Why Observe?

Whether we are new to the business world, own our own business or work for a large organization, observing others offers us the chance to get to know people, from afar so to speak.

We often talk too much and don’t listen to what is going on around us. Listening with intent appears to be something no one does anymore, and the blame is laid firmly on lack of time, but this is not always true.

Attending Events

We attend a variety of events for business and pleasure and this is when we can discover a lot about the other attendees.

  • When someone offers their 30 second infomercial/introduction do they bore you? Are they trying to sell to strangers?
  • If someone introduces themselves to you is it all about them, or do they care to ask about you?

The above points are a couple of important reasons why we should observe before jumping in and talking to everyone at the events we attend.

Online Resources

Being an observer online offers us a chance to really see what people share online, how they present themselves and if they are genuine. Being fake online is common. It’s only when we get to meet someone face to face that we realise someone is pretending to be something they are not online, but face to face they are completely different.

Clues When Observing

When we listen intently, when we listen without having a thought in our head ready to share, we see and hear more.

For instance by listening and observing we gain clues about the people we connect with:

  • Are they a possible client
  • Do they have a problem we can solve
  • Would they be a possible partner
  • Can they refer us to other

There are many clients to be discovered by observing others and by listening with intent.

Try observing more and listening without wanting to jump in and add your own thoughts for at least a week and see what you discover.