The document discusses the importance of listening well and provides 7 ways to improve listening skills. It notes that listening well avoids misunderstandings, gains better understanding from the speaker, saves time and money by avoiding reworks, shows you care about customers, and is courteous. However, listening is challenging due to multitasking, overreliance on tools to find information, emotional states, speech patterns or biases, the other person's emotional state, and environmental distractions. The 7 tips provided to improve listening include eliminating distractions, getting back to the person later if needed, changing locations, not interrupting the speaker, taking notes, using eye contact and body language, and confirming understanding.

1. Tom Fuszard
Supreme Communications, LLC
New Berlin, Wisconsin
April 2014

2. 1. Why it’s important to listen well
2. Challenges to listening well
3. 7 ways to improve your listening skills

3. Definition of listening well:
Hearing AND comprehending/understanding
You are paying attention

4.  Avoid misunderstandings –
Make sure you know what’s expected of you;
what was asked, stated, etc.
Avoid confusion and mistakes; embarrassment
of having to go back to the person to get
information again.

5.  Gain better understanding –
Being patient draws out the information better.
Speaker isn’t rushed. He or she better
articulates what is needed.

6.  Save time: work efficiently –
Because you’re not wasting time asking follow-
up questions, you’re working more efficiently,
productively. Getting the task done right the
first time.

7.  Save money: fewer reworks –
Doing it right the first time means fewer
reworks, reorders, reshipments, and everything
associated with those issues.
Bottom line: You literally save money.

8.  Shows you really care –
Business people who take the time and put
forth the effort project a professional image –
one that says they really care. They care about
their products and services. They care about
their customers.

9.  Courtesy –
Taking the time to listen well is just plain
courteous. That should be standard operating
procedure, but it is not in every business.
People prefer to do business with those they
like. Come across as courteous, and you stand
a better chance of keeping that customer.

10.  Save your reputation/brand –
Poor customer service can kill a brand. Poor
listening skills – and the problems they cause –
can cause customers to flee. Your business
develops a bad reputation, meaning your brand
has taken a hit.

11.  Multitasking –
We try to do too much at one time: monitor
email (often from more than one device), work
on a project, answer the phone…and then try
to listen to someone talking to us.

12.  Tools provide confidence –
Because we have these tools, and access to the
Web, we are less inclined to listen well the first
time. We assume or know that we can get the
information from an online source at any time.

13.  Our emotional state –
Perhaps our day got off to a poor start (car
trouble, headache, leaking water heater).
Maybe a customer just had a tantrum, or a
project isn’t going smoothly.
These and other forces make it difficult to
concentrate on what you’re listening to.

14.  Speech patterns; our biases –
The other person isn’t always an eloquent
speaker. You may hear a thick accent, poor or
sloppy English; perhaps the person talks
quietly or slowly.
There are a number of factors that raise an
internal ire. Those biases are barriers to
listening well.

15.  The other person’s emotional state –
Just as your issues interfere with your
concentration, so can outside forces affect how
well someone communicates with you.
Understand that the speaker may be enduring
some tough issues. Be patient.

16.  Environmental issues –
Some venues can be really challenging
environments for listening well. We’ll discuss a
remedy in the next section, so understand that
you don’t have to put up with it. At the same
time, accept that some venues just aren’t
conducive to listening well.

18.  1. Eliminate distractions/multitasking –
Focus on one project or task at a time. That
“task” may involve listening to someone speak.
Turn off phones or set them to voice mail, log
off email and social media sites, turn off the TV
or radio. Understand that something has to
give: you can’t do everything at once.

19.  2. Get back to the person:“Gimmee a few
moments” –
If you’re approached while working on a
project, ask to talk later. Short of an
emergency, what you’re working on now is
more important.
Ask for a few moments to complete that task.
The other person will understand.

20.  3. Change location –
Don’t try to force the conversation. Move to a
different room, go outside or into the hallway.
Move somewhere so you can carry on the
conversation. The other person will appreciate
it as much as you do.

21.  4. Keep your mouth shut!
Let the person speak entirely. Don’t jump in,
even though you think you know what’s being
asked of you. First, that’s rude. More impor-
tantly, you may be wrong. If the speaker is a
customer, you could damage the relationship.

22.  5. Take notes –
Helps ensure you understand all the points or
information the person is providing. You can’t
hope to memorize everything.
Taking notes further shows you put value in
what the person has to say. Plus, by writing,
you’re less likely to talk out of line.

23.  6. Use eye contact; body positioning –
Good eye contact reinforces notion that you
value the person’s information or needs, and
are willing to provide your undivided attention.
Avoid temptation to look over the person’s
should to see who else is in the room. Rude.
Lean in and turn your head to hear better in
noisy environments.

24.  7. Confirm your understanding –
Referring to your notes, summarize what you
have written. Make sure you understand all
details before closing the conversation. The
speaker will be impressed with your attention,
and you are better suited to provide the proper
solution or information.

25. View samples at:
www.TomFuszard.com/samples
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©2014 Thomas R. Fuszard