It was Alexander Pope who said it best… “To err is human, to listen divine.” OK, so I added the ‘listen’ part.. It’s actually “…to forgive divine” – but that doesn’t help my cause. Listening is just that; however, and perhaps one of the most important, yet undervalued, tactics in effective communications. Actively listening to your clients is as important, if not more so, than providing solutions.

If you own a business (run a household or have so much as a pet) you understand the importance of being listened TO. But most of us focus entirely on our speaking ability as the measurement for effective communications. Now put yourself in the shoes of your client; they also want to be HEARD, they want their ideas to MATTER – and often those ideas aren’t even CLOSE to what you had in mind! As the expert, they are coming to you for answers but they probably already have ideas in mind for what those answers should look like…

So, LISTEN to them! Of course, this is a two-way street and presenting original ideas to your customers is necessary – but always keep your client in mind. People tell you what they want you to hear but you must pay attention. Take notes, get a feeling for what kind of company they are: Conservative? Edgy? What is important to THEM?! And if you don’t know, ASK! People LOVE to talk about themselves – your job is simply to listen!

3 Tips for Effective Listening

1. Let the speaker finish their entire thought before speaking; take a pregnant pause before you answer.

2. Repeat what you’ve just heard; this gives the speaker a chance to address any misconception you may have about what they’ve said.

3. Practice makes perfect – this cliché is easy to do and can work wonders when put into application. Find some chatty friends or family members and go!

Are you listening?