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Research Starts With the Ears

Every decision begins with research. What do we know? What do we not know? Let’s find out the answers to these questions. We have access to the information, but more often than not, it is with other people. So, our research usually requires listening to others.

But often, we are not good listeners. Listening begins with hearing. We need to do more listening and less talking. One of the greatest problems in customer service is not hearing what the customer is saying. If we do a good job of listening, we learn all kinds of good things. People tell us good, usable information all the time. We just have to listen and pay attention.

All too often, we want to talk, not listen. When we talk, we learn nothing. And the more we talk, the less likely others will talk to us. You’ve been there too. You walk into the hardware store and tell the clerk, “I’m working on my deck and…” He interrupts and starts telling you about all the deck materials they have, and where they are, and then begins leading you to the right aisles. Of course, he never lets you finish to tell him that you just need a common drill bit, not decking materials! By the time he learns that, you have already wasted 15 minutes in the store.

So, when researching the problem or opportunity, start with listening to what others have to say, and ask good questions. You’ll learn a lot.