The Most Important Communication Skill

Do you want to know the key to all effective communication? Listening.

Listening is the ability to accurately understand the messages of another person in the communication process. It’s extremely easy to misunderstand the message someone is trying to send you if you do not listen to exactly what they’re saying.

When people think of communication, many people think of other people talking or having a conversation. Most of the focus is drawn toward what you should say or how you should say things to others.

However, a big part of communicating is listening. This can be an easy thing to overlook because sometimes it’s hard to listen when you feel like you have something important to say. Learning how to listen to others is so important, especially in the business world, because it allows you to further develop the conversation by tailoring it to how the other person thinks or feels. You can gauge their responses to things you say, and could even think of new ideas or solutions based on what they have to say.

In business, this is an extremely important skill to learn when communicating. Listening can lead to an overall better relationship with customers, eliminating miscommunication which in turn reduces any frustration or irritation someone might get from not being understood correctly. Rather than continuously talking about your product or why it’s better than the competition, listen to any problems or concerns the other person might have. This way, you are creating value for that person by addressing specific concerns of theirs. This will allow you to think outside of the box when creating a solution for them and will give you an advantage from your competitors by thinking of something they may not.

Earlier this week I was able to practice my own listening skills when meeting with a client. I sat down with him and we had a conversation on what he was looking for and how I would be able to provide him with a solution that would improve his business. When he was talking to me and telling me exactly what he needed his new product for, I was able to come up with a solution that did two things to benefit him. The first was giving him a product that matched exactly what he was looking for because I listened to his specific needs and concerns. The second was giving him a machine within the price range he was looking for. Rather than trying to force a more expensive product, I found one that could effectively perform the tasks he needed it too while staying within his budget. This allowed me to gain his trust and in turn gain his business, showing how important listening skills can be in creating business relationships.

Good listening skills can go a long way for your personal life as well. It allows you to expand social networking skills giving you a great number of friends. It can also be helpful with school because listening to your teachers will make you more aware of the material, giving you better grades as a result.

It’s important to remember that listening is not the same as hearing. While hearing refers to the physical sounds that enter your ears, listening requires active attention and concentration so that you understand exactly what is being said. Remember, if you want to be successful you NEED to listen to others.

You have two ears and one mouth for a reason, so be sure to pay close attention to what other people have to say when having a conversation.