Whether you’re in a position to help customers, employees or colleagues, your ability to listen is the key to doing it well. Pump up your listening skills with these three tactics.
They come from Joanna Brandi, a customer service and workplace happiness expert:
- Focus on ideas and feelings, not just words. That will give you the whole picture. Tone and emotion often say more than the actual words.
- Be prepared. When you go into a conversation that was scheduled, plan some remarks and questions ahead of time so you can concentrate on listening to the other person.
- Make more invitations. Encourage people to talk a little more before you respond. Invite them to say more with these phrases: “Tell me more,” “Then what happened?” or “Can you add more?”
