we often think of how we express ourselves, and forget the importance of listening. The result is clear. Researches show us that although 50%-75% of our daily communication time is spent listening, but we listen at only a 25% efficiency level. In other word 75 % of our communication efforts are: misunderstood, misinterpreted, rejected, disliked, or distorted.

Many problems that arise in our interactions with customers can be attributed to poor listening skills. Listening is not same as hearing. Listening involves truly understanding the customer. “The single most important principle in the field of interpersonal relations is this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Most people listen, not with the intent to understand, but with the intent to reply”. Steven R. Covey

If listening means understanding your customers, how often do you make an effort to truly understand your customers? In my trainings I show participants a picture of 2 cars, and ask them to recommend me a car. Believe me; they have always suggested me a car, without asking me a single question. How can one recommend me a car, without any further clarification? How can you be sure that I am buying it, for my own use or not? How do you know why I want to buy it? Do you know how much I am willing to spend for a car?

The3 categories of listeners- C.A.R

C= Competitive listeners. They are impatient to express themselves. When the customer is talking, they plan what to say. They cut customers off or finish their sentences because they think they know what the customer is going to say. If you are planning what to say, before the customer has finished talking, can you properly understand him?

A= Attentive listeners. They make no effort to clarify or understand the customer. They pretend to be listening. Even if the customer speaks too fast or uses words they don’t understand, they let it go.

R= Reflective/Active listeners. They make every effort to understand the customer. They get involved in the conversation, ask questions and repeat back.

Develop Your Listening Skills: M.A.R.S

To understand, be able to help and better serve your customers, you have to be a “R” category listener.The first step is you have to want to listen to the customer, and understand him. No one can help you, and nothing can assist you, unless you voluntarily choose to understand the customer. Remember the acronym M.A.R.S. for improving your listening skills.

M= Make a show. Show him that you are listening. It means use of appropriate body language, or making encouraging noises.

A= Ask the customer. Question him until you fully understand him.

R= Repeat- This means reflecting back feeling, or reflecting back content. When you do it, the customer will respond back “Yes that’s what I meant” or deny, “No that’s not what I meant” and explain to you again.

S= Stop everything else when the customer is talking. Stop what you are doing. Stop processing your thoughts.

Masood Ali- Dip. Bus. CCSM from Customer Services Institute of Australia, SSPA Certified Support Manager, SCP Certified Support Manager, and IIR Ceritified Cusomer Service Manager. Masood is Manager Customer Services, Dhiraagu (www.dhiraagu.com.mv) and Consultant Trainer, The3 (www.the3.com.mv).

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