How Can Re-Framing Research as Listening Improve Your Decisions

I have this client that is completely number-obsessed.  Sometimes I wonder if they do the research we do to avoid actually talking to their customers.  They find comfort in the decimal places of the ratings.  They track each movement week by week, quarter by quarter.  They also analyze each of the open ended responses and contact customers to hear more and get more insight around what the customers meant when they responded to our survey.  They are analyzing and hearing.  They are moving toward listening.

What Does Listening Have to Do With Research

Listening implies  understanding.  And when we are understanding what our audience is saying, we can move forward in creating offerings that are appealing to them.

Listening implies caring.  The only way our customers know that they've been heard is when we take what they've told us and react to it; maybe you explain why you will NOT be adding a feature, maybe you add a feature and tell them it came from their responses.  Either one builds loyalty and engagement.

How do you LISTEN to your customers?  What tools have you used?  How have you communicated the fact that you've been listening?

Have you used IdeaScale as a listening tool?  Tell us about your experience.