I hope you enjoyed the videos in parts 1 and 2 of this post on listening. We know that listening can be hard – but losing a sale is even harder.
Sometimes we get so excited about our products and services that we just can’t stop talking. I know. It’s difficult. Been there, done that. We are eager to jump in when a client mentions a problem before we give him a chance to finish.
The key takeaways from the videos are you must be patient. Relax. Take your time. You are not a snake oil salesman trying to make a quick buck before running out of town. The good news is that listening is a skill you can learn.
Below are some great books to help you further in developing your listening skills –
Power Listening: Mastering the Most Critical Business Skill of All, by Bernard T. Ferrari
Listening: The Forgotten Skill: A Self-Teaching Guide, by Madelyn Burley-Allen
Active Listening 101: How to Turn down your Volume to Turn up your Communication Skills, by Emilia Hardman
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People do Differently, by John C. Maxwell
Please let me know if you have any recommendations.
It would be so nice if Listening Intelligence could be built like an easily learned skill; but, as with any other intelligence, it requires awareness, acumen, coaching, practice, and dogged commitment. Listening is a brain function and a habit that can be developed and modified, but not quickly or easily.
Hi, thank you very much for you comments. If you are interested in submitting a short guest blog post on listening, I certainly will consider it and post it on my site. Take care, Don.