Management
Hearing v Listening
There are a number of traps we all fall into when it comes to being an effective listener. Do any of these sound familiar?
- Our mind wanders if we find the topic or speaker uninteresting.
- We start to evaluate the speaker, rather than their message.
- We allow distractions to interrupt us.
- We ‘switch off’ if the subject is unfamiliar or difficult.
- We become emotionally involved, letting our feeling for a particular word or statement distract us from the full message.
Developing good listening skills is just as important as developing the professional skills you have that make you a great business person.
Engage the 80/20 rule when dealing with your customers: listen 80% of the time, and speak only 20%. When you are actively listening to your customers and prospects, you’re learning about their needs and building a relationship.
When you are speaking, ask key questions, paraphrase what they’ve said to show you understand, and give ‘positive strokes’ in your body language, and in your words — such as “Uh huh”, “Right”, “I see”, and so on.
Active listening can be hard work, but it is crucial to building successful relationships, and therefore in growing your business.
