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Dear ,
Listen.
Just listen.
When someone speaks, are you able to just listen to what
they have to say?
Or are you waiting for any entry point to jump into the conversation?
I'll confess to you that I have to consciously force myself to stay quiet when someone is talking and to simply listen. It's much harder than most people think.
Is it really that
important to be a good listener? Yes, it is. I would say it's one of the keys to success in business and personal life.
Some of the Benefits of Being a Good Listener...
1. IT BUILDS TRUST -- When you truly listen to someone speak, they feel important... they feel like what they say matters to you. That's crucial in
building a business relationship with someone. I've seen it too many times where two business people go to lunch and one of them completely dominates the conversation. Do you think that makes for a good business meeting? Probably not.
2. IT BUILDS CONFIDENCE -- You might be surprised by this, but when I'm in a business meeting and the person I'm with is listening attentively
to me, this makes me more willing to reveal things to him that I normally wouldn't reveal. It makes me confident that what I say to this person will remain secure.
3. YOU'LL BE MORE PRODUCTIVE -- Instead of wasting time trying to jump back and forth into conversation, wasting time, when you listen carefully to someone speak, you're more likely to absorb things more quickly. You get more
work done.
4. IT WILL MAKE YOU MORE LIKABLE -- Let's be honest. If you notice that someone is so attentive to you, attentive to what you say, don't you like them a little more? That's human nature. Likability goes a long way in business. People tend to do business with people they know, like and trust (remember that). Good
listening skills help further all three.
5. IT WILL KEEP MISTAKES AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS TO A MINIMUM -- You're less likely to make mistakes or have misunderstandings if you're focused on listening instead of speaking. One of the most common reasons for misunderstands is one person is speaking and the
other is thinking about what to say without absorbing what's being said. When you listen, you reduce the possibility of your messages getting crossed.
Tune in tomorrow where I'll give you some tricks on HOW TO BE A GOOD LISTENER.
If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions, please email me at: nader@copticchamber.com.
Until next time...
Your friend,
