Most people in this world are either very poor listeners or they just don’t care about the others, hence they “don’t want” to listen what the other person says. But whatever the case may be, being a better listener is a prerequisite to having a great conversation.
When you listen effectively to what the other person has to say, you learn a great deal along the way. The conversation is too, a more fulfilling one since you were actively ‘listening’ to other person’s thoughts, saying, experiences, observations or words of wisdom, which eventually have an impact on your mind too. In this article I will teach you how you can improve your listening skills and be a better listener:
How to be a Better Listener:
1. Focus on the conversation – Try to actively focus on what the other person is saying. Try to reciprocate his thoughts and don’t get distracted by other things such as what he/she is wearing, how are they speaking, his/her body movements etc. Just focus on the conversation and do not think of anything else.
2. Take a proactive approach - If the speaker says he met a beautiful salesgirl named Martha today, repeat it out. Do it in a casual way, to make it seem like you are interested in the conversation. For example, you could say “Oh that’s great. So you met Martha today”! Doing this will ensure it will stay in your subconcious mind. You can do this for keywords in the person’s speech, such as anyone’s birthday, name etc. It always works well in remembering things you’d otherwise have difficulty in remembering.
3. Make eye contact – Instead of looking at the watch of the person or just about anywhere else, make a direct eye contact with the person. By doing so you will automatically start focussing on the conversation since the speaker will usually do so in an expressive way if you make a proper eye contact.
4. Don’t interrupt him – This is one very important rule of being a better listener and having a lasting conversation. Even if the talk doesn’t seem quite interesting to you, please don’t interrupt the person. It will usually offend the person if you keep sticking out your butt in whatever he says. Remain calm and let one complete what one has to say.
5. Respond when necessary – If suppose someone tells you about his/her accomplishment(s), don’t just stand there waiting for him to say something more. Respond to it, congratulate him/her. If the other person expects some sort of response, speak out what you feel.