bythemethod.com blog

Listening is a skill that can be learned with a little persistance and being able to listen can really pay off.

 Some of the benefits of being able to listen are:

1. it gives the person you are listening to a feeling of importance
   This is a great way to encourage people to think positively towards you. The more people who think positively about you the better chance you have of success.
2. it enables you to learn
   You can learn things from even the simplest of conversations. If you are listening to someone who could have a key part to play in your future success you have an opportunity to learn something about them that you may be able to employ to your advantage later (I don’t mean juicy gossip). The more you discover about a person the better you can make your relationship with them.
3. it demonstrates a good character
   Everyone hates people who are full of their own self importance. Those who believe they have power because everyone has to listen to them are deceiving themselves. If you are this way you will discover (if you listen carefully enough) that nearly all those people you force to listen to you probably don’t like you and many of them will be looking for ways to stab you in the back. Showing you care by listening (and this applies ten-fold for those who have power over others) will make you a hero to people.
4. it gives others the chance to talk.
   One of the greatest gifts we can give to someone else is the gift of time. When you listen to someone you are giving them the gift of your time. The longer you listen the more they will respond by opening up to you. The more they open up the deeper your relationship with them will become. The deeper your relationship the greater chance that you will be able to help each other. It’s great to have a little help from others when you are trying to succeed.
5. etc
   There are loads of good reasons to listen – too many to list here.

To start enhancing your listening skills you need to practice really concentrating on what people are saying and to practice allowing pauses in a conversation. People like to fill silences and if you leave a few they will start to talk and you get the chance to listen.

Learn to listen well and it will help you succeed.