--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Communicate. Listen to your customers…" description: "\"Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors.\" — J. Willard Marriott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/j-willard-marriott-27320_associates_communicate-listen-to-your-customers-ass_2599804.png" --- # Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and… ![“Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors.” quote by J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/j-willard-marriott-27320_associates_communicate-listen-to-your-customers-ass_2599804.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/j-willard-marriott-27320_associates_communicate-listen-to-your-customers-ass_2599804.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/j-willard-marriott-27320_associates_communicate-listen-to-your-customers-ass_2599804.png) > “Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors.” [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective business requires both communication and listening to all stakeholders. **In simple terms:** Listen and communicate for success. Key Takeaway Prioritize active listening. Themes leadership communication customer focus Mood professional focused Type practical motivational When to use this quote - team meetings - customer service - market analysis Key Concepts stakeholder engagement feedback loops service excellence Questions to Reflect On - How do you act on feedback? - What listening tools improve? A Different Perspective Listening alone isn’t enough without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Associates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/associates/) [Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Communicate Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate-listen-1933729/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Competitors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitors/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Customers Associates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers-associates-1933730/) [Listen Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen-customers-727813/) ## Related quotes > [“Over the years I've come to appreciate how animals enter our lives prepared to teach and far from being burdened by an inability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-trout/over-the-years-i-ve-come-to-appreciate-how-animals-enter-our-lives/) [Nick Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-trout/) > [If we take care of the customers and associates and grow the business, Wall Street will be pleased.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-scott/if-we-take-care-of-the-customers-and-associates-and-grow-the-business/) [Lee Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-scott/) > [We want what's best for our customers, our associates and our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/we-want-what-s-best-for-our-customers-our-associates-and-our/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [Listen to your customers, not your competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/listen-to-your-customers-not-your-competitors/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [There's a real moral imperative in being an organization that takes the time to sit and listen to the customers and the people they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/there-s-a-real-moral-imperative-in-being-an-organization-that-takes/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [Listen to your customers, but don't always build exactly what they're telling you. This is a really key distinction around building enterprise software.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/listen-to-your-customers-but-don-t-always-build-exactly-what-they-re/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [Listen to customers and you will hear them. Look carefully at customers and you will see them. Do both and you will understand them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/listen-to-customers-and-you-will-hear-them-look-carefully-at/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [This is what customers pay us for - to sweat all these details so it's easy and pleasant for them to use our computers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/this-is-what-customers-pay-us-for-to-sweat-all-these-details-so-it-s/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [ I listen to \[customers\] and we make adjustments because we pretty much average a collection every six weeks. We're constantly taking everything in and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/i-listen-to-customers-and-we-make-adjustments-because-we-pretty-much/) [Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/) > [You can go a hundred miles a second Don't have to drive no lousy cab Got everything you want and more man And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-cohn/you-can-go-a-hundred-miles-a-second-don-t-have-to-drive-no-lousy-cab/) [Marc Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-cohn/) > [Release early. Release often. And listen to your customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/release-early-release-often-and-listen-to-your-customers/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [When a sizable group of customers speak, I always listen! The 'customers' view' is key to my confidence in decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/when-a-sizable-group-of-customers-speak-i-always-listen-the-customers/) [Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/) > [Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You'd be amazed how many companies don't listen to their customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/spend-a-lot-of-time-talking-to-customers-face-to-face-you-d-be-amazed/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Always listen to your customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/always-listen-to-your-customers/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [“13 Simple Ways to Deliver Service Beyond Self 1. Make it Easy for People to Do Business with You. 2. Be an Awesome, Sincere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/13-simple-ways-to-deliver-service-beyond-self-1-make-it-easy-for/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) ## More by J. Willard Marriott > [See and be seen. Get out of your office, walk around, make yourself visible and accessible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/see-and-be-seen-get-out-of-your-office-walk-around-make-yourself/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/eliminate-the-cause-of-a-mistake-don-t-just-clean-it-up/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Customer needs may vary, but their bias for quality never does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/customer-needs-may-vary-but-their-bias-for-quality-never-does/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Entrepreneurs are never satisfied. They want to do things better. They strive for perfection and use all the ingenuity to their command to achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/entrepreneurs-are-never-satisfied-they-want-to-do-things-better-they/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Do it and do it now. Err on the side of taking action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/do-it-and-do-it-now-err-on-the-side-of-taking-action/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Celebrate your people's success, not your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/celebrate-your-people-s-success-not-your-own/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Choose your friends wisely-they will make or break you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/choose-your-friends-wisely-they-will-make-or-break-you/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Take good care of your employees, and they'll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/take-good-care-of-your-employees-and-they-ll-take-good-care-of-your/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Take care of your people and they will take care of your customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/take-care-of-your-people-and-they-will-take-care-of-your-customers/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [No person can get very far in this life on a 40 hour week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/no-person-can-get-very-far-in-this-life-on-a-40-hour-week/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Great companies are built by people who never stop thinking about ways to improve the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/great-companies-are-built-by-people-who-never-stop-thinking-about/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Motivate them, train them, care about them, and make winners out of them... they'll treat the customers right. And if customers are treated right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/motivate-them-train-them-care-about-them-and-make-winners-out-of-them/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [It's the little things that make the big things possible. Only close attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/it-s-the-little-things-that-make-the-big-things-possible-only-close/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [No matter how hard you work for your money, there's always someone out there willing to work twice as hard to take it away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/no-matter-how-hard-you-work-for-your-money-there-s-always-someone-out/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [It's more important to hire people with the right qualities than with specific experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/it-s-more-important-to-hire-people-with-the-right-qualities-than-with/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) [Explore all 20 J. Willard Marriott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) ## More Associates quotes > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) > [Deliver me from all evildoers that talk nothing but sickness and failure. Grant me the companionship of men who think success and men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/deliver-me-from-all-evildoers-that-talk-nothing-but-sickness-and/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [I wanted to be a painter and an artist. And it's interesting that in some of my later musical works, I refer so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunther-schuller/i-wanted-to-be-a-painter-and-an-artist-and-it-s-interesting-that-in/) [Gunther Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunther-schuller/) > [I don't wear makeup. I don't wash my hair every day. It's not something that I associate with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-kunis/i-don-t-wear-makeup-i-don-t-wash-my-hair-every-day-it-s-not-something/) [Mila Kunis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-kunis/) > [You can't really come into a concept record objectively, because you immediately associate it with Yes, stuff from the 1970s that punk rock kicked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-meloy/you-can-t-really-come-into-a-concept-record-objectively-because-you/) [Colin Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-meloy/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [In social networks, you gain and bestow status through those you associate with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/in-social-networks-you-gain-and-bestow-status-through-those-you/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [Men take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/men-take-on-the-nature-and-the-habits-and-the-power-of-thought-of/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [No adversity is in kind or degree peculiar to us; but if we survey the conditions of other men (of our brethren everywhere, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/no-adversity-is-in-kind-or-degree-peculiar-to-us-but-if-we-survey-the/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Tantra is not sexual yoga. When the word tantra is used in the West, very often people immediately associate it with some kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/tantra-is-not-sexual-yoga-when-the-word-tantra-is-used-in-the-west/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There are certainly times in history where power associates itself closely with fields that we would call the humanities, like rulers surrounding themselves with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/there-are-certainly-times-in-history-where-power-associates-itself/) [Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/) > [Surround yourself with people of like mind and different talents and temperaments with the purpose of serving the goals of every member of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-olson/surround-yourself-with-people-of-like-mind-and-different-talents-and/) [Jeff Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-olson/) > [The goose that lays golden eggs has been considered a most valuable possession. But even more profitable is the privilege of taking the golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-goose-that-lays-golden-eggs-has-been-considered-a-most-valuable/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) [Browse all 471 Associates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/associates/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. 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