Are You Listening?

I’m a social creature… an experiential learner. It’s no wonder I wound up in an industry where brands and corporate messaging are brought to life through experiences. Throughout the past 20 years in the event business, I’ve found that the best lessons are the ones I’ve learned from my real life that I’ve been able to translate into running a company. I’m here to share them with you and I hope you find them helpful as well.

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Are You Listening?
— December 8, 2009 by Jeff Kalpak

She has no time for work, let alone for juggling the rest of her life. She had to let half of her team go yet retained 100% of the work. Now she is responsible for a series of meetings and events.

What does she really want from the production company she works with? I asked her and this was her response:

Do what you say you are going to do.
Tell me if there is a problem. Then solve it.
If you can’t solve it on your own — let me be part of the solution.
Realize I am under a lot of pressure.
Get to know me by listening.

The listening part is huge. As event people we are always asking a lot of questions… What time do we get into the ballroom? What’s the age range of the guests? Do you want to have fish or chicken? etc. etc.

But how often do we stop asking all the things we need to know and just listen to what our clients are saying? Not what they are saying about their event — but what they are saying in general. What they are going through, what is the bigger picture as far as what they need from us?

Life is a series of events. Each affects the next. If we understand the events in our clients’ lives, we can better understand how to handle the events we create for them. It’s up to us to adjust our style to what our clients need.

Are you listening?

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