The secret to listening that few people seem to understand (still) is this: you don’t listen with your mouth.
I was paid a compliment at Enchanted awhile back, from one of our regular customers that came in to thank me. I wasn’t sure why, exactly, to be honest.
What A Customer Said That Made My Week:
But then, she said something, that seems so simple, that one might dismiss its importance.
She told me that she visited weeks earlier, which I remembered the conversation, and she was having “tough” day. Which after the fact, and now knowing more of the details, “tough”, only told a fraction of the story. What she needed most that particular day was simply to have somebody listen.
She came in, I asked minimal questions, listened, shared some encouraging words and she left. I didn’t think anything of it; such events happen all the time, but to HER it meant the world.
Just being there can be everything..
Rob
Here are some additional thoughts and perspectives about the art of listening that may offer more insight.