Persuasion, 4th Edition



Being a good listener

Why listening is so crucial

• Running ‘tapes’ in your own head
• I hear what you say
• We think much faster than we can speak
• Paraphrasing

Of all the aspects of communication, listening is the most important. Now that might not sound like good news – most of us prefer talking to listening, after all. Comments like ‘she’s a good listener’ are often made about people who don’t have much to say for themselves. Stop and think about it though.

Think about somebody you know who isn’t a good listener. Who, in fact, never seems to listen to anything you say. Frustrating, isn’t it? And ...