Something interesting keeps popping up a lot in my life lately and I think I’m supposed to share it with you. The idea of listening…..really listening. Here’s one example that happened the other day: I left a detailed message for someone (not an Esty) about some information that I needed. This person called me back and for a good 2 minutes went on and on telling me information about something entirely different than what my message ask for. It was obvious that she had not listened to my voice mail or if she had listened to it, then it was very obvious that she hadn’t really listened to it. You see what I’m getting at here?! Here’s another example: I’m in the market for home owners insurance and I want to bundle it with car insurance. This will be a nice little account for an agent. I was referred to someone and gave him a call. Our initial conversation took 35 minutes. 35 long minutes!!! He talked and talked and talked. Then he’d ask a question or two and then he’d talk and talk and talk some more. When I hung up I felt like my head was about to explode! He came highly recommended so I decided to let my husband have a whirl with him. Maybe he could reel him in a bit. Nope….he did the same thing with my husband. Even more strange though was right in the middle of the conversation he started talking about a cannabis workshop he went to the night before. What?! This fella may have known the insurance business inside and out but because of our initial experience with him, we did not use his services. I like to take things that are happening around me each day and put them into a business perspective. Can being a better listener help us in business? You betcha it can! Wouldn’t our clients love the fact that we are really listening to their needs. Really hearing them and not wasting their time on our own agenda. Let’s all keep this in mind next time a new client is sitting in front of us…..let’s really listen!