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GIVE THE SPEAKER YOUR FULL ATTENTION
Most people have the ability to drive a car, surf the Internet, read the newspaper, or do household chores while they're conversing on the telephone. But if you find yourself face-to-face with another individual, it's more appropriate to give up your multi-tasking habits in favor of focusing on the conversation at hand. Otherwise, the person who is speaking might easily feel like you're not that interested in what they have to say. So the first step in becoming an outstanding audience is to stop what you're doing so that you can concentrate exclusively on the task of listening.
For many people, the journey to becoming a successful communicator involves a major shift towards conscious listening and away from excessive talking. By focusing more on the listening role, this type of speaker will learn more about the other person as well as give them the well-received gift of attention. And if you've always thought of yourself as a good listener, you've undoubtedly discovered some new ways to become ever better through this chapter.
The Bottom Line
Remember that in order to "talk like a winner" in the broadest sense, you must "listen like a winner" as well. All you have to do is follow this simple rule: Become a great audience when others are speaking. Once you know and understand the significance of this essential part of successful communication, it's only a matter of practicing and testing it every day in your own life until this skill becomes a constructive new habit.
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