Learning to Listen.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about learning to listen.

My mother always used to say, "You have two ears and one mouth, Myles. Please use them in that ratio." That was her subtle way of suggesting I talked too much. I was a hyperactive kid, and talking always seemed easier than listening. Besides, I always had so much I wanted to say. Not much has changed.

I still say a lot, and I'm as hyperactive as ever. I thank God every day for my wife. I don't know how she stands it, but she loves to listen. She listens to my stories, enjoys my stupid jokes—some even make her laugh—and even listens to my philosophies about life, religion, and a million social issues. When I've said all I can think of on the topic, she finally responds with her thoughts.

Her words are always minimal in length, carefully selected for their meaning, and eloquently articulated. Deep inside her soul is a vault of insight that only surfaces after I've exhausted myself trying to talk through the topic of the day. She patiently listens to my blather, then responds accurately, often solving the most complex problems. When I ask how she can be so right all the time, she simply smiles, because those words are mine, not hers... and the cycle begins again.

Most marketers are talkers. We say a lot in our marketing. We blab, and our audience listens to our jokes, and sometimes we get a few laughs. They listen to our philosophies and stories, and after saying all we can think to say, the consumer responds simply by buying... or not. We try to figure out what we said that made them buy, but of course, those were our words, not theirs... and the cycle begins again.

While our customers vote on our campaigns with their wallets, there may be something more. Your target audience is tweeting, posting, sharing, liking, and talking, but we haven't really been listening. As marketers, we've become masters of messaging. Talking is easy for us. As a result, however, we've become lousy listeners.

Perhaps it's time to do as my mother said and start "using our ears twice as much as our mouths." While our audience may not talk at great length, you may find what they have to say could solve some big problems. Rather than only telling the audience how and when they should take action, we should listen to how they feel, hear what they want, and understand their conditions of satisfaction. Perhaps then, today's fortune will be true for you when it says, "Your good listening skills will open many doors."