Comments on: Knowing What to Listen For http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/10/31/knowing-what-to-listen-for-2/ Ford Harding's Blog on Rainmaking and Business Development Fri, 4 Jul 2008 01:11:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.6 by: Ford Harding http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/10/31/knowing-what-to-listen-for-2/#comment-379 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:06:55 +0000 http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/10/31/knowing-what-to-listen-for-2/#comment-379 Charlie Empathy and understanding are good traits for a professional to have. Ford Charlie

Empathy and understanding are good traits for a professional to have.

Ford

]]> by: Charles H. Green http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/10/31/knowing-what-to-listen-for-2/#comment-378 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:01:09 +0000 http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/10/31/knowing-what-to-listen-for-2/#comment-378 Ford, thank you for highlighting and commenting on my post. I completely agree with everything you've said in your post (and it's well said, as usual). I was, though, also trying to make an additional, slightly different point. It's related to that old saw "people don't care what you know until they know that you care." And listening is the way in which people come to know that we care. So, while certainly a major goal of listening is, as you put it, to "figure out what the client wants from you," another goal is to make sure she feels fundamentally heard. The first goal is mainly cognitive; the second, emotional. Your stated goal (which I completely agree with) has to do agreeing what should be done. The additional goal I'm suggesting is to make sure the client feels cared for. The first goal (the one you articulated) helps the sale (or the non-sale, as you quite rightly describe). The second goal actually helps implementation--by making the client more comfortable with acceptance of your advice. (And it probably doesn't hurt the sale either). Ford, thank you for highlighting and commenting on my post.

I completely agree with everything you’ve said in your post (and it’s well said, as usual).

I was, though, also trying to make an additional, slightly different point. It’s related to that old saw “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

And listening is the way in which people come to know that we care. So, while certainly a major goal of listening is, as you put it, to “figure out what the client wants from you,” another goal is to make sure she feels fundamentally heard.

The first goal is mainly cognitive; the second, emotional. Your stated goal (which I completely agree with) has to do agreeing what should be done. The additional goal I’m suggesting is to make sure the client feels cared for.

The first goal (the one you articulated) helps the sale (or the non-sale, as you quite rightly describe). The second goal actually helps implementation–by making the client more comfortable with acceptance of your advice. (And it probably doesn’t hurt the sale either).

]]>