{"id":2496,"date":"2023-06-07T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/138.197.200.24\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T10:21:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T10:21:57","slug":"active-listening","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"col-lg-8 ps-lg-4\" id=\"blogcatcontent\">\n<p>Nowadays, customers aren\u2019t just expecting the bare minimum from businesses. They don\u2019t want to be \u2018sold to\u2019 but heard, valued, and understood. \u00a0And the only way for businesses to do this is by actively listening to their customers. But doesn\u2019t everyone actively listen when someone talks to them? No, actually, most people are only passively listening to the conversations happening around them.<\/p>\n<p>So, what\u2019s the difference? <\/p>\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll cover what active listening is, why it\u2019s important, and how to actively listen.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-active-listening\">What is Active Listening?<\/h2>\n<p>Active listening is a soft skill where you\u2019re attuned to what someone is saying and when you\u2019re listening to understand, not to respond.\u00a0Active listeners don\u2019t interrupt the speaker, ask questions to show their understanding, and repeat back what was said to them.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-active-listening-important\">Why is Active Listening Important?<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-improves-customer-retention\">Improves Customer Retention<\/h3>\n<p>Sadly, no matter how great of a CSM you are, it\u2019s difficult to retain 100% of your <a href=\"\/resources\/blog\/customer-base\/\">customer base<\/a>. In fact, research claims that 44% of customers have no plans to switch their service, whereas a whopping 83% end up leaving shortly after. So how do we go about it?<\/p>\n<p>Find out what your customer\u2019s goals are and what value they expect to receive from your product. Customers are much more likely to stick around when your product is actually making an impact in their business. And you can only get to the root of what your customer needs by actively listening to them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lazyblock-subscription-ZiuzJ9 wp-block-lazyblock-subscription\">\n<section class=\"bg-light-2 newsletter-sec block_newsletter_sec d-flex mt-5 mb-5\">\n<!--begin container --><\/p>\n<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n<!--begin row --><\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<!--begin col-md-6--><br \/>\n<!--begin col-md-6--><\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 p-0 col-lg-4 text-center\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<picture><source data-srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/newsletter-img1-1.png.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><img class=\"img-fluid perfmatters-lazy\" data-eio=\"p\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/newsletter-img1-1.png\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20width='0'%20height='0'%20viewBox='0%200%200%200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"\/><noscript><img class=\"img-fluid\" data-eio=\"p\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/newsletter-img1-1.png\"\/><\/noscript><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-lg-8 text-left align-self-center p-0\">\n<div class=\"blog-banner-content text-center\">\n<h3>Like what you are reading?<br \/>\nSign up for our newsletter                                 <\/h3>\n<p><!--end newsletter_form_box --><\/p>\n<div class=\"single_line_newsletter_box\">\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" dir=\"ltr\" id=\"wpcf7-f5771-o1\" lang=\"en-US\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\">\n<p aria-atomic=\"true\" aria-live=\"polite\" role=\"status\">\n<ul><\/ul>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<form action=\"\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/#wpcf7-f5771-o1\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" class=\"wpcf7-form init mailchimp-ext-0.5.72\" data-status=\"init\" method=\"post\" novalidate=\"novalidate\">\n<div style=\"display: none;\">\n<input name=\"_wpcf7\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"5771\"\/><br \/>\n<input name=\"_wpcf7_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"5.8.5\"\/><br \/>\n<input name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"en_US\"\/><br \/>\n<input name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"wpcf7-f5771-o1\"\/><br \/>\n<input name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"0\"\/><br \/>\n<input name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\"\/><br \/>\n<input name=\"_wpcf7_recaptcha_response\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"use-floating-validation-tip\"><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"Email\"><input aria-invalid=\"false\" aria-required=\"true\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-email wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-email\" id=\"mailster-email-1\" name=\"Email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" size=\"40\" type=\"email\" value=\"\"\/><\/span><\/span><input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner submit-button button btn btn_button border-0 h_3 p-3 px-5\" id=\"submitFormButton\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:none;\">\n<p><input class=\"none\" name=\"Ad Campaign\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"\/><input class=\"none\" name=\"Ad Source\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"\/><input class=\"none\" name=\"Ad Medium\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"\/><input class=\"none\" name=\"Ad Keyword\" type=\"text\" value=\"NL Subscription,Blog,\"\/><input class=\"none\" name=\"utm_content\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"\/><input class=\"none\" name=\"Ad Referrer URL\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"\/><input class=\"none\" id=\"cf_form_submission_url\" name=\"handl_url\" type=\"text\" value=\"\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/\"\/><input class=\"none\" id=\"gclid\" name=\"gclid\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wpcf7-response-output\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"display: none !important\"><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page\"><input aria-invalid=\"false\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page\" data-value=\"https:\/\/Direct%20Visit\" name=\"referer-page\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"https:\/\/Direct%20Visit\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- Chimpmatic extension by Renzo Johnson -->\n<\/p>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--end newsletter_form_box --><br \/>\n<!--end benefits -->\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--end col-md-6-->\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--end row -->\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--end container -->\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-enhances-upsell-and-cross-selling-opportunities\">Enhances Upsell and Cross-selling Opportunities<\/h3>\n<p>Active listening not only improves customer retention but also acts as a tool to enhance your <a href=\"\/up-sell-cross-sell\/\">upselling and cross-selling<\/a> opportunities to your customers. Let\u2019s say your customers have been successfully finding value in your product and they\u2019re starting to grow. After asking them about their next goals, you realize that they\u2019ll need to upgrade their plan so they can continue seeing growth with your product.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-minimizes-customer-churn\">Minimizes Customer Churn<\/h3>\n<p>This one ties into <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_retention\">customer retention<\/a>, but when you\u2019re able to increase retention rates, you also start minimizing customer churn. And one way to do that is by actively listening to your customers so you can see what problems they\u2019re experiencing, why, and how you can keep them satisfied and not on the brink of churning.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-paves-the-way-for-great-relationships\">Paves the Way For Great Relationships<\/h3>\n<p>When you participate in a conversation and hear what the other person has to say, you\u2019re halfway through to creating a meaningful relationship with your customer. And this happens because your customers want to feel heard and like you genuinely care about them and their goals. Also, when you have a great relationship with your customer, it also increases their loyalty to your brand.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-practice-active-listening\">How to Practice Active Listening<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know why active listening is so important, let\u2019s look at some ways you can practice it for your next customer conversation.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-be-patient\">Be Patient<\/h3>\n<p>One way you can practice active listening is by being patient. When your customers are talking to you, don\u2019t be quick to interrupt them and give your opinion. Or if they\u2019re trying to collect their thoughts, give them that time, don\u2019t try to fill in the silence.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-observe-their-body-language\">Observe Their Body Language<\/h3>\n<p>A person\u2019s body language can clue you into some things they might not be saying. So, besides listening to the words they\u2019re saying, observe their body language too.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-summarize-what-was-said\">Summarize What Was Said<\/h3>\n<p>Summarizing or paraphrasing the conversation is another way you can practice active listening. Plus, by summarizing what you heard back to your customer, it helps to clear up any misinterpretations and allows all parties to be on the same page. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-take\">Final Take<\/h2>\n<p>Active listening is all about paying attention and being attentive. As a successful CSM, you\u2019ll need to understand and connect with your customers to help them reach their Desired Outcome. And ultimately, you\u2019ll need active listening skills and empathy to accomplish that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":791,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.","footnotes":""},"blog-category":[21],"class_list":["post-2496","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog-category-customer-experience"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Customer Success Blogs: Customer Churn Analysis &amp; Customer Churn Prevention\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-06T10:21:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-07T10:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-06T10:21:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":667,\"caption\":\"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/active-listening\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/\",\"name\":\"Customer Success Blogs: Customer Churn Analysis &amp; Customer Churn Prevention\",\"description\":\"Customer Success Blogs: content on customer success, product experience, product analytics, product success,etc. to help you understand more about customer churn rate, customer success metrics, user engagement, net promoter score, etc\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.smartkarrot.com\\\/resources\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success","description":"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success","og_description":"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/","og_site_name":"Customer Success Blogs: Customer Churn Analysis &amp; Customer Churn Prevention","article_modified_time":"2026-08-06T10:21:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/","url":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/","name":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png","datePublished":"2023-06-07T10:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-06T10:21:57+00:00","description":"Active listening is key for customer success. Find out what it is, its benefits, and how to practice it below.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/Active-Listening-for-Customer-Success.png","width":1000,"height":667,"caption":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/active-listening\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Why Active Listening Is Important for Customer Success"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/","name":"Customer Success Blogs: Customer Churn Analysis &amp; Customer Churn Prevention","description":"Customer Success Blogs: content on customer success, product experience, product analytics, product success,etc. to help you understand more about customer churn rate, customer success metrics, user engagement, net promoter score, etc","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3516,"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2496\/revisions\/3516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smartkarrot.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-category?post=2496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}