Let's start by identifying three different types of listening we do. The first type - informal listening - comes naturally, as in listening to another person. I take in what you have to say, and how you say it.

A second type, competitive intelligence, is a systematic process for monitoring sources and gathering information. That information is aggregated, processed to bring out important points, and distributed to others who can use it to make decisions.

In this article, we look at a third type, a less rigorous approach to competitive intelligence, one that falls somewhere between simple listening and formal competitive intelligence. Call it strategic listening, a relatively simple way to stay on top of issues that affect your organization.

Let's start with objectives, which we normally do when looking at something strategically. Ask two key questions, "Why are we doing this?" and "What will we do with information we gather?"

It is a proven fact in marketing that you will continue to buy over and over again from people and companies that you know, like and trust. Yet 95% of all internet marketers fail when it comes to eBay. Most are looking for fast buck. They have completely miss opportunity to use eBay as a lead generation tool. They miss opportunity to create a list of people that will be willing to consume your products over and over again.

Lead generation on eBay can be accomplished in several ways. The most popular way is by using self liquidating ad. A self liquidating ad is one that pays for itself. In other words your customer directly pays your advertising costs. What they are purchase from you is really some form of advertising.

Let me give you an example of a self liquidating advertisement. Recently I saw in a magazine an ad for a pair of sunglasses. The ad claimed that sunglasses were free. You just have to pay shipping and handling costs.

My guess is that advertiser probably isn’t making much if any money on sunglasses. But they also aren’t losing any money. The shipping and handling most likely cover their actual costs. What they really want is something far more valuable – your contact information and your “permission” to market to you. In other words they are looking for qualified prospects - prospects that are interested in products and services they are selling.

Once this company has your contact information and “permission” to market to you, they will begin to establish a relationship. They will do this in a variety of ways including sending you ads for other product and services you may be interested in. Over time most customers will be worth many times more than their initial purchase.