Listen!

If you rearrange the letters in listen, you get silent. It is impossible to listen if you are talking.

Tips to improve listening:

• Realize it takes work and put in the effort.
• Work to avoid distractions.
• Listen to understand, not to respond.
• Don't interrupt.
• Avoid judgment. Keep an open mind.
• Picture what is being said.
• Ask questions to check for understanding.
• Be sure the speaker is through. Wait for a pause before clarifying.
• Work to feel what the speaker feels.
• Listen for what is missing or is not being said.
• Pay attention to their body language and eye contact.
• Listen for context. How does it fit together? What is the meaning?
• Be curious.

No one ever listened themselves out of a sale! Listening is a skill that can only improve with practice. Join our Listening workshop on Friday, September 8, to evaluate what keeps us from listening at our peak efficiency and explore methods to become better listeners.