I struggle with this one personally. IT owners tend to be problem solvers by nature. Our instinctive response to any issue is to start supplying the solution. The problem with that is that we immediately start thinking about what needs to be done and at that point we have stopped listening. The biggest part of relationship building is allowing the client to feel that someone is finally listening to their problems. A large part is just venting pent up frustration, but the other is the satisfaction they get when you are actively listening to them. Have you ever talked to someone and felt that “Hey this guy really gets what I am saying!” Mostly it is because we did the majority of the talking and they were just listening. Becoming a Trusted Advisor means first understanding what advise to give and that means fully understanding the client’s need. Ask the right questions and really listen to the response. If you are doing an assessment, go through all of the questions and take good notes. Save the problem solving for another appointment.
This is also a great technique for managing your employees. Again I struggle with this one too! They also need to be listened to and know that you are concerned about what is going on with them. If they are struggling with a customer service issue or a technical issue, 90% of the time they just need to vent.
And for good measure this technique works with your spouse as well. I really struggle with that one!!!
The bottom line is you need to gather all of the information and get a feel for the emotion behind the issue before you start to problem solve!!
Good luck with this. And wish me luck too!!
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