Listening to Feedback

My family and I are in the process of selling our house.  We aren't in a big hurry or anything, we would just like to move on for our growing family.  The market nationwide and in Charlotte is very strong, however, our house is not getting a lot of showings let alone an offer.

We have approached the agent about this nicely on a couple different occasions and with each attempt, she wants us to do more and not adjust any of her marketing.  She isn't able to listen to any suggestions.  While I am not an expert on real estate, I can read data and I know one thing;  all of her houses are not selling, her competition is selling theirs in days.

This scenario happens to many of us.  We can be arrogant and not listen to what people are saying.  Often times, people want to work with you, they just want you to tweak this or that and make a slight adjustment.  If we don't listen we will lose them altogether.

Not listening to feedback will only cost you business.  If our agent doesn't adjust her approach, and our home doesn't sell, what do you think we will do?  Move to another agent.  My wife and I hired the agent, she works for us.  We will fire her and go with another agent that will get our home sold.

Your clients will fire you too.  We have been fired because a client didn't work well with my team.  We have been fired because we required clients to pay their bills in a timely manner.  We have been fired because a client didn't want to work with a woman when he called in (true story).  We all can be fired for any number of reasons, some rational and some not.

The point is this. don't adjust and pivot based on one piece of information.  However, once things are not working and you are hearing repeated feedback saying the same things, you need to adjust your approach.  DOn't be too rigid and ignore the people telling you what is wrong.

As we grow and start a business we often are full of ideas and what we think needs to be done.  We have images of Steve Jobs forging ahead and rejecting all feedback and sometimes we are the same.  We know more.  Truth is, we don't.

Steve Jobs had advisors and designers.  He may have fretted over one detail or another, but in the end those details were changed.  Feedback makes products and companies work.  Don't be blind to what the clients are saying.  Listen more than you talk.