Listen With Your Eyes
How many times are you confronted by a colleague, a friend, a partner or spouse claiming, “You are not really listening to me are you?” In a world gone mad with technology the trend to multitasking has ‘Pearl Harboured’ our ability to listen. I remembered the fabulous Nicky Joy, author of “selling is a Woman’s Game” & “What Winners Do To Win!” telling me once to “listen with your eyes”. What an incredible instruction! What she means is ‘to be in the present’ and ‘to be there’, focused upon whoever you’re in direct conversation.
If you listen with your eyes you will not be distracted by the multitude of interruptions bombarding our everyday world. In the great video from Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle there is a segment in their Fish Philosophy about “being there” … being so completely focused on the customer that nothing gets in the way… And if it does you are right back to being there in a flash. Watch these great FISH videos:
One of the superstars at PMA, Bill, and always said “I can’t listen, if I’m still talking” …so stop and engage! Bill is like a question a minute sales person who has learned to probe and then shut up and listens! It is a real skill that takes practice to perfect. In any relationship whether it be a professional sales relationship or a personal relationship your ability to listen will be your key to success or perhaps salvation.
It’s Not Easy To Listen!
In Today’s world opinion is rewarded. We have all become noisy pundits on every subject, fuelled by Google or Alexa’s knowledge. We are the instant experts and seem desperate to share that opinion with the world whether anyone wants it or not. In fact, what we all mostly desire, is acceptance of that opinion… and that only comes with listening. If someone else is accepting of a direction you want to go, it will come only while listening to their reaction to that opinion… and making the necessary adjustments to meet compliance and eventually acceptance.
Practice LISTENING… particularly with your eyes! Your approval rating will soar!
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