Now, why should you keep listening instead of speaking. This question is bound to arise in your mind because it is human nature to speak, to speak about ourselves. We love to talk about ourselves.

Listening has many advantages.

• We will be more appreciated by the people whom we talk to.
• We will get new points of view and perspectives.
• We might get some good advice.
• We will have more harmonious relationships.
• We can become patient and tolerant to others.
• Listening to others can solve problems.
• People will like us more, because people like good listeners.
• Listening to people will help us understand them and their needs, and this will enhance our popularity.
• We can become successful by being a good listener

It is not easy to listen with all attention on the person who is speaking. You have to practise this for quiet sometime to become a good listener.

Here are some useful tips for you to become a good listener.

• Repeat what is said to you. When someone is telling you a story or has information that is important to them to share with you, repeat what they have said. This will not only show them you were listening, but it will also ensure that you remember what was said to you later.
• Write it down. If you are in a classroom, an interview, or on a sales call, one of the most effective ways to listen is to write down what one is saying. Make sure they know you are going to take notes, and then take out your notebook and pen to get started! You would be amazed at how much you will remember of the conversation if you just write it down!
• Maintain eye contact and provide non-verbal cues. One of the keys to listening is to pay attention to the speaker. Maintain eye contact and acknowledge what they are saying as they are saying it.
• Avoid outside distractions. If someone wants to talk with you, whether business or personal in nature, turn off your phone, turn off your radio, turn off your TV, and make sure you are both comfortable. In an office setting, make sure you are behind closed doors, and that outsiders know that you are in a meeting in which you cannot be disturbed. Avoid meetings in your office, where your email can become a huge distraction.
• Listen from the heart. Empathy for the individual speaking is another critical factor in developing effective listening skills. If you listen with your heart and not your head, you will listen more clearly, because you won’t be thinking about yourself.
• Practice. Every time someone speaks to you, practice your listening skills. Don’t wait for “important” conversations. You can’t determine which conversations are important to the other individual and which are not. Practicing effective listening skills with every conversation is critical to deepening relationships and becoming known as an empathetic listener.
• Mirror body language. If the person with whom you are engaging in conversation is sitting back, cross-legged, with arms folded in their lap, it is important that you mirror a similar image in your own body language. This will subconsciously indicate to them that you are listening to them, and will put their mind at ease in being able to speak openly and honestly with you.
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