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Konnect Agency Uses "Agenda-Less Listening" to Gain Critical Client Insights

Name: Konnect Agency Uses "Agenda-Less Listening" to Gain Critical Client Insights
Uploaded: 2018-05-09T09:54:24+00:00
Duration: 1 min 39 s
Channel: Bob London
Description: In this short interview, Sabina Galt, CEO of Connect (Konnect) Agency, and recruitment manager Christina McKinnon discuss the practice of "agenda-less…

9 May 2018 · 2 min

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1:39

In this short interview, Sabina Galt, CEO of Connect (Konnect) Agency, and recruitment manager Christina McKinnon discuss the practice of "agenda-less listening" that they have adopted to uncover honest client feedback and reputation issues. They explain how setting aside a preconceived agenda and asking open‑ended, reputation‑focused questions—such as “What do people say about us around the water cooler?”—encourages clients to share candid insights they would otherwise withhold. Christina shares a concrete example where a minor misunderstanding during early negotiations was brought up through this listening approach, leading the client to understand the context, resolve the issue, and restore a positive relationship. Bob London, the interviewer, praises their commitment, jokingly naming them “Chief Listening Officers.” The conversation highlights the value of curiosity‑driven dialogue for surfacing hidden client concerns and strengthening agency‑client trust.

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I'm Sabina Galt, and I'm the CEO of Connect Agency. I'm Christina McKinnon. I'm the recruitment manager.
We had a chance to meet during your EO Forum retreat.
When I heard you speaking, the best concept that really hit me was that agenda-less listening. It's really hard not to want to have an agenda, even though you may try really hard and say, "I'm gonna have a conversation and I'm gonna be open-minded." Well, yeah, but the questions you ask aren't necessarily with your open mind. Your thing was change the questions you're asking.
Overall, I was kind of surprised at how much people wanted to talk to me, how they were ready to talk to me.
Was there a particular question that seemed to get them to open up more than others?
What do people say around the water cooler about us? What's our reputation? Good or bad? We got some really interesting feedback from some clients that actually left.
She talked to somebody and that client One client had an issue in the very, very, very beginning, and it was so silly and so small. It had nothing to do with the work that was done. It had nothing to do with the people that were doing the work. It was literally like, oh, well, you know, so-and-so, when we were in the negotiation process, said this. And it was something that really bothered that client. As soon as we brought that up with the client, we explained why that happened, and the client was like, oh, Oh, well, that makes perfect sense. And since then it's been, you know, rosy and unicorn. But that client would have never come to me and told me that, ever.
I'm going to anoint you both Chief Listening Officers because you're both so into this. I love it.
Thank you, Bob.