Does your customer feedback strategy have a listening style? Are you able to adapt it to respond to customer needs?
I attended a webinar yesterday by Duarte, Inc called Understanding your Default Listening Style™. It was illuminating.
I learnt that we listen and respond to people in four distinct ways they labelled as Immerse, Discern, Advance and Support.
We each have a go-to response mode when we listen. It often comes out when we are stressed.
Though you have the capability to do any and adapt to the listener’s needs. It takes self-awareness as well as empathy for what the listener needs in the moment.
The webinar is part of their marketing for their latest course on Adaptive Listening™.
(They believe so strongly the work in this area, Duarte has trademarked both Default Listening Style and Adaptive Listening.)
Can you consider this in your customer feedback strategy
My “yes, and” is to wonder is how this also applies to the culture of your company.
Especially when it comes to the feedback loop when you listen to customers. A key part of your customer experience practices.
And yes, I believe your company likely has a default style you are known for.
Does your company:
- Listen to customers without judgement or comment? And gather what they say as information.
- Listen to customers and respond in a way that helps them figure out what they need?
- Listen to customers and respond with clear actionable advice?
- Do you listen to customers when they just want to feel heard?
All are important ways to listen to your customers. It requires understanding what your customer needs to effectively adapt the listening style to the moment. It often depends on what stage of the customer journey they are on.
Each of these can be a different kind of customer touchpoint. Or transform how you do a specific touchpoint.
Then adapt our feedback touchpoint tactics
Are you able to adapt the touchpoint to respond in the way the customer needs?
Often surveys are thought of as ways to collect feedback for internal use. Possibly you can use an interactive survey differently at different times. To direct customers to self-care. Possibly use it to qualify customers so you recommend services and next steps. Or just give customers a forum to vent.
Interesting ideas.
Do you understand both your own and your company’s default listening style? Are you able to adapt it to fit what the customer needs?
