Shut Up and Listen

In one of his recent posts, Drew McLellan offered an interesting insight by comparing social media to a cocktail party.

Drew gives an example: “Imagine a large room, filled with interesting people. There are many conversations happening at once. People are talking about themselves, asking questions about the other person and then a common thread is discovered. Something that both people have in common. That’s when the conversation gets very lively and a connection is made”.

This analogy illustrates the fact that listening is a critical component of every brand. Too often brands do all the talking; then, just when you think they are done, they talk about themselves some more. Can you imagining carrying on a conversation with someone who only talked about themselves? I know I can’t.

Your brand is a series of conversations with your customers. A conversation by definition is communication between two or more individuals; a dialogue, not a monologue.

Charles Schwab has used this idea of a conversation as the cornerstone for their “Talk to Chuck” campaign. I love how “Talk to Chuck” is an open invitation to engage in a conversation. Investors can talk to the company about their finances and Charles Schwab can provide answers by listening.