The Art of Listening
July 31st, 2008 by Roberts Keeling
I am a mentor to entrepreneurs. One thing you learn when you are mentoring is if you want to gain a receptive listener you start every suggestion, idea, comment or expression of concern, email, phone message, or text message with the phrase “I suggest”. That avoids negative reactions and helps to ensure your audience is attentive and receptive. So all my mentoring blogs start with “I suggest”.
“I suggest”- when you are dealing with anyone, be they customer, prospect, employer, friend, co-worker that your goal should be to listen. If you ask questions then listen, you will gain a far better insight into the subject and the individual’s true feelings that you otherwise would never have heard of. If you encourage your customer, prospect, employee, friend or relative to share their burdens, problems or concerns and really listen you will learn about things that can significantly assist you to achieve your goal to be a better vendor, employer, friend or relative. This is the secret weapon I have learned (over the past censored number of years in business) to use especially when the individual you are listening to is an unhappy customer, employee, friend or relative. It works like a charm!
I remember when I first started in sales I was very young, hyper-enthusiastic and very confident that I was the best salesman around. One day in the middle of my phenomenal pitch the prospect listened politely as I prattled on and when I was done he asked me if he could ask a question and when I said “Of course!” He asked, “Are you almost done with your presentation as I do not have a lot of time today and if you will stop talking I would like to place an order for your service.”
Stop for a moment and think about those people who everyone identifies are nice guys. I’ll bet they all are quiet, soft spoken people who have learned to listen.
Bob the mentor.
