Are you a good listener? We don’t mean nodding, ‘mhmm’ing, and thinking of what you want to say next. We mean really listening.

Qualitative research – and specifically the type when you have a two-way conversation with your customers – is all about listening. It’s not just asking yes or no questions (‘should we launch this toothbrush in sunshine yellow or mint green?’). Or collecting quotes to put into a slide deck to show your boss that ‘this isn’t just my opinion!!!’. It’s about listening to what is said, how it’s said – and also what isn’t said – so you can better understand and respond.

It’s easy for brands to assume they know what their customer thinks, feels and needs. It's equally easy to get submerged in product features that meet rational motivations (I need a speedier bike to get home earlier). But it's talking to customers and tapping into their emotional motivations that lets the daylight in. Maybe a getting home earlier matters because you worry about losing precious minutes with your son.

The word ‘sonder’ means ‘the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own’. It comes from the French word for ‘probe’. So at Sonder & Tell, when we’re listening to customers, we do it for true insight into how they think and feel about the world around them. In that way, we build brand stories they can feel a part of, and craft language that will make them listen too.