In order to be a successful internet entrepreneur...I mean a really successful entrepreneur...You have to pay attention to and listen to your customers.
You may or may not know that I also blog over at People To People Service which covers all topics related to customer service. I understand the importance of service - especially in this day and age when there are so many companies to choose from and everyone is scrambling for customers.
The Art of Listening
One aspect of customer service that people should focus on is the art of listening. I say it's an art because listening requires focused energy - the type of energy that many people are not willing to exert these days.
“So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it.” --Jiddu Krishnamurti
Liz Lynch says that listening is the most powerful personal strategy you can use....
Showing that you’re listening online is even more powerful, because when it’s so easy to post our thoughts, activities, and feelings everywhere, we don’t want all those thoughts, activities and feelings to be about us.As an online business owner, one way you can listen is through the use of social media. Find out what customers in your industry are talking about...What their needs are... and what they are saying about your business. For more on this topic, I recommend downloading and reading Brian Solis' free ebook, Customer Service, The Art of Listening and Engagement Through Social Media.
Internet Business Owners Have to Listen Too
Many internet business owners hide behind their computers and think that they don't have to interact with customers. They think that they can just set everything up so that it's automated and sit back and collect PayPal payments.
Sure, that's a nice business model, but think about how much more business you could do if you interacted with customers and listened to their suggestions or complaints?
The Bottom Line
If you're not going to listen to your customers, someone else will!
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This post is part of the 31DBBB Challenge [Day 7]
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I read somewhere this sentence (maybe I'm paraphrasing, it's been a while): Waiting to talk is not listening. It really opened my eyes (ears?) to the way I was behaving in conversations!
I learn a lot from your post. It helps a lot of online entrepreneur.