A corporate event is a busy and highly engaging time for most companies. This is where the members of the organisation are able to meet and interact with the customers, the stakeholders and even people from the competitors’ camp. Where such a diverse group of people are gathered, managers could apply active listening to gain some important insights that will help them gain a competitive edge over other organisations.
What is active listening?
Active listening is a communication skill which involves hearing the message (both verbal and non-verbal), understanding it and carefully evaluating it before providing a response. By listening effectively to your attendees, you will be able to know what they value and be they your customers, employees, colleagues or even competitors, this will enable you to generate leads that you can convert into sales.
Below are some tips that will help you be an active listener at your event to enable you to gain important business insights.
Tips for active listening
1. Self-assess your communication style
In order to know which areas you should improve in your communication style, always seek to constantly assess yourself. If you take time to think about your current approach to listening and communicating with your audience, you will be able to identify the areas in which you are lacking and which you can improve upon.
2. Ask the right questions
A simple survey will help you know what is in the mind of attendees. While creating a survey may seem like an easy task, many marketers ask the wrong questions and this ends up making the whole thing useless. In order to know what is in the mind of your attendees, you should ask them open-ended questions which allow them to express their opinion on whatever issue. By so doing, you will gain a deeper understanding of their needs.
3. Listen for customer pain points
Know the right questions to ask in the survey – you should seek to know what problems the customers are currently experiencing. Understanding customer pain points is a key aspect of any marketing strategy as it enables you to know their needs. When you understand the needs of your customers, you will be able to turn them into opportunities for improvement to grant you a competitive advantage over others.
4. Analyse the attendance data
The attendance data includes information such as the list of attendees, the discussion points of previous events, the questions and suggestions raised and even the budget used. The data could be collected by accessing the records in the event planning software used. Using this information, you will be able to improve on your other events and you will also get more leads with which you can make a tailor-made marketing strategy.
5. Conduct follow-ups
With the tips offered above, you will be able to turn your events into gold mines or data that can then be applied in making strategic decisions. Since active listening is not a skill that you can master overnight, you should exercise it periodically in order to master it.
If you want to add a unique touch to your event, why not consider hiring a brass band? The Brass Animals have played at a wide range of corporate events and would love to entertain your guests. Contact us today to find out more!