The Art of Listening

Active and Passive

There is a huge difference between hearing and listening to what someone is saying. Hearing is passive. Listening is active. If you want to become instantly likeable and make more sales— if you really want to “connect” with your customers— learn to “actively” listen to what they’re saying.

While passively listening, our thoughts may be wandering, thinking about our response to what the speaker is saying even before they’re finished. Or in the extreme, wondering what the daily lottery numbers are likely to be.

Actively listening means, remaining intently focusing on what is being said without mentally working on constructing a response. It is represented by a high degree of eye contact, nodding to indicate understanding, and pausing for reflection before responding to what has been said. It means completely immersing yourself in what the speaker is saying, seeking to truly understand.

Only through active listening are you able to achieve the deep level of communication required to virtually guarantee maximum results from each customer interaction.