Why Listening Is the Most Underrated Business Skill
Most business owners think growth comes from talking more.
More ads.
More posts.
More pitches.
But here’s a quiet truth many learn late: the businesses that grow fastest are the ones that listen best.
In Nigeria and across Africa, customers will tell you exactly what they want –
why they didn’t buy,
why they stopped trusting a brand,
why a website “just didn’t feel right.”
We’re often too busy explaining to actually hear them.
Think about it:
- How many times has a client said, “That’s not what I meant”?
- Or a customer ghosted after saying “I’ll get back to you”?
- Or traffic comes to your site but no one converts?
That’s not always a marketing problem.
Sometimes, it’s a listening problem.
Here’s what good listening looks like in business:
You ask better questions before offering solutions
You read between the lines of customer complaints
You notice patterns in feedback instead of dismissing them
You design websites, offers, and content around real pain, not assumptions
For example:
When someone says, “Your website is fine”, they might mean
“I don’t trust it yet.”
When they say, “It’s too expensive”, they might mean
“I don’t clearly see the value.”
Listening helps you decode that.
Next time you talk to a client or customer, pause before responding.
Repeat what you heard in your own words.
Then ask, “Did I understand you correctly?”
That one habit alone can change how people experience your brand.
At Donal Digital, most of our best strategies come from listening first,
to business owners, website visitors, and data.
If you want to build a website or digital strategy that actually works, start there.
What’s one thing your customers keep saying that you may have been overlooking?
Drop it in the comments, let’s learn together.
