People generally talk much more than they listen. But the fact is we learn only when listening. We learn nothing by talking. If you are going to succeed in any business, you’ve got to care about people. It’s a matter of leadership. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” The best way in the world to show people how much you care and the quickest way, too – is by listening.

I’ve heard over and over that the key to a successful business is to “find a need and fill it.” The only way to find a need is by listening really listening!

This isn’t as easy as it might sound. Focusing on another person means shutting down everything on your own list, paying complete attention, and hearing every single word the other person says. Let me give you an example. A few years ago I recommended to an IBO (John) to record one of his ‘one-to-one’ bus ness plan presentations so we could critique it together. A half hour into John’s conversation, his prospect said, “I’m looking for a way to supplement my full-time income and make an additional $700 per month.” Rather than using this informa tion as power, John breezed right over the smaller income in the plan and focused on a six-figure income and total financial independence! We miss opportunity when we fail to listen.

Refusing to listen to people is the surest way of making others feel unimportant. Instead, make people feel important by listening with your ears, nodding with your head, and making eye contact. This les people know that you are fully present with them and affirming theit importance.

The best visual I can give you of a great listener are those mechanical flowers in a pot with a battery. They have a microphone and respond to sound. Have you ever seen one? They are hysterical to watch when you play music with a good beat because they actually ‘dance’ to the music they hear! My example might be a bit extreme, but our eye movement and head nods should be a direct response to what others are saying. Nodding shows agreement and creates a greater likelihood of a positive outcome.

In addition, the best listeners use the art of bridging. Bridging is a technique that keeps the conversation moving and avoids the situa-tion where you might talk too much or your prospect talks too little.

Isn’t it uncomfortable when you are showing a plan and your prospect responds with short, deliberate ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘kinda’, ‘not real-ly’ answers? You can avoid most of those situations by using simple, sincere phrases to keep them talking like:

So then…?

Meaning…?

For example…?

Therefore…?

Then you…?

Which means…?

When you use a bridge remember to first lean forward, stretch the last letter of the bridge, and then lean back and LISTEN…