In conducting my sales and social media seminars, two of the most important components associated with a successful program involves listening and learning. In his recent blog, one I highly recommend you subscribe to, Kyle Lacy talks about “listening, then responding” and the importance of realizing that, in social media, people want to be heard first. He correctly refers to the shift in consumer behaviors stating that “the consumer is now in control of the conversation. Businesses who jump into the conversation and broadcast a message but fail to interact are failing miserably at the art of marketing within social media.”
The same is quite true in the sales arena, as well. People are not looking to be pitched. They do not have the time or the interest to listen to other people chatter about the many virtues of their product. Whether they are consumers, clients, or customers in the B2B or consumer arenas, people want to be heard and understood first. If your sales, marketing, and social media strategy does not recognize this and does not actively engage in the process of “listening and learning” then you are positioning yourself for failure.