The Power of Deep Listening
In 2005, my Uncle Paul Donoghue, Ph.D. with his partner Mary Siegel, Ph.D. wrote “Are You Really Listening?” I had the pleasure of promoting the book and the unique opportunity to learn how to really listen. The book was eye opening. I realized that I was never taught to really listen. As the youngest of four, I was taught how to be heard, defend, manipulate and in a way, win. I was a master debater. Until I read that book, I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t really listening at all.
I was recently working with a client on their pitch process and those learnings came flooding back. In one session, it was obvious that they weren’t actually listening. Really listening is a skill that few have mastered especially in the agency world. Here are my key takeaways from the book on how to master active listening to transform agency-client relationships and dramatically improve new business success rates.
Beyond the Pitch Deck
For decades, agencies have relied on polished presentations, creative previews, and rehearsed speeches to win new business. However, the most successful agencies have discovered that winning begins long before the pitch deck is opened. It starts with shutting up and truly listening.
The Cost of Poor Listening
Research shows that most people, including seasoned advertising professionals, remember only about 25% of what they hear and usually that 25% is selective to what is important to the agency. In new business situations, this leads to:
Misaligned presentations that don't address core client needs
Missed opportunities to connect on deeper business challenges
Solutions that solve the wrong problems
Wasted resources on misdirected creative work
Lost pitches despite strong creative concepts
The Five Levels of Listening
Drawing from "Are You Really Listening?", here's how agencies can implement deeper listening practices in their new business process:
1. Focus on Self
The Problem: Many agency executives are so focused on their presentation that they're barely present in client conversations, mentally rehearsing their next point instead of absorbing what's being said.
The Solution: Begin every client meeting with a conscious decision to be fully present. Put away phones, close laptops, and maintain eye contact. Pause and ask if there are any questions. Seems obvious but we have all rushed through presentations or assume that our brilliance is obvious. News flash, it usually isn’t.
2. Defending
The Problem: When questioned about “the work” agency executives often default to defend mode with an underlying tendency to show how smart they are.
The Solution: Get curious. Practice active listening that requires genuine engagement: asking relevant follow-up questions. Find the why and summarize key points back to the client.
3. Selective Listening
The Problem: Hearing only what confirms pre-existing ideas about the client's needs. It is easy to do when you want to win the client over and demonstrate that you are the best at solving the problem.
The Solution: Challenge your assumptions by actively seeking information that might contradict your initial hypotheses. Doing this often helps with the strategic framework and pitch deck set up.
4. Attentive Listening
The Problem: Attentive listening focuses primarily on the words being said, missing crucial non-verbal and emotional cues. It is easy to ignore what is actually being communicated when you solely focus on the words and not the context.
The Solution: Pay attention to tone, body language, and what isn't being said. Notice which topics energize the client and which create tension. Pay attention to each member of the client team, they have different POVs and needs, ensure you capture them.
5. Empathic Listening
The Problem: Few agencies reach this level, where listening goes beyond business challenges to understand the human elements affecting decisions. In pitch meetings, we tend to judge rather than empathize with what the client is actual experiencing.
The Solution: Practice listening not just for facts and challenges, but also the context:
Personal motivations and fears
Career implications
Internal political dynamics
Individual definitions of success
Implementing Deep Listening in the Pitch Process
Pre-Pitch Research
Conduct stakeholder interviews focused on listening rather than selling
Ask open-ended questions and resist the urge to offer immediate solutions
Record conversations (with permission) to review for missed nuances
Have multiple team members listen independently to spot different insights
During Chemistry Meetings
Allocate 70% of the time to listening and 30% to talking
Use the "Rule of Three": wait three seconds after someone stops speaking before responding
Practice reflective listening by periodically summarizing what you've heard
Note down exact phrases clients use – they often reveal underlying concerns
Pitch Development
Build proposals around actual client language and concerns
Reference specific conversations and insights gathered
Demonstrate how your understanding evolved through listening
Address unstated needs you discovered through careful observation
The Competitive Advantage of Listening
Agencies that master deep listening gain several distinct advantages:
Better Brief Interpretation Understanding not just what clients say they want, but what they truly need
Stronger Relationships Building trust through demonstrated understanding and empathy
More Effective Solutions Creating work that solves real business challenges rather than assumed ones
Higher Win Rates Standing out in pitches through deeper client understanding
Longer Client Retention Starting relationships with a foundation of mutual understanding
Measuring Listening Effectiveness
To improve listening skills across the agency, implement these metrics:
Track the ratio of listening to talking in new business meetings
Monitor how many client phrases and concerns are directly addressed in proposals
Assess how many unexpected insights were gathered during discovery
Measure how often clients say "You really understand our business"
The Path Forward
In an industry obsessed with having the next big idea, the most powerful tool might be the ability to truly hear what clients are saying – and what they're not. By implementing deep listening practices from "Are You Really Listening?", agencies can transform their new business approach from a presentation-centered model to a relationship-centered one.
Remember: The goal isn't to be the smartest agency in the room, but to be the one that best understands the client's world. In the end, clients don't buy what you're selling – they buy how well you understand their needs.
The best creative solutions begin with understanding, and understanding begins with listening. In the competitive world of agency new business, this might be the most important creative skill of all.