HOW WE LISTEN WILL MAKE OR BREAK US IN BUSINESS:
“The average person who hasn’t worked to develop good listening skills is likely to understand and retain only about 50% of any conversation, and that’s IMMEDIATELY after the conversation – 48 hours later, average retention drops to less than 25%!”
As entrepreneurs, this is a skill we should learn. If that’s average then we need to be above average in how we help other people feel heard. You can’t afford to be average as an entrepreneur… what you’re doing requires more.
Listen to your market’s needs and understand how your offer will truly help them. Connecting this is key. Furthermore, keeping track of the type of things they are collectively into and their specific pain points allows you to create email series, and posts, that are relatable and relevant to your market.
It is not enough to be a good wedding photographer.
People flock to where they feel heard, seen, and understood. If your messaging isn’t communicating HOW your offer will BENEFIT, and IMPACT the couple…why should they choose you? You see…it makes it hard for leads to connect with you if you aren’t clear in your marketing.
What most people misunderstand in this is:
They think they need to say something grand to connect with their couples.
The truth is, it doesn’t need to be grand! It just needs to be CLEAR and speak to their needs and wants.
Understanding your market is VITAL to the sustainability of your business.
Take the time to truly listen to what your niche wants without imposing or projecting what YOU think they want. If you base your service based on what you think and skip the market feedback… you won’t stay afloat.
This is a service-based industry…we serve people for the betterment of their lives, and the preservation of special memories. It’s their day…learn to cultivate the skills of DEEP and CONTINOUS listening.
As wedding photographers, we have to learn to see outside our lens. Our perspective and experiences are only a snippet. We have to learn to stop projecting our own negative thinking, and assumptions, on what other people think or feel. We need to be curious, open, and become observers of the world around us.
Core components to harnessing our emotional intelligence:
- Self-Awareness: This involves recognizing and understanding your own emotions, including their causes and their impact on your thoughts and behavior. It’s the foundation of emotional intelligence.
- Self-Regulation: Self-regulation is the ability to manage and control your own emotions. It involves techniques to handle stress, stay calm under pressure, and avoid impulsive reactions.
- Motivation: This component involves setting and working towards personal and professional goals. It includes the ability to stay motivated and persevere in the face of setbacks.
- Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and consider the feelings and perspectives of others. It involves being sensitive to the emotions of others and being able to connect with them on an emotional level.
- Social Skills: Social skills refer to the ability to navigate social situations effectively. This includes skills like active listening, communication, conflict resolution, and building positive relationships.
The journey in entrepreneurship is a ton of INNER WORK.
You have two choices: start educating yourself on this or always wonder why you have a hard time understanding people, communicating, struggling with your marketing messaging, struggling with anticipating and meeting couples’ needs, struggling with identity, etc.
Some books to help you learn to listen beyond your lens and perspectives and to see others as they are:
