How to Become a Better Listener Part 2

How To Get What You Want
Become a Better Listener Clinical Hypnosis Program (Audio CD)

Asking questions that relate to the speaker’s presentation can also help you to become a better listener.  It’s important to ask questions without allowing the formulation of the questions to interfere with your listening.  If you latch onto one of the speaker’s key points and spend the rest of the conversation thinking up a question you will miss a lot of information.  However, if you ask your questions immediately when they arise, you can have them answered in the context of the presentation without having it affect your listening abilities.  Asking questions is an important part of listening because it lets the speaker know that you are following what he is saying and that you are interested in learning more about the topic. 

Being mindful of your body language is another way to be a good listener.  Be sure to not engage in body language that tells the speaker that you are not interested in their words.  Crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact and wincing are all ways that you can send a message to a speaker that you are not listening carefully to them.  These mannerisms can result in the conversation being cut short because the speaker does not feel you are interested in what they are saying. 


Become a Better Listener.(Brief Article): An article from: Association Management


Practicing your listening skills is another way to become a better listener.  Make a conscientious effort to apply your listening skills each time you speak to someone or attend a presentation.  You can practice your listening skills by remaining completely focused on the conversation or presentation, not trying to guess what the speaker is about to say, creating mental images of the spoken words and asking pertinent questions to affirm what you have just heard.  Each time you have the opportunity to listen try to work on these elements. 

While listening skills are not as widely practiced as speaking skills, they are just as important to a conversation.  Being a good listener will not only ensure that you are receiving information but will affirm to the speaker that you care about the information being presented and that you understand their message.