The Great Listener

One of my buddies fancies himself
‘a great listener’
because he doesn’t talk.

Yeah, no.
Talking with him
is like talking to myself.
When we’re speaking on the phone,
half the time
I wonder if we’ve been disconnected.
I don’t benefit from the conversation
and I suspect he doesn’t either.

Great listeners are active listeners.
They ask questions.
They rephrase information.
They add prompts
or indicate understanding.

As Mind Tools shares

“To enhance your listening skills,
you need to let the other person know
that you are listening
to what he or she is saying.
To understand the importance of this,
ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged
in a conversation when you wondered
if the other person was listening
to what you were saying.
You wonder if your message is getting across,
or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak.
It feels like talking to a brick wall
and it’s something you want to avoid.

Acknowledgement can be
something as simple as a nod of the head
or a simple “uh huh.”
You aren’t necessarily
agreeing with the person,
you are simply indicating
that you are listening.
Using body language and other signs
to acknowledge you are listening
also reminds you to pay attention
and not let your mind wander.

You should also try to respond
to the speaker in a way
that will both encourage him or her
to continue speaking,
so that you can get the information if you need.
While nodding and “uh huhing” says
you’re interested,
an occasional question
or comment to recap what has been said
communicates that you understand the message
as well.”

Being a great listener
doesn’t mean being silent.

Published
Categorized as Marketing