In my opinion, the most powerful thing you can do for a client has nothing to do with tactics — and everything to do with presence and listening.
When I’m hired to help someone grow their business, clarify their message or get themselves “out there,” it’s easy to feel the pressure to deliver, quickly, efficiently and strategically.
But what I’ve come to see time after time, is that before any of the hand’s on work happens- building the message, writing the copy, planning the launch etc. I just need to listen…REALLY listen. Sometimes that might involve asking a client to just slow down as my brain can’t keep up with the speed that their words are leaving their lips. I need to be really clear on what saying, suggesting, asking BEFORE I can take any action.
And infact, it’s not just about what a client is saying, but is also just as much about what they’re NOT saying. Sensing what’s behind the words, to their energy, to the thing they hesitate over — aswell as the thing that lights them up before they even realise they’re glowing.
Listening isn’t a pause between talking – it’s the work!
The kind of listening I’m talking about isn’t passive.
It’s intentional, deep and soulful.
It’s curious, not corrective. It’s asking questions, it’s understanding how things look to them and getting a really clear picture of that!
This means sitting with a client and letting their story breathe before jumping in with solutions. It’s asking open questions and then letting the silence do some of the heavy lifting. It’s creating a space where someone feels safe enough to bring their whole self to the table — not just their “professional” version.
Because when a client feels seen, they feel safe. And when they feel safe, the real story comes out.
The real desires. The real fears. The deeper “why” that’s driving the business in the first place.
That’s the stuff strategy is meant to be built on.
Listening builds trust. And trust builds everything else.
When you truly listen, something beautiful happens:
- Clients feel more confident and clearer
- They start connecting dots they didn’t know were there
- You stop having to “convince” anyone of a direction — because it’s emerging organically
This doesn’t mean I don’t bring my expertise to the conversation. I absolutely do. But it’s offered in service of their truth — not imposed from my own assumptions. So when I’m listening deeply, without the chitter chatter of my own mind judging what my client is saying, I’m able to get a clear picture of how they see things.
Listening is a superpower and it’s a refreshing change for a client to have somebody sit in front of them, truly open and taking in everything they’re saying because when you’re in business, it’s easy to get caught up in the shiniest new thing as a ‘quick fix’ to growing your business.
You know what I mean – the ’10X’ formulas, the ‘proven frameworks, and freebie funnels — I’ve been there! But what people are really craving, isn’t more noise, it’s resonance. They want to work with someone who doesn’t just “get it” — but gets them. And I’m not saying any of those marketing tactics are inherently ‘bad,’ but to me, it’s more about the place that they’re coming from, which makes all the difference and to me, that starts with listening!
So how do we become better listeners?
It’s not rocket science — but it does take intention. Here are a few practices that help:
- Park your agenda. Even if you think you know what they need, let their words guide you first.
- Be with, not ahead of. Stay with what they’re saying instead of mentally jumping to the solution.
- Reflect back what you’re hearing to help them clarify their own thoughts.
- Follow the sparks. When their voice lifts, their eyes light up, or they get goosebumps — go there. That’s gold.
- Hold silence. It’s often where the truth lands.
In a noisy world, deep listening is magnetic.
And let’s be honest — when someone really listens to you?
You remember it.
You feel more seen, more whole.
More capable.
More you.
If we can offer that to our clients — not just as a warm-up, but as a practice — we’re not just being good marketers. We’re being good humans. And that’s the kind of work that sticks.
Want support building a business that’s built on listening, alignment, and clarity (instead of noise and hustle)?
Come and say hi. My 1:1 sessions are spacious, strategic, and most importantly — all about you.
Book a call here.