Listening has always been hailed as one of the most powerful business skills. Some experts would even go as far as to say it is the single most important skill a business professional could possibly have.
This is especially true now more than it ever has been. Consumers think and act differently in this era, and if you don’t listen to what they have to say and listen well, you will be the first company, vendor, service provider, or whatever it is you do… crossed off their list.
Are you willing to let that happen?
If not, here are a few tips to keep your listening at the top of its game.
Let them get it all out.
To listen well, you need to hear the entire story. This means, you need to allow the speaker to actually finish speaking. Let them get their whole story out before you open your mouth to speak. If you fail to do this, then you will speak too soon and you will not have all the necessary information to answer questions properly or to tend to concerns as you should.
Stop thinking about what you’re going to say.
The biggest mistake people make when listening to others is when they think about what they’re going to say the entire time they’re listening to another person. There are two major reasons this is a horrible habit to pick up. This first reason is because, once again, you won’t hear everything this person is saying, and as a result, you will miss key components of the conversation. The second reason is because what you’re doing is very obvious. Most people can tell when a person has stopped listening to them, and it comes off as very inconsiderate and self-absorbed. No one likes that.
Don’t make assumptions.
When people are listening to others, they have the tendency to assume what’s going to come out of that person’s mouth next. Doing this will only lead to confusion because while they’re speaking, you’re thinking of what they might say. When they don’t say what you think they’re going to say, you’re stuck wondering why. In the meantime, they’re still speaking, and you’ve stopped listening. Good luck trying to explain that.
