Item #37: Cautious Listening

I think there is often a difference between what people say and what is the truth.

Recently I sat ‘behind the glass’ listening to people talk about a service they are loyal to (my word for consumers is 'people' because calling people consumers objectifies them and makes it easy to disregard what they have to say). This group of people spoke for 45 minutes, unprompted, unanimously and universally about this service. What it gave them. Why they valued it. What expectations they had of it. When they use it. Why they use it. How they feel about it. What’s good about it. Even where they see room for improvement.

During this time, not once, did even one person, at any point, mention that they were a loyal frequenter of this service because of anything to do with price. No one said: “because it is cheap”, or “because I get the best price there”. No one even ventured into the territory of ‘value’, saying “well, for what I get from this service compared to what I pay for it, I find it affordable”. Price never came up. Affordable never came up. Value never even came up.

But a little further into the discussion, when these same people were then asked what might incent (I know incent is not really a word, but it should be) them to try out a new, different, alternative service, they all unanimously, universally, consistently, said, “a special price offer”, “something for free”, “a price-oriented promotion”.

My internal truth meter started ringing off the hook. I just don't buy it (pardon the pun). And it signifies just one situation where we really have to listen with caution.

Just because someone says it, doesn't make it true.