In this blog post, I share a personal story about how I discovered the power of listening. You will also learn what I mean by 'corporate deafness', and how brands can become listening brands, and how a listening mindset will help teams transform into listening teams and will help you become a listening leader.GA VERDER

In addition to asking customers for feedback, it is just as important to do something with that customer feedback. Let’s take a look at the 7 steps in the closed-loop feedback process:GA VERDER

The new world order in which the customer has the ultimate power to decide about life and death, has consequences for every company. Tomorrow’s winners are those organizations that succeed in giving their customers a voice, in listening carefully to them and in tailoring their products, services, and communication to their wishes. If they succeed in making their customers feel seen and heard, these companies and their customers will enter a beautiful new world.GA VERDER

"The selling starts when the customer says ‘no’". This has become the widely used mantra of self-proclaimed sales experts, who have caused considerable damage to customers’ trust. Selling starts when the customer says ‘yes’.GA VERDER

I learned the art of emotional listening from my mother. When I was a young boy, I regularly observed her asking my father about his work over the dinner table. “You asked questions, but you didn’t know what he was talking about — or did you?” I asked my mom years later. Her reply was enlightening: she wasn’t all that interested in what her husband was doing but rather how he was doing.GA VERDER

The most important person is the customer. In every company. That’s why the focus should always be on the customer. Because satisfied customers are good for the company. This sounds nice but is it also true? Is there a proven relationship between customer satisfaction and profitability?GA VERDER

One of the aspects of creating a customer-oriented culture is exemplary behaviour. Does the management itself show that it puts into practice what it preaches? Organizations and teams that distinguish themselves positively from others in terms of customer focus are, without exception, led by a leader who also shows that the customer stands on one. Together with the employees.GA VERDER

When I think of the female leaders I have known in my life, the first person I think of is my mother. She was a leader and she was successful. She ran our family, day in day out, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. She also succeeded in managing me. That’s what I call successful!GA VERDER

The director of an Amsterdam ad agency once taught me that you should never use humour in communicating with your customers. "Humour doesn’t work", he said, “because nobody buys from a clown”. GA VERDER