Do you need a listening aid?
Let me share a joke I read about how we listen -
A man felt that his wife was having a hearing problem. He thought she might need a hearing aid, but he was not quite sure how to approach her. If you tell your spouse that they have a problem and need a hearing aid, who knows what can happen!
So he called the family doctor to discuss the problem. The doctor told him that there was a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the doctor a better idea about his wife's hearing loss.
'Here's what you do,' said the Doctor, 'Stand about 40 feet away from her and ask her a question in a normal conversational tone; see whether she hears it or not. If not, go closer, maybe to 30 feet; if she still can't hear you, go to 20 feet away from her - and so on, until you get a response.'
The man thought that the test was harmless, after all, and decided to try it.
That evening, the wife was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the doorway. He said to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.' Then in a normal tone he asked, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
No response.
So the husband moved closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife, and
repeated, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
Still no response.
Next he moved into the dining room, where he was about 20 feet from his wife, and asked, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
Again he got no response.
So he walked up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away and asked, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
Again there was no response.
So he walkes right up behind her and asked loudly, 'HONEY, WHAT'S FOR DINNER?'
His wife turns around and yells, 'For the FIFTH time I am telling you - PASTA!!!'
So understand who needs the hearing aid here!
And all our life we keep thinking that other people never listen to us!
I tell you: If your listening is impaired, you need authenticity. Authenticity is your listening aid.
When you bring authenticity, you simply start listening, listening, listening.
We always think that other people never listen to us. The truth is, it is we who are not listening.
Listening is the best marketing tool
All successful marketing philosophies & ideas are based on listening.
Modern-day marketing is no more aggressive. It is based on listening, not on shouting.
Don't not force yourself on other person – pushing your product, your belief, your experience. Communication starts only when you start listening.
Don't go with evangelistic arrogance. No! Go with compassion. Listen to the problem the other is facing. When you land on others with evangelistic arrogance, by your very arrogance you create a barrier.
Most of your relationships involve some marketing! So whether you are marketing yourself (as in a family relationship), marketing your different qualities (as in business relationships) or marketing your products (supplier-consumer relationship) - if you are handling a mind, be passive and learn to listen.
Then, even if you don't offer any solution, the problem will be resolved.