Applying active listening in the workplace<\/a>\u00a0can reduce conflict, improve retention, increase productivity, promote team communication, and more. Yet active listening isn\u2019t intuitive. It requires intentional effort to focus on what the speaker is saying and understand what they feel is important.<\/p>\n Surely by now you\u2019ve seen the stats telling you that customer churn is costly. Or that it\u2019s more expensive to attract a new customer than to retain the existing ones. Customers and clients today know they have power. They have high expectations, and, if those are not met, they will move on to a new product or service provider.<\/p>\n Did you know? In general, B2C companies experience more churn than B2B companies, averaging 7.05% versus 5%<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Active listening can help turn things around. Instead of simply hearing what customers are saying, you\u2019ll be actively listening to connect with your current or prospective clients.<\/p>\n Helping your people to practice active listening in their interactions with customers and clients can have positive benefits:<\/p>\n Selling to a customer is no longer enough. To retain a competitive advantage, your business needs to prioritize customer satisfaction, personalize customer experience<\/a>, and delight external audiences<\/a>. Each of these is more attainable with active listening in your toolbox.<\/p>\n This series has already covered how to develop active listening skills<\/a>. Now let\u2019s consider some of the challenges in applying active listening with your external audiences.<\/p>\n Metric pressure is a potential pitfall. Rushing conversations is not conducive to active listening. A customer service agent who is being evaluated on their ability to quickly wrap up an interaction and get on that next call may not feel they have the time to listen intently and ask probing questions.<\/p>\n A salesperson with a script in mind to convert that buyer is more likely to be anticipating what they might say next. They might interrupt to tout the value of this feature or explain how this service solves the client\u2019s needs. But active listeners are able to patiently hear what the speaker is saying and focus on gathering information<\/a> from the customer.<\/p>\n The marketer who listens only to the customers\u2019 words is more likely to hear what they want. They may have preconceptions about their target audiences. Ignoring the valuable information gained from paying attention also to tone, inflection, and body language, they miss out on learning how the customers truly feel.<\/p>\n It is also tough to be an active listener when the customer is angry or upset. The customer might be rude, use abusive or offensive language, or have difficulty controlling their emotions. Remaining neutral and observant in that situation is challenging. Still, applying active listening can help to defuse the situation sooner:<\/p>\n Asking questions, demonstrating that you are following what the speaker is saying, and resisting interrupting can help to build trust<\/a>. It\u2019s all part of active listening, which can make a real difference in your interactions with clients and customers.<\/p>\n Find out more about how your customers are experiencing your brand using Sogolytics\u2019s customer experience platform<\/a>. Our CX software is designed to help you build trust and customer loyalty, creating passionate company advocates. You can see what our customers say<\/a> (and you don\u2019t even need to use your active listening skills).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Strong customer relationships are key to business success. If you can\u2019t connect with clients, you risk wasting resources, demotivating your team, and putting revenue in jeopardy. Effective listening skills can help drive customer engagement and satisfaction. This article explores how to apply active listening to improve client relationships. Applying active listening in the workplace\u00a0can reduce conflict, improve retention, increase productivity, promote team communication, and more. Yet active listening isn\u2019t intuitive. It requires intentional effort to focus on what the speaker is saying and understand what they feel is important. Customer Experience & Active Listening Surely by now you\u2019ve seen the stats telling you that customer churn is costly. Or that it\u2019s more expensive to attract a new customer than to retain the existing ones. Customers and clients today know they have power. They have high expectations, and, if those are not met, they will move on to a new product or service provider. Did you know? In general, B2C companies experience more churn than B2B companies, averaging 7.05% versus 5%. Active listening can help turn things around. Instead of simply hearing what customers are saying, you\u2019ll be actively listening to connect with your current or prospective clients. Helping your people to practice active listening in their interactions with customers and clients can have positive benefits: Marketers can better personalize communications understanding problems customers are trying to solve Sales teams can highlight the benefits of products and services specific to that client\u2019s needs and find upsell and cross-sell opportunities Customer service […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":4964,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,204],"tags":[852,198,862,176,351,868],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Active](\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/helena-lopes-e3OUQGT9bWU-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCustomer Experience & Active Listening<\/h2>\n
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How to Apply Active Listening<\/h2>\n
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Active Listening to Improve Client Interactions<\/h2>\n