I had a talk yesterday with someone putting together a “Sales 101” class. He was looking for some input on the content of the class and after I listened to him talk about his goals I quickly knew my recommendation to him. Listen. Listen carefully. And, verify what you hear.

Too often in business it seems like people don’t really listen to one another. They hear enough to assemble their thoughts and then as the person they are talking to continues talking they check out and mentally formulate their response to the person that they aren’t really listening to anyway. This seems odd, and foolish.

What is better is to really listen to the other person, carefully and completely. Then, after being sure that you have listened to everything, repeat back some of what you heard in order to verify your understanding. And finally, then, share your thoughts about how you can help.

Good business requires good communication. Good communication requires great listening skills. Great listening skills requires patience and practice. Make it a point to practice today, I know I will.