We humans are so smart. We know everything there is to know.
Seconds into a conversation we know what the other person is going to say and we have the perfect response formed in our minds long before they finish their opening sentence.
There isn’t a single problem that we can’t solve well before the affected person even finishes explaining what the problem is.
We have opinions on every subject and advice for every topic. And we have no problem dispensing our wealth of knowledge liberally to anyone who will listen…and to many who would prefer not to listen at all.
Marketing experts are the smartest of all. We don’t even have to wait for potential customers to define their needs or describe their problems…we already have the answer.
In fact, we are usually so certain that our solution is exactly what you want that we don’t really want to even listen to your problem.
So instead of wasting our valuable time by listening to our customers, we have developed a countless variety of advice in the form of market research reports, articles, blog postings, press releases, brochures, websites, and white papers. These come in all colors, sizes, and lengths and we are certain that something we have is something that you just can’t live without.
For some strange reason our clients are not beating down our doors. They must not be getting our messages. We must talk more often. We must talk LOUDER. We have invented direct-mail, spam mail, billboards, screaming radio and obnoxious TV ads. We use multi-colored, full-page phone book advertisements. We buy time at the beginning of your movies. We interrupt your favorite TV shows. We use product placements, celebrity endorsements, banner ads, pop-up ads. Why can’t you hear us? Don’t you ever listen?
….oh wait, that’s us.
In all seriousness, do you know of a company that really listens? Can you think of a company whose marketing staff focuses more on developing listening tools than SHOUTING tools? Who does a good job listening to their clients (or potential clients?) What are the best tools and techniques for soliciting feedback? Who spends more time with their ear to the ground than their megaphone in your ear?
If you are aware of marketing companies who really listen or if you have seen creative ways to solicit valuable feedback from customers (without hidden sales tricks) I would love to hear about them. Please feel free to post a response to this blog or visit my open question on Linked-In.
I’m all ears.
