The Art of Listening-what the 3% Leaders do

We've all done it. Your best friend rings you up and says "Hi Donal I've just come up with this really cool business idea that I think is going to make me a fortune. As he proceeds to tell his tale are you listening intently on the other end until he is finished and maybe waiting for your opinion or advice?.Of course not. You have already formed an opinion what you are going to say or several opinions for that matter before he has finished speaking and how many times did you interrupt him during this conversation? Several no doubt.

Okay let's not beat ourselves up over this. It's human conditioning. It's not our fault that our brain can absorb so much information that it is lying idol and is not capable of listening. It wants to be active so our brain goes into overdrive instead of remaining passive. All great leaders are great listeners; Aaron Parkinson, John Jackson, Jay Kubassek, Donald Trump for examples. They appreciate that learning to listen to someone, really listening is an art form and is key to their success. Why? Because this business is not about them. It is about you; your needs, your solutions, answering your questions, listening to your concerns, taking an interest in your development and your success.

Try this as an exercise. Next time someone speaks to you focus on listening to them and don't speak until they are finished or they ask you a question without interrupting them. I bet you will find it both strange and challenging but this is what great leaders do and this art separates them above everyone else. They are the 3% leaders and they are the top producers.

When someone learns to listen they form instant trust and rapport with their prospect because they are thinking, "hey this guy is not trying to preach, boast or sell." "He is taking a real interest in me". Next time a prospect walks away from you ask yourself the question. Did I really listen? If the answer is probably not I hope you learned something valuable from this article.

This is Donal Hennessy signing off. Stay tuned for my next article.