July 2008
People often focus on their oratory skills, believing that speaking well equals
good communication. While clear and effective speech is a necessary component to
successful business communication, the ability to listen is of equal importance.
Hearing is a physical perception; listening is a mental activity that requires
concentration, cooperation, and an open mind. While not giving your full
attention may seem harmless when you find yourself daydreaming as your spouse
asks you to pick something up from the grocery store, in business, the
importance of truly listening is critical to the very success of each company.
In the marketing terrain, if you are truly listening to your clients, instead of just going into sales mode, it will be that much easier to fulfill their needs. I personally believe that we can all benefit from believing in the mantra, "When you are not listening you are preventing opportunity."
This month's issue of Brand News will outline the importance of listening as a critical component in all aspects of your business communication. We will discuss the fundamental attributes of how listening makes for effective communication—for both the interaction between professional communicators and their clients, as well between you and your own customers. And take it from me, applying these lessons at home too can't hurt either—I'll certainly try to the next time I find myself at the store wondering whether my wife asked for flour or sugar.
Sincerely,
Len Johnson, President and CEO
JDG Communications
(703) 207-0933 x101
ljohnson@jdgcommunications.com
Ears as the Roadmap Towards Opportunity
Statistics show that the average person speaks at a rate of 100 to 200 words per
minute. An average listener, however, can adequately process 400 words per
minute, typically listening with only about 25 percent of their attention. Given
the differential between what is normally heard and what potentially can be
processed, it is little wonder that people tend to "tune out" at certain times.
In the business world, ineffective listening is costly, whether it occurs with coworkers, internal stakeholders, or your customers. Most people make numerous listening mistakes every day, but the cost—financial and otherwise—is seldom analyzed. Productivity is affected and profits will suffer. In the relationship between professional communicator and client we must remember a few key points. Effective listening:
- Enables us to gather data to make sound decisions about the client/customer's goals
- Permits us to gain important information about the client's direction and their customers' needs
- Prepares us to respond appropriately to the messages we hear and implement an appropriate communications plan
- Empowers us to be more effective in interpreting a message in order to create our own
- Helps minimize misunderstandings
At JDG, despite our experience in strategic marketing and knowledge of the various industries we serve, we consider it a part of our job to listen and try to equally represent what each and every one of our clients wants—as well as what their customers want and is in their best interest.
The Importance of Listening in Brand Communications
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), whose primary function is to support and assist government agencies in the acquisition of mission-critical products and services, is responsible for nearly $66 billion of government-owned assets and property, including buildings, vehicles, technology, and products. In 2005, Congress voted to merge two GSA customer-facing services, the Federal Technology Service (FTS) and the Federal Supply Service (FSS), resulting in the formation of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The merger would create an opportunity for GSA to shift its strategic focus toward enhancing customer service and overall satisfaction, and, in turn, strengthen its brand image in the market.
In the past, GSA promoted its organization through hard-to-understand tactical contracts and schedules—resulting in a very fractured brand and an erosion of trust among GSA stakeholders. These critical challenges pushed GSA to transform and modernize its business and re-establish its position as the premier provider of acquisition services. First and foremost, the process began with listening. Gary Feit, Assistant Commissioner of the FAS Office of Customer Accounts and Research, as quoted in Federal Times said, "We did a lot of [internal stakeholder] interviews, customer satisfaction surveys and focus groups asking ‘How do you want us to deliver this for you?’ And the answer was clear, they're looking for solutions… they don't really care about the type of contract."
GSA's FAS Office of Customer Accounts and Research (CAR) turned to JDG
Communications for help. After listening to both GSA and the response of GSA
customers, JDG recommended that GSA adopt an integrated brand communications
strategy that emphasized a customer-centric approach. The goal was to increase
market awareness of GSA's product and service offerings while accentuating the
agency's renewed focus on customer service. The primary objective was to shift
FAS market strategy from "contracts" to a "solutions-based"
approach, leading to the slogan of "One Country. One Mission. One
Source."
JDG translated the findings from discussions and interviews with GSA into a standardized framework to communicate GSA's brand position among customers, employees, and vendor partners. This process led to the development of advertising initiatives and marketing materials to support the new GSA/FAS brand position. These efforts included six brochures focusing on FAS and its simplified solution set of "customer-centric" offerings (Products, Services, Travel, Transportation, Technology, and Motor Vehicle Management). This approach shifted the marketing paradigm from a GSA business line portfolio approach to an emphasis on offering solutions that best fit the customer's unique needs.
GSA's customer services transformed from numerous amounts of contracts encompassing dozens of products and services to six clear category solutions neatly laid out in individual brochures. The brochures represent GSA's solutions, values and benefits to target audiences, including details required to understand product and service categories. Instead of hard to understand contracts, GSA customers are now being presented with clear solutions to their needs. The highly successful effort has since been applied to additional materials and divisions within the Agency, and has allowed GSA and JDG to work as partners in both rebranding and in effectively listening to customers and stakeholders.
JDG Offers Free Confidential Needs Analysis
JDG Communications is offering your company a free Integrated Brand Communications Confidential Needs Analysis. JDG staff will come to your office and conduct a one-hour discovery meeting. Based on the information gathered at this meeting, JDG Communications will then prepare a Confidential Needs Analysis that outlines recommendations for your company. Our staff will return to your office to present out findings and see how we might help you.
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