Learn to listen better

I received a letter from our local insurance agency last week. The request was for me to go online (to the insurance agency’s website) and provide information about changes in our coverage. It instructed me to review possible renewals for auto, motorcycle, RV, and boat changes.

It could have been very fast and easy because we don’t have a motorcycle, RV, and no longer own a boat. But I didn’t feel it was my job. So, I picked up the phone to speak with the newly appointed agent for our auto policy. I told her I don't want to deal with an online form.

She quickly volunteered to make any updates and asked a few questions. The entire process took her less than four minutes. (It would have been much longer had I attempted it on my own.)

The long and short of it was that I put my consultant hat on and suggested the young agent, “Get rid of the survey. Talk to your clients. Listen to them. When you do, you’re not only getting the information you need, but you’re also reinforcing your relationship.”

I don’t think she ever thought about that. It was also obvious to me that the agency and its management didn’t do a very good job with her training.

So, this probably won’t come as a surprise, but I don’t like surveys either. My feeling has always been that when I’m working with a client, I don’t need a survey. Trained properly, team members should be able to read the client and the feedback they’re getting –– positive or negative.

By the way, my longest running client relationship was 37 years (until he retired). No surveys. No online forms. We’d talk on the phone and meet in person several times a month. He was a talker, and I was the good listener. That worked out perfectly for both of us.

Business and life are all about learning to listen better to both to positive and negative questions and comments… because both are important, and both help us learn and grow.