There’s a reason you have two ears and only one mouth. If you want to forge enduring relationships and create lots of opportunity, listen twice as much as you speak.
When having a conversation, do you find yourself formulating your responses in your head while the other person is still speaking? In a business or sales conversation, do you ramble on about the quality of your products or services?
Are you a good listener?
I struggled for a very long time to understand the importance of being a good listener. My idea of listening was waiting to talk until after the other person finished speaking. That’s not listening, that’s just being polite! Big difference.
Nothing is more elemental to your success than developing the habits of a master listener.
If you want to kick up your game in life, and experience greater personal effectiveness, you must listen intently. When you listen to someone–really listen, you honor them. When you listen intently, you show them you care about them, their desires and concerns. You demonstrate, by listening, that you are person who can be confided in and trusted. This one skill alone is a force multiplier in buiding enduring relationships. Learn to be a master listener.
To create competitive advantage for your business on a massive scale, listen more and sell less.
Never make your sales conversations about your products or services. Customers can easily get whatever you’re selling anywhere and at a cheaper prices. Master listeners differentiate their value from the available alternatives by focusing on the client’s issues and desired outcomes.
The only way you can learn about what matters to your customer/client is to listen intently to what they have to say. You don’t need to speak at all! A sincere and empathetic nod every once and while is twice as effective in impacting your business development success.
Listening is a “first principle” and a fundamental attribute of all highly successful people. Listening enhances the quality of your relationships in every area of your life–business, spouse, partner, children, family and friends. Nothing has more attractive force and forges deeper relationships than listening intently to what someone has to say.
Here are a few simple ways you can form the habit of being a master listener in all your conversations:
• With an open body position, face the person, look them straight in the eye.
• Be present. Put down your pen, fold up your electronic device, place your hands in your lap.
• A simple and sincere nod is far more effective than formulating a response.
• Respond by asking good questions, listen intently to the answer, confirm your understanding.
• Never interrupt or talk over someone. Nothing will diminish your effectiveness faster.
• Demonstrate high levels of empathy. You have to really care about what someone is saying. Even if the subject is not at the center of your interest.
Becoming a master listener requires intentional effort and practice–but it's not rocket science either. Just think how you feel when someone doesn't listen to you. You certainly wouldn't want anyone to feel that way when talking to you would you?
When you form the habits of a master listener, you’ll be amazed how quickly people will fall in love with anything you have to say!
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