This post was originally published on this site.
It’s funny how we forget the fundamentals of our businesses. The originals. The G.O.A T.
We lose sight of them somehow. We become distracted. Our attention becomes infinitely divided among new formulas, strategies and theories. It seems that the original of a product (that customers love) becomes difficult to find — and ends up on the bottom shelf in the grocery store. A classic text seems all but forgotten and goes out of print, just as it is rediscovered by a younger generation. There are so many other choices to put in front of potential customers. To distract them. To capture them.
But something vital is being lost here: Voice.
But not just the voices of those that stay and choose another, less satisfying option. These choices might fill the void for them temporarily, yet obscure the messages that we are missing. Because, when we stop listening fully — loyalty erodes — and those who once happily engaged with our businesses — disengage and exit.
With them their voices also exit.
Yet, we can change. We can become smarter — without actually becoming smarter. Because we know how to stay focused and rebuild awareness. We know how to listen fully. We’ve simply lost our stamina.
A few things to consider:
- Your valued outcomes. If sales/satisfaction metrics are headed in the wrong direction and you’ve thrown everything else at the issue — you may have lost the lede in your own story. Clients that fail to commit to us, likely have a reason. (And some will leave.) The reasons may be buried, but it is there. You just aren’t asking the right questions. Do better.
- Net Promoter Scores are fooling you. Remember that you are no longer hearing the voices of clients & customers that have already jumped ship. Which means the formula for NPS will not be painting the complete picture. Be mindful of lost voices on the lower end of the spectrum.
- Your business is a lazy listener when things are good. Taking success for granted, will lead you to a disadvantageous position. When is the last time you talked to a set of your clients? Have you taken the pulse of their mood and current/changing needs? Take the time to do so. You’ll likely learn something that you did not expect to hear. Voices are like that. They need to be awakened.
- Your business is less agile and more stubborn. How we deliver our products and services works well — until it doesn’t. If we could read minds, we would, but we cannot. Agility cannot be accomplished without a steady stream of information from the external environment.
Start listening. Voices matter. Even the voices that have moved on.
Marla Gottschalk, Ph.D. is an I/O Psychologist who explores core stability and the dynamic nature of work life. A charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program, she speaks to teams & organizations on how to build stronger foundations through the practice of core stability. Her thoughts on work life have also appeared at the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life, Quartz and The Huffington Post.