I feel compelled to share an experience that got me thinking about how well do we all really listen to each other. Whether in business or socially, it seems that the quality of your and my attention and intention can deeply impact the resultant experience that we have.
How do YOU listen to other people?
How do I listen to you?
How do you listen to YOURSELF?
Are you losing customers without even knowing it?
The scenario that happened:
- SMS from current life insurance company offering an interesting option of “X”
- I respond saying I am potentially interested in “X”
- Conversation quickly diverts to “Y”
- I respond – I am not interested in “Y” right now.
- Can we set up a meeting he says?
- Now, I am precious about my time and about wasting it or anyone else’s, so I respond – I am only prepared to meet if in fact “X” is truly possible within my portfolio – please do not try and up-sell me a policy as I am not in the market for “Y”.
- Get loads of run-around by said broker. Yes, bells went off and yet I did not listen to MYSELF. I was also genuinely interested in “X” as a scenario to explore.
- Agreed to meet – then he was late, and I was only spoken AT, not even TO about option…..you guessed it, “Y”. After tolerating this for nine looooong minutes, I exasperatedly asked – yes but what about option ‘X”, the very reason for us meeting?
- To which I got a fumbled -no no no you are not eligible for “X” Kate!
Mmmm lies, deceit and false advertising. One sure way to pi$s me off!
My comment to him – yes Mr, but that was the agreement and terms to us meeting i.e. that “X” was in fact plausible for me given my personal current context. You promised to look into that and having this meeting implied it was true. You have wasted both our time and lost me 100% as a potential customer.
The fact that I am not divulging him or his company is just being plain decent, as I was mad!
The solution:
I then gave him a very straightforward mouthful – I looked at the broker and told him flat:” You have totally disregarded my request, here is your “Y” option folder back and your business card. In reality “Y” could have interested me, had you genuinely bothered to take me seriously and LISTENED to my needs about “X”. You are merely using manipulation to make sales.
You totally lost me as a potential client.
I got up, paid for my coffee and left him sitting with a mouthful of teeth.
I also reminded myself of how I could have listened to my intuition better and wasted an hour of my life!
Learn to listen to yourself.
Learn to listen to your customers.
Learn to listen to what the universe is telling you via your higher self.
With love,
Kate
