LISTNERSHIP
WHO’S LISTENING?
ARE YOU? AM I?
By Ronnie Robert
A
s the story so often goes, a
tale is told …. Indeed a tale
is told. Yes indeed, we have a
myriad of tales on which to base our
story. Our story! Yours and mine!
Yes indeed we have a lifetime of
tales we can tell as well. And tell we
will. Tell and tell without a care as to
who is listening.
Come to think of it, just who is
listening? Have you ever wondered
whether they’re actively listening
or passively listening? Are you
listening? Am I?
How many times have you taken but
a moment to observe your listener
when you speak? How often have
you critically observed them? Their
occasional head nods? Their gestures
as you speak? Possibly their posture?
Are they truly actively engaging
with you, or are they simply
engaging their inherent reflexology
as you speak? A nod here! An
occasional “Uhh” and “Aaah” there?
Is your voice droning on and on
in their space? Is it taking up their
atmosphere?
‘‘ How often do we gauge our target
audience for signs of active listening? Be it
when we place our tale or message online
…. Be it those unavoidable YouTube Ads
that go on and on, extolling and preaching
the virtues of our organization. Be it
when we place our invasive messages on
Print Media, or plaster our Posters on our
Public Bus stages and our Communal and
Private Walls.’’
32 MAL 17/17 ISSUE
What if you asked for a response
to gauge whether or not they are
indeed participatory in your verbal
engagement? What does your
response solicitation draw from
them? An “Umm”…. Probably an
“Eeer”…. Or possibly the dreaded,
“Could you repeat that please?”
Well Well! Is your audience truly
listening? How do you feel now?
Dejected? Silly? Unappreciated?
Why ever so? Why didn’t you ever
bother to engage them in your
discussion?
Did you bother to understand
their frame of mind before you
began your tale? Did you care to
understand who they were or what
they yearned for before you lodged
into telling your tale?
What if you had? Would the
response have been any different?
Perhaps it would have. Perhaps not!
Do you care? What if you transpose
this scenario to your organization’s
marketing approach! Do you care
now? Is your hefty spend vis a vis
your effectiveness reason enough to
care?
How often do we gauge our
target audience for signs of active