It’s 2010. I’m sitting on a living room sofa, my notepad clutched tightly in my hands, my foot twitching nervously. Whilst the kettle is boiling in the kitchen, I’m desperately trying to scan the room for things that would give me a clue as to how I can make a connection with the woman that I’m about to interview, and whose house it is. I know that the more comfortable she feels talking to me, the more she will share her honest and unfiltered feedback, but I can’t find anything in the room that would help me. I can feel my nerves rising. ‘This is going to be hard,’ I say to myself.

My colleague sits next to me. She looks at me and gives me a thumbs up. ‘Just let her talk,’ she whispers. I’m a little confused, but I nod in agreement.

The lady comes in with three cups of tea. She puts them on a coffee table and sits down on a chair across from us. ‘I’m ready,’ she says.

Before I can ask my first question, she starts talking. She speaks quickly, without breaks; I can’t interrupt her, no matter how much I try. I knew her experience with the company I’m running this interview for was not great. I had no idea that it had such an impact on her.

As she continues to talk, I suddenly realise how to connect with her. A wave of relief washes over me. I almost smile. In that moment, I understand what my colleague meant. I see now what she was trying to teach me.

The best way to connect with this lady was to listen. But not the kind of listening when you just nod politely; the type of listening that lets her know that she is being heard. I put my topic guide down for a moment and manage to say a few comments about how frustrating her experience must have been and ask her to tell me more. This is when she pauses for the first time. From then on, it’s no longer an interview – it’s a chat over a cup of tea. 

I left the interview with a lot of great detail to share with my client, but I also left with something far more valuable to me – I learned how to listen.

Whilst I don’t run market research projects anymore, I still use this skill today. Before I write a single word of copy, I do a heck of a lot of listening first.

7 things I listen to before I write a single word of copy

Your business goals and objectives

Understanding what you are trying to achieve and goals you are working towards guides me in how I structure the copy, which messages I recommend to use, and how I showcase your project or brand.

The way you talk about your company

Hearing you speak about your projects, products or services helps me find the language, tone and vocabulary to use in the copy. It helps me even when the tone or brand voice you have in mind is different to how you speak about work naturally. 

Your customers 

Whilst this is not listening in a literal sense, I read customer reviews, comments they make on social media, and any questions they tend to contact you with. This helps me in figuring out how to write a copy that will resonate with your audience.

Personal anecdotes 

I’m a storyteller and I believe stories are a powerful way to engage with an audience. Any stories you share with me that are related to what you do, your product or your processes give me ideas on how to make the copy engaging in a way that is authentic to your brand.

Hesitations or objections 

Not many people like to talk about these, but listening to objections either you or your customers might have relating to the product or a project you are working on are very valuable in writing effective copy. It helps me decide which and how to address them in the copy I prepare for you. 

Your competitors

This is part of the strategic thinking in order to help you compete effectively. Understanding what your competitors talk about (or don’t talk about) enables me to write a copy that puts you in the most advantageous light.

Your feedback

I never expect a copy I prepare to be accepted on draft 1. Revisions are part of the process, and here is where my listening ears are at their most engaged. I don’t put a limit on the number of revisions I make – I revise until everything hits a mark. And to do that I listen to every comment you share about the copy.

Listening is my best copywriting tool

I strongly believe that great copywriting starts with great listening. It might not be the flashiest skill in a copywriter’s toolkit, but it is easily one of the most powerful. For me, copywriting is not just about crafting clever messages – it’s about making businesses feel heard. Listening to my clients and their audience gives me the insight to write with real clarity and purpose. 

In 2010, my colleague showed me the potential of listening. The years of practice since then have turned this skill into my superpower.  

What are you working on? Let me know in the comments or send me a no-obligation message, and I’ll put my listening ears on.

Until next level.

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