How do you listen actively to your clients' needs and goals?

One technique I use as a consultant is to ask a question, listen to their response, and then repeat it back to them in my own words to make sure I'm understanding their answer / problem / concern correctly.

Many studies have demonstrated that telephone based customer service delivered with high levels of Empathy / Rapport / Trust generates real & measurable positive impacts on Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) – and it’s this human connection & emotional satisfaction that is especially important for increasing customer loyalty and increasing their lifetime value to the brand. Delivering high levels of Empathy also correlates with more effective TeleSales. The human connection of Empathy / Rapport / Trust are essential for effectively handling complaints – avoiding or diffusing conflict – reducing churn / retaining customers – developing solutions – and winning new business.

Active listening to your clients' needs and goals is absolutely critical for building strong relationships and delivering effective solutions. It's not enough to simply hear what they're saying - you need to actively engage with their ideas, understand their unique perspectives, and tailor your approach to meet their specific requirements. By demonstrating your commitment to active listening, you can establish trust and build rapport with your clients. This can lead to long-term, mutually beneficial relationships that drive success and growth for both parties. And when you truly listen to your clients, you'll be better equipped to anticipate their needs, identify potential issues, and provide solutions that exceed their expectations.

So often a lot of coaches and consultants think when a client is providing insight they need a solution. When I notice my clients are sharing an emotional experience I love asking, "What do you need right now? Was it nice for me to hold space? Would you like me to continue to hold space? Do you need feedback or advice? What would be most helpful for you?" Don't assume your clients constantly want a solution. Sometimes they just want to be heard. This ensures you are creating a safe space for clients. And when they do want advice/feedback. What I often do is I provide the feedback/strategy and advice and I end it with a question, "What are your thoughts on this? Does this resonate with you or do you have questions?"

We all talk too much. Especially when speaking with prospects and clients. When you ask a question but especially when you make an important point...stop talking. Seriously. Let it marinate. Embrace the silence. It's not just a dramatic pause. But it will make a dramatic impact.

Since our brains all function in different ways, it's a good idea to build custom practices and rituals around client meetings. For example, I function best when information is presented visually or when I'm able to write notes by hand. So, to set myself up to listen better and ask more meaningful questions, one thing I do before every client conversation is create boxes/frames on a blank page that I fill in purposefully. Some get filled in with my own style of "shorthand" notes related to research I've done on the client or a past call with them. Other boxes contain new questions I know I need to ask on that call. By the end of the session, I've filled out my map and created a visually-appealing summary page that makes my brain happy.

Open ended questions are key. Sample questions include: How did you find out that …. What effect has that had on … Why did you choose to … Clarify as you go. You can say things like, “Let me just get this right… or “Your words are making me picture.” Or “Is it true that ….” As you listen to your client's answers, start to ask for more specifics to hone in on a topic. As a thought leadership consultant, I ask for specifics when crafting stories on behalf of the founders I work with. The more specific the story, the more your audience will be able to relate or see themselves reflected back in that story. It makes it real. But - it takes open-ended questioning (and listening) to find those details!

I remind myself of the quote from Epictetus, one of the greatest stoic philosophers, "we have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak". It is a great reminder for me as I tend to fall into the trap of preparing a response while the other person is speaking. By reminding myself of the quote from Epictetus, I focus entirely on what the person is saying with no pre-conceived notions but listen only with the intent of fully understanding things from their perspective.

Being curious is the fundamental need here. As a data consultant for nonprofits, I often come across people who bring their context but need more clarity around framing their asks. In such cases, I start with no assumption and offer the space to my clients to give me a tour of their story. For example, for the first 30 minutes of first chat, I only listen. My clients frame their context - in a language they feel comfortable. And, I take notes as they speak. In terms of body language, I try to keep a warm, friendly, and not-too-excited outlook. That way, it only encourages clear context flow and doesn't bias my clients to choose specific parts of their story more. Next comes my open-ended questions to solidify the purpose of our chat.

Reflective listening is an absolute game-changer for anyone looking to improve their communication skills and build stronger relationships. It involves giving the speaker your undivided attention, clarifying what you heard, asking questions, validating their emotions, and responding thoughtfully. By listening reflectively, you show the speaker that you value their message and are committed to understanding their perspective. This can help you establish trust, build rapport, and demonstrate empathy - all key ingredients for success in any personal or professional setting. If you're not actively practicing reflective listening, you're probably missing out on a lot of valuable opportunities.

After you ask open-ended questions and hear responses, you can create more trust by occasionally saying, "I'd like to summarize what you explained to make sure I've got it....[then state how you understand what the person said]" That also shows you care and are truly listening.

Successful and efficient critical listening includes listening for and capturing the client's needs, deliverables and outcomes. Smart consultants then probe to understand why each of these are important to the client and the expected timings, prioritization and budget for each. Only then can you create options for the client in terms of scope, cost, and schedule that maximize the opportunity for mutual agreement and success.

In my experience as a consultant, it's about being present, asking probing questions, and paraphrasing to make sure that we are on the same page. Some examples of probing questions I have used include: ✅ Can you tell me more about that? ✅ How did you come to that conclusion? ✅ What led you to believe that? ✅ Could you give me an example of what you mean? ✅ What do you think the next steps should be? I always remind myself to listen more and talk less, and it's made a significant impact on my consulting approach.