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An Earful Of Dollars

Last Sunday, I happened to catch Bravo's show "Inside The Actors Studio" a show where host James Lipton interviews very famous actors in front of a class at the famed "The Actors Studio Drama School" in New York. That day they were interviewing Hollywood's landmark, and my favorite cowboy, Clint Eastwood.

James Lipton does a good job at researching the actor's life. He comments on anecdotes and asks very open-ended questions and that encourage the guests to honestly speak and act out their answers.

I don't exactly remember what Lipton asked Eastwood but his answer moved me, literally, from my slouched couch potato position to one where I was in upright attention.

You see, Clint started talking about the importance of listening. Ok, ok we all know listening is important but this is coming from Clint Eastwood, a man with a big reputation for cinematic breakthroughs, a Hollywood icon with an overall depth of experience that would require sonar instruments to measure it. In a cocktail party or in an interview, Clint is the one who should be doing most of the talking, most of the time. Here he is advising future actors, directors and eNewsletter marketers that listening is one of the most important things in life or career.

A humble topic for a man with his resume, don't you think?

Listening has some obvious benefits. When you listen, you can gain valuable 'inside' information that can be used to convince or persuade someone. Listening may help you prevent costly mistakes by understanding what the client wants exactly. And it definitely makes selling to client's a whole lot easier by helping you to not oversell them.

I'm always thinking "Marketing" and inspired by Mr. Eastwood's comments, I asked myself what we as a company and I, as an individual, were doing to listen to our clients and prospects?

Instead of suggesting three ways of listening better, I'm going to present some of the ways I listen, that I believe have worked for me. You be the judge.

3 Listening Tactics:

	I prepare 3 questions to ask my prospects after a sales presentation. They allow me to find out if there is a real opportunity or not. They are:   1. If you were to hire us, how do you see your company using our services?   2. If you were to hire us, would the budget be immediately available?   3. Will you be the person signing the contract? After each question is asked, I sit quietly and listen.
	When I'm not talking, I'm writing, even on a phone conversation, I'm writing notes. Lou Hampton the author of "How To Listen Powerfully" says that listening has to be approached proactively. We have to make a conscious effort to listen. I find that writing key notes forces me to actively listen and not mentally plan my answers while the other person is talking.
	Emi. Yes, this very eNewsletter you are reading allows us the opportunity to always be asking our clients and prospects "What do you think?" eNewsletters are a two- way communications tool. I talk with you but at any time you can just reply and let me know what's on your mind. So what's do you think so far? Just reply with your comment. See?

All the tactics above have helped me reach that critical moment where I understand what the person is trying to convey. Weather is obvious or not. This, in turn, allows me to better fit my services to their needs - making selling a lot smoother.

I'm interested in knowing what you do to listen better. Just reply with your insight.

As always, we are here to help. If you are interested in starting your own eNewsletter program contact us.

Marcos J. Menendez

Loop Consulting Group- creating eNewsletters that ask, listen and sell our client's goods and services.

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