{"id":5471,"date":"2018-12-12T02:00:31","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T07:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/?p=5471"},"modified":"2018-12-05T13:18:59","modified_gmt":"2018-12-05T18:18:59","slug":"listen-vs-tell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2018\/12\/listen-vs-tell\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen vs. Tell"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Over a year ago I began presented<\/a> a somewhat tongue-in-cheek means of differentiating among two vastly different styles of approaching sales, audience development, audience engagement, and community engagement\u2013the means by which we connect with the public. It was rooted in the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, the “tell” and “interact” versions of the internet.<\/p>\n

In sharing the concept with people I realized that basing it on Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 was confusing since Web 1.0\/2.0 are not universally recognized and, to be honest, are more than a bit geeky. I revised the presentation around the true essence of the matter: telling and listening.<\/p>\n

So here, as we all break for the Holidays, is the new version. (My coding skills are far less than excellent, so a prettier version of this can be found on pp. 2-3 of this document<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\n

In the past, it has been common for arts organizations to adopt an \u201cIf we present it, they will come\u201d attitude in which they simply told people about what was happening and assumed someone would respond. But in a world where the consumer is far less predisposed to \u201cbuy\u201d the arts than they once were, we need to build relationships with those we hope to be our supporters. We do this by listening.<\/em><\/p>\n

The charts that follow present a comparison of how this might work in the \u201cWe Tell\u201d and \u201cWe Listen\u201d scenarios.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

We Tell
\n<\/span><\/strong>Spoiler: Not<\/u> the way we should be doing business!<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Sales<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Audience Development<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Audience Engagement<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Community Engagement<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what\u2019s happening. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Buy a ticket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what\u2019s happening. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This seems to us like a reason you might be interested. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Buy a ticket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what\u2019s happening. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This seems to us like a reason you might be interested. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Here\u2019s something we think is worthwhile\/relevant to you about it. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Buy a ticket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Get a grant<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Find some poor people<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Tell them why what\u2019s happening is good for them<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Be surprised when they don\u2019t show up<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

It does not take much imagination to understand why one-way communication has very limited success. Two-way conversations\u2013dialogue\u2013should be the default mode for our interactions with the public. Something like this:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

We Listen<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Sales<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Audience Development<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Audience Engagement<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Community Engagement<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what\u2019s happening. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is why it\u2019s going to be worth your time and money.*<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Buy a ticket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what\u2019s happening. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is why it\u2019s going to be worth your time and money.*<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This seems like a reason you might be especially interested.*<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Buy a ticket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what\u2019s happening.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is why it\u2019s going to be worth your time and money.*<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This seems like a reason you might be especially interested.*<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Here\u2019s something that might make this even more worthwhile\/relevant to you.*<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Buy a ticket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Step 1<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Pleased to meet you. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Tell me about yourself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>This is what we do.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>If we do [this thing*], will you help us make it better\/be successful?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3 (Post event)<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Let\u2019s keep in touch.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Suggestions made based on what we learn from listening.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Happy Holidays . . . and<\/p>\n

Engage!<\/p>\n

Doug<\/p>\n

Photo:\u00a0\"Attribution\"\"Noncommercial\"<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Some rights reserved<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0<\/span>susie2778<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Listening as the key to sales, audience development and engagement, and community engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Listen vs. Tell: Listening as the key to sales, audience development and engagement, and community engagement.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[12,13,45,27],"class_list":{"0":"post-5471","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-principles","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-community-engagement","10":"tag-fundraising","11":"tag-marketing","12":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Megaphone.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1G6h9-1qf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5009,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2017\/08\/arts-1-0\/","url_meta":{"origin":5471,"position":0},"title":"Arts 1.0","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"August 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Too much of our industry is operating with one-way \"communication\" model. It gets in the way of selling tickets and it makes effective community engagement impossible.","rel":"","context":"In "The Practice of Engagement"","block_context":{"text":"The Practice of Engagement","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/the-practice-of-engagement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/CarnivalBarker-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4733,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2016\/11\/who-benefits\/","url_meta":{"origin":5471,"position":1},"title":"Who Benefits?","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"November 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Definitions are important to me. That's probably a reflection of my former life as an academic. (Or, I suppose, it could be why I was an academic.) They've also become critical to my work as an advocate for community engagement. I have presented numerous attempts at defining things like audience\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dictionary","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Dictionary.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2818,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2013\/05\/engagement-vocabulary\/","url_meta":{"origin":5471,"position":2},"title":"Engagement Vocabulary","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"May 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"[Note to new readers: This is a very old and widely read post. In the interest of providing up-to-date information about thinking on this topic, you can find updated definitions of terminology related to community engagement and related arts management tools on the ArtsEngaged website here.] I have on a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dictionary","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Dictionary-300x153.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6436,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/09\/terminology\/","url_meta":{"origin":5471,"position":3},"title":"Terminology","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"September 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A critical element in effective community engagement is understanding exactly what it is . . . and what it is not.","rel":"","context":"In "10th Anniversary"","block_context":{"text":"10th Anniversary","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/10th-anniversary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2831,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2013\/05\/engagement-vocabulary-in-action\/","url_meta":{"origin":5471,"position":4},"title":"Engagement Vocabulary in Action","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"May 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In an effort to clarify the points from my last two posts (Engagement Vocabulary and Parsing Vocabulary), I'm going to try to describe the differences among audience development, audience engagement, and community engagement by using a specific work produced by an arts organization as an example. [But first, to re-repeat,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Examples"","block_context":{"text":"Examples","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/examples\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dictionary","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Dictionary-300x153.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4370,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2016\/02\/definitions-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":5471,"position":5},"title":"Definitions, Again","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"February 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"My latest take on definitions of audience development, audience engagement, and community engagement.","rel":"","context":"In "Overview"","block_context":{"text":"Overview","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/overview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dictionary","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Dictionary.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5471"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5488,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471\/revisions\/5488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}