Listen
One excellent way to learn about your customer is to listen and absorb information every chance that you get. Too often, consultants drive the conversation and shut down the free-flowing thoughts that a customer might have shared. Later in this module, you'll learn how to ask good questions. Generally, asking more open-ended questions will help you get more detailed answers. Allowing your customer to finish their thoughts without interruption will help them feel heard. You don't want customers to think that you don't care about their challenges and that you only care about implementing your own idea, even if it isn't a good fit.
Getting to know your customer isn't a one-size-fits-all activity. As you increase involvement on multiple projects, and as you further develop your baseline knowledge, you'll learn how to adjust your approach for each project. The rest of this module provides more in-depth explanation of some techniques that you can use to accelerate the process of getting to know your customers.