The poorest part of communication is listening! Mastering this art will catapult you ahead of the pack. The following is a summary of 20 articles and personal experiences on the subject:

When others talk, do more than listen! Study their faces!!

• Their emotions will be reflected in their facial expressions… from exasperation to concern.

• React to those feelings with your own head movements.

• Sharp listeners do more than establish eye contact and avoid fiddling with paperwork or checking their wristwatch as someone speaks to them. They also use non-verbal cues to underscore their desire to pay attention…

• Move closer. In the midst of a conversation, a sudden background noise such as a whirring computer printer or a sputtering vehicle engine can interfere. That’s when you should reduce the distance between you and the speaker.

• Lean toward a speaker to indicate you want to capture every word. That makes the speaker feel more important and sends him the message that you are determined to listen.

Set the stage

• If you invite someone into your office, don`t seat them in a plain metal chair while you’re planted in an oversized leather seat. Instead, arrange for both of you to sit in the same type of chairs. Also, come out from behind your desk or counter so that you can listen without impediment.

• Remove barriers between you and the speaker. This improves the speakers feeling of being listened to because youve equalized the interaction. You want to be equally visible and aligned with each other.

• Let your eyes wander. Don’t assume you must maintain eye contact 100% of the time. Such intent staring can make a speaker self-conscious.

• Once in a while, glance away to think or process something you hear. Then, remember once you disconnect eye contact, restore it soon.

• Some listeners look away and then tune out for good. Visual stimuli may cause them to daydream, so they don`t return their eye contact to the speaker.

• Calm down. If youre itching to interrupt, it will show in your body language. You may sway from side to side or nod too much, as if to say, “Yes, youve made your point; now you`re repeating yourself.” They can make a speaker feel rushed to finish, skipping key information.

• Listen for understanding rather than to respond. That way, youll keep an open posture. Youll avoid crossing your arms to indicate you`re closed to the information coming in.

It will be clear that you’re listening with the intention of learning, rather than waiting for the right moment to rebut.

Once you strike an attentive listening pose, stick to it! If you quickly lose interest, it may show in the way you recline in your chair.

• You can tell when impatient listeners stop listening and start thinking of what they want to say next. How? They appear less riveted to the speaker and more preoccupied. They may pounce on any pause to jump in and redirect the conversation.

• But you’ll learn more and build stronger rapport by signaling your desire to wait out even a talkative speaker.

“Moving beyond mere “eye contact” will forge an amazing bond between you and your prospective customer!”

<B>by Sandhya LUCHOOMUN BOYGAH</B>