How to Listen to Your Users

by John S. Rhodes

Unfortunately, you probably don't know your users as much as you'd like. Or, maybe you think you have a pretty good handle on them. You might even talk to them face to face once in a while. Yet, I'd be willing to bet that you probably don't listen to your users well enough.

Listening effectively greatly improves your chances of understanding your users. I'm going to throw some tips your way and hopefully you'll be able to boost your listening abilities. If you want a great Web site, you simply must listen to your users.

The first step is to drop your own activities and concentrate on your users' activities. That is, you must stop being self-centered. The reason you have your site is probably to please other folks or to get them to buy your goods and services. Your users are your lifeblood; your users give you a reason to have a Web site. To listen effectively, you must be user-centric, not ego-centric.

Now, let's take a look at the three global things you must do: (1) understand your users' goals and needs, (2) listen dynamically, and (3) help your users speak to you.

How can you better understand your users' goals and needs? As I already mentioned, you need to focus on them. You need to know how your users see the world. For example, you should try to understand their population stereotypes. Pay attention to their use of language. Watch their manner of speaking and writing. By understanding and analyzing their language use, you'll know how they think.

Are they organized or disorganized? Do they know their own goals? Do they know what they want? (Helping clients who know what they want is different than helping those that do not.) Are they asking for your help or are they looking for a strategic partnership with you? You could ask all sorts of questions like these.

Moving beyond these general questions, you can ask your users (and yourself) Web specific questions too. For example:

1. Why are you at my site?
2. What information do you need from my site?
3. What would make your visit to my site better?

Obviously there are many, many other questions. There are other ways to derive users' goals. You can mirror their behavior. People actually like it when you are like them. It makes them comfortable. This goes for person-to-person contact as well as email correspondence. For example, if your users write their email in a formal manner, you might do the same. This helps to establish a rapport. However, be sure not to fake this -- people smell a rat in no time, so be genuine.

I've already given you some indication of the second global thing to consider. If you want to effectively listen, and communicate, you must decide what you need to hear. That is, you must filter out the jargon, your ego, and your biases. Filter everything out before you even start talking. Know what you need to hear and what you need to talk about before you make that first call or write that first email. What will count as a 'win'; what are your communication success factors?

Collect all kinds of information. Listening to your users goes beyond talking and email. You must dig deeper and seek data. Visit your users' Web sites, understand their products and services, pay attention to their .sigs, and talk to other folks about your users. Then, when you are done collecting the information, ask your users about what you have gathered. Give them input and they'll know you listen, and that you care. Ask them questions that help them understand you know their concerns.

The third global thing you need to do is help your users speak to you. Get them started, get them talking to you. Ask them about their work, their families, their jobs. People love to talk about themselves. You can be business-like or informal, whatever fits the person and the occasion.

Be cheerful, pleasant, and helpful. Be efficient and courteous. These things are likely to foster trust in users. Since in most conversations, and with Web sites, you are dealing with people one-to-one, you will find these things to be important to grease the wheels.

Some people need help talking -- so, being fast and helpful is the way to go. Ask questions that users can easily answer at first, then, get to the details as the conversation moves on.

Be dynamic and positive in your listening.   Your users don't have time for anything else. Above all, seek to know your users. Know everything you can about them. Ask questions and accept questions. Finally, if all these things seem to fail, you should fall back on this simple advice: shut up, ask a good question, or finish the conversation.

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