Taking notes and showing your client that you’re listening!

By: Copie Harris & Carla ávila

Presenting your authentic self while physical distancing:  how can you take notes and demonstrate that you’re listening?

First of all, our message to you is this: if you want to increase your meetings’ effectiveness and develop mutually respectful client relationships, you must take notes whenever your client speaks, and you must use the skill of active listening.

In this article, we’ll emphasize the importance of note-taking, and we’ll describe what “active listening” really means.

As always, we’ll remind you that reading an article about verbal and non-verbal skills, while helpful, is akin to reading an article about improving your tennis or golf game and expecting to play better right away. Call us at +1-508-259-7496 or email us at [email protected] to set up a conference call or video practice session.   

Tip #1: Prepare your team to know what to expect

It’s important to let your team know that you’re planning to use active listening at the outset and throughout the meeting, and that you’ll be documenting all your client’s questions. That way, your team will know not to jump in and begin presenting. Explain to them that this listening will help them to know where to focus their presentation and to anticipate client questions.

Tip #2: Always take notes when your client speaks

The key is to take notes that:

a) You can interpret after the meeting

b) Don’t distract from your participation in the meeting 

c) Help you to answer the question asked, rather than what you thought was asked

d) Help you to write your follow-up summary email for your client

A tip for note-taking while you maintain camera eye contact is to write in large letters and skip lines. Very occasionally glance at your page to ensure that what you’re writing is legible. If you’re using a tablet, glance down to ensure that your fingers haven’t drifted to the wrong keys.

But WHY take notes? Two big reasons. One is to keep a living record of your client’s words and a documentation of your relationship with your client. The other is so that you may reflect, accurately, what your client has said, and ultimately that you may summarize the meeting towards the end as you’re wrapping up.

Tip #3: Listen actively: reflect what your client has said

Listen actively after your opener: most importantly, make sure that you reflect what your client says--don’t just say, “GOOD,” and then move on rapidly to your own agenda. One way to ensure that your client knows that you’re listening is to use verbal signposts such as, “what I hear you saying is…” or “If I understand you correctly, you’re saying….” The dots are for you to fill in with your client’s exact words, without spin.

The more closely you repeat what your client says, the more reassured that he or she will be that you’ve actually listened, and that you’re not simply impatient to push your own agenda. Many people fear that our clients will say, “You idiot, I just SAID that!! What are you, a parrot?!” Rest assured that this never happens if you’re doing this genuinely. Practice using these active listening phrases with accurate reflections on your friends and family. In this COVID-19 time, you might find that you’re on the phone a great deal, or you’re on Zoom calls with family. These skills are wonderful to practice now, and we promise that you’ll find previously undiscovered benefits.  

Tip #4: Use open probes

An open probe is any question that doesn’t beg a “yes” or “no” answer. Examples are: “What else should I know?” “Why do you ask?” “What questions do you have for me?” “What are your thoughts?” “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.” 

These probes are useful throughout a meeting. And a note: we recommend saying, “What questions do you have?” or “What are your questions?” rather than what we hear all the time, which is, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Tip #5: Use openers throughout the meeting 

Dialogue openers are not just for opening the meeting! They’re an extremely effective way to ensure that your client can give you his or her feedback throughout the meeting. We guarantee that if you start to use these openers frequently, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much your clients are willing to share with you. An example of an opener for the middle of a meeting is: “We’ve covered a great deal of information about ________. What would you like to discuss now?”

Tip #6: Remember that your goal is to truly connect with your client--not to overwhelm

In this context, client silence is NOT golden! When your client is silent, you’re actually in the dark. You’re in the dark about their reaction, their perspective, their priorities. When you’re speaking and you feel that you’re “on a roll,” the chances are that you’ve actually gotten carried away, and you might have even lost your client’s attention.  

Summary: Taking notes and listening actively are two effective ways to ensure that your client knows that you’re a professional, that you truly care, and that you’re truly listening. Especially on conference or video calls, giving your client time and space to participate is crucial. 

What better way to create that Magicticity? To reach out to us and give us your feedback, to learn more or to work with us, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to engaging with you on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. If you find our articles and media useful, we encourage you to write a comment and share with others who might also find them useful.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Magicticity/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Magicticity1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsDNl87252qngIFI7zxB2Hw/

LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/35527964/

Website: https://magicticity.com

And don't forget to listen to our podcast

Libsyn: https://magicticity.libsyn.com/

iTunes: https://podcast.apple.com/us/podcast/magicticity/id1468278518

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/tyksb91qnrbq7ghbvy2zahjjb