The Art of Active Listening

As you have probably experienced many times in life, there is a world of difference between simply hearing and really listening. How many times have you spoken to someone in the business world or in your personal life and you question if that person actually listened to what you said? Or how many times have you been driving and listening to the radio but get distracted by a thought and miss something important that was said, and you try desperately to understand what is being talked about?

We’ve all been there, and we all have short attention spans at times, but when it comes to speaking with your clients, are you really listening to what they are saying? 

Enter the art of active listening. This listening skill is powerful and one we all need to master. The benefits that you can receive from this type of listening enables you to fully understand the true meaning of the spoken word and not just hear what’s being said.

Some of the skills to active listening include:

• Making Eye Contact – If you are not looking at the person while they are speaking, you may give the impression that you don’t care. Also, if you are going to take notes, let them know this in advance and frequently look up and make eye contact.
• Don’t Interrupt – Let the person speak and finish their thoughts before adding to the conversation. We tend to react to what is said and want to add our own opinions or start forming a response, rather than concentrate on what the other person is trying to express. Try to listen to your speaker’s full thoughts before forming any type of response.
• Show You Understand – Nodding your head or saying simple words like “yes”, “aha”, and “okay” will show that you understand what the person is telling you. It is important, however, not to just sit there and do nothing. Be engaged in the conversation by making some subtle gestures and comments.

Whenever you visit a client to find out about a potential project or debrief on a project, truly listen to what is being said.  The information you may find out during that conversation could provide you with valuable information on their next project - providing you with a leg up on your competition.  So, use those listening skills to your advantage and you will be surprised how much more information you can gather.