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Exceptional Listening Skills

Written by: Gloria Starr

Article Overview: Improve your listening skills and improve your charism factor.

Exceptional Listening Skills

Make eye contact.

Focus completely on the speaker.

Stay flexible, honest, and relaxed. Let your face show attentive listening, instead of saying, “I can’t wait until you finish speaking so I can talk.”

Don’t interrupt except for an occasional clarification. Allow the speaker to complete his or her thought before you respond.

Become adept at questioning. Visually show you are curious to hear more.

Before responding, wait another 20 seconds and see what else you can learn and what additional information the speaker wants to share.

Strengthen your flexibility in listening and behavior. Vary your behavior to elicit or secure a response from the other person.

Review a conversation you had with someone today. Consider when you should have been silent, where you jumped in, or interrupted the speaker. Now that the moment has passed, what else would you like to know? How could the business be furthered? What can you do to connect with that person more substantially in the future?

Give each co-worker or colleague your undivided attention when talking with them. Make an extra effort to stay focused.

Nonverbal Messages You Send Out

Physical Presence:
Do a “30 second detail check” before you walk into a meeting.
Enter a room as if you belong there. Show up ready to be nowhere else!
Body language and facial expressions set the tone - SMILE!!

Handshakes:
Convey trust and credibility.
Initiate them with men and women equally.
Make eye contact...it’s critical.

Space and Territory:
We each have a “bubble” of invisible space that provides us a comfort level.
In our culture, it is 3ft. - 6ft., but it varies by culture and customs around the world.

Mirroring and Matching:
Matching another person’s energy level, facial expressions, vocabulary, pace, and style will instantly build commonality and rapport.

Related Articles
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  Communication Categories - Which one are you
  What an Exceptional Joe Looks Like?
  LISTENING SKILLS IN COACHING
  Learn the Powers of Effective Communication

Article Tags: communication, communication skills, Gloria Starr, listening skills



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