What – and who – are you listening to most these days? No, I’m not referring to your taste in music. Who are you listening to when it comes to your business?
The experts, the media, the competition, the nay-sayers, and the nit pickers. There are so many voices coming at you as a business owner that sometimes it’s hard to even hear yourself think. And that could be a problem because the first person you should be listening to is yourself.
If you started your own business, you know what I’m saying. Your business was born because you paid attention to the big dreams and creative ideas that were whispering (or shouting) to you…many times in the wee small hours of the night.
Continuing to listen to that voice is important to your success as a business owner. We’re not talking about your inner critic who is really the echo of those negative outside voices. We mean the deeper wisdom that reflects your best self.
That’s the voice that will tell you if you are being true to your own values, if you are moving in the right direction and if you are taking good care of yourself, your team, and your customers.
Taking time to check in with that internal voice is essential, especially in times of change or stress. If you need to slow things down, take a break or change direction to be true to your own voice, pay attention to that inner wisdom. Doing so may pay big dividends or save you from disaster.
It’s also important to listen to your team, the people who are there with you in the day-to-day of your business. How much do they support your visions and plans? How much are they resisting and why? What creative and innovative ideas can they add to the mix?
Listening to your team means establishing open channels of communication and creating opportunities for input and feedback. People will speak up and speak out when they know that their opinions are valued and that they are safe to raise questions or disagree without negative repercussions.
Be sure to listen to your team’s behavior in addition to their words. Are you retaining your best team members? Is the team connected and cohesive? Are people doing the bare minimum required to get by or do they consistently go above and beyond? Observing these things can say a lot about how you are doing as a leader.
And, it goes without saying that it’s crucial to listen to your customers. Find out what they are thinking about before you make the first contact. Then listen to how they describe their problem and tailor your marketing language, sales conversations, and services to match that description and meet that need. Listen to the customers as they give feedback during the service process and afterward.
As you receive customer feedback, make adjustments as appropriate, both for the current customer and for future customers. Just as you do with your team, make it easy for customers to offer their opinions and tell you what you need to hear. Once you’ve listened, do what’s right to make things right for both parties, even if that means offering a refund or ending the business relationship.
Listen to the message your customers are sending if they come back time after time and if they refer their friends and family. Nothing says success like long-term customer loyalty!
It’s a noisy world out there in the marketplace. You can’t possibly take in every message that comes toward you.
You’ll be a better leader if you make good choices about who to listen to and what to do once you’ve heard what they have to say.
Make some time to check in and listen to yourself. It’s a great place to start.
Blessings,
Chris