Becoming Successful in Life - The Importance of Listening

Before you say, "come on Paul. I know the importance of listening. I suggest you stop and really take notice of the time you're talking instead of listening. I can tell you from experience as a sales leader and manager, the best sales people are listeners. They listen for the clues and what we call buying signals. The same can be said in life outside of sales.

It takes more than being a good listener to be successful. It's very important you ask the right questions. One of my favorite sayings is. "Answers rarely appear on their own. Answers only come after you have asked a question". One tip I use when I ask questions is to wait until the individual has finished what they were saying and count to three. This will seem like an eternity but you will get better at it with time. The purpose for this is, the individual spoke about what first came to their mind. It is after this dead air that the individual will come out with more information after they had a chance to think about it deeper. This is when the real good stuff comes out. We provided them with the courtesy to finish their thought. When we listen we project trust. When there is trust, they will tell us more.

How many times in your life have you heard someone say. I can never remember names. I believe the issue is that these people are not listening. What is taking place is they are thinking about what they are going to say next. Well guess what! When your thinking about what you will say next, your not listening effectively. If you start to listen intently you will remember their name. If you listen intently you project that you really care what they have to say. If you listen intently they will tell you more than they would otherwise have said.

What does all this have to do with being successful you ask? When we are talking we are expressing what we already know. When we are listening we have the opportunity to gain knowledge. Knowledge is power. Knowledge helps us with making sound decisions in life and business.

In my opinion there are four ways to gain knowledge.

To be an apprentice and gain experience working beside a master.Go to school. Guess what happens in school? 80 to 90 percent of the time is spent listening.Read about things that will expand our knowledge and provide you with expertise. Because you want to!!Listen intently from those who have knowledge and most importantly take notes when you have a chance following the conversation. Writing helps us to retain what we have heard. Think of the things we have written on napkins during a lunch meeting. Do you get my point?

In many of my recent articles I have been writing about maintaining a positive attitude. To have a positive attitude you need to be conscious of your thoughts. The same applies to listening. Slow it down and be conscious of the questions you ask and how you listen. You will find it amazing what you will learn. To be successful in life you need to be forever learning and expanding your knowledge. Being thirsty for knowledge will water the seeds of success.

Paul's many years of business and life experience have provided him with the expertise to deal with complex issues regarding success and obtaining your goals. Paul has developed a passion for writing and chooses to share this knowledge with his readers and clients. Paul has lived and taught much about what he writes about. This is what separates Paul from those who have just studied it from those who have experienced it, studied it and taught it. Life is full of tough decisions and some times we need a coach to help us through that. Paul can help you get pointed in the right direction and gain control of your life once again. For more information please go to http://www.toyourfuturesuccess.ca/

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Mastering Active Listening At The College Level

Active Listening

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As a college student, much of your time in the classroom entails active listening. This can include listening to a lecture from your instructor, an oral presentation from your classmate, a guest speaker, or an informational CD. The bottom line is that listening, just like writing, is a skill that is utilized day in and day out in college. Different situations require different types of listening. There are listening strategies that can help students complete specific listening tasks.

There are different types of listening that students use throughout their academic careers. Listening for comprehension is a goal when listening for information or ideas that other people communicate. Comprehension listening is required when receiving instruction from your teacher on how to read and examine a poem. It is important to remember key information and focus on remembering the main points of a message.

When listening critically, you listen for comprehension and evaluation. Critical listening includes comprehending and judging the arguments and appeals in a given message and deciding whether to accept or reject them. Critical listening can be valuable when listening to persuasive messages such as a sales pitch, campaign speech, or news editorial.

To help in deciding whether or not to be convinced by a persuasive message, ask yourself a few questions that can help with your determination. Is the speaker trustworthy and qualified to speak on the subject? Are the arguments logical and supported by facts? Does the speaker use questionable motivational appeals, such as fear or prejudice? These types of questions help with critical analysis.
Learning vocabulary takes a different approach to listening.

This listening type is focused on learning new words and how to use them. There are many instances when a student can listen to learn vocabulary. Listening to a presentation on classical music might introduce you to words and definitions used in this music style. Or, a conversation with an astute mentor or business professional can be an opportunity to learn new words.

As you learn vocabulary, you might be able to understand the definition of new words based on how they are used in sentences. So, as you listen for new words, you will want to be in tune with sentence comprehension. If you cannot determine the definition immediately, write down the words and then look them up in the dictionary to find out meanings and connotations. Use new words repeatedly to become familiar with and comfortable using them.
The final listening skill is listening for appreciation. This is listening that we are most familiar with. Listening in this form is for pure enjoyment or entertainment. This can entail appreciating the lyrics song by a singer, a joke as told by a favorite comedian, a dramatic story told by a master storyteller, or news information delivered by a satirical speaker.

Learning various listening skills are vital for those earning college degrees. Students who are taking online college classes may have to pay extra close attention to their assignments, since they will be completing them virtually. Learning listening skills can help students focus on what a speaker is trying to communicate, thereby helping him or her understand the information needed to achieve his or her specific goal or task. Listening skills are also essential for the student's overall success in life, especially in one's career.

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