Active listening boosts your influence, whether you are in a virtual, in-person or hybrid meeting. It demonstrates your commitment and sincere interest in hearing what others have to say.  Active listening is not easy and requires a conscious effort. Three ways to boost your influence by making active listening a part of every conversation:

1. Choose to listen

Did you know the average person only hears about 25 percent of what someone says? Active listening requires serious commitment. It means mindfully switching to listening mode every time someone begins to speak. Next time you’re in a conversation, choose to clear your mind of possible responses. Shut down your email and eliminate any distractions that will prevent you from absorbing what is being said.

2. Write down key points

When someone else is speaking, our minds naturally want to formulate a response. It is in this clutter that we lose the value in what is being said. To keep your mind clear and free from distraction, listen for conversational key points and write them down. This gives your mind permission to remain free and clear of thoughts you can easily circle back to later.

3. Peel back the layers

When talking to others, it’s tempting to want to interject, but this limits our ability to hear what is really being said. Active listening peels back conversational layers and unpacks the message. A Harvard Business Review study found people who ask periodic questions are perceived to be better listeners than their silent counterpart.

Next time you’re in a conversation, ask open-ended questions. Dig deeper and get to the core of what your listeners really want to share.

Podcast: At the Table

Check out our Research on Influence in conjunction with the University of Northern Colorado HERE.

Influence Research

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Drop me a note to share the action steps you will commit to this month to make sure you’re NOT just listening but ACTIVELY listening.  Tag me on my Facebook page.

If you missed one of Stacey’s previous blogs or tips, visit her online.

This week’s blog is an excerpt from Stacey’s new book, Influence Redefined … Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday®.  If you’re interested in learning more, contact her at stacey@staceyhankeinc.com

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What Achievers Read:

Attention Pays by Neen James

The post 3 Steps to Actively Listen to Increase Your Influence first appeared on Stacey Hanke, Inc..

1. People don’t follow your lead.

Winning over your audience means knowing beforehand what it takes to keep their attention and what pitfalls you must consider. They may not follow you if they don’t act on your recommendations, do the minimum amount of work to get by, make decisions on their own without your input or limit the amount of information they share with you.

• Check in for understanding and clarification. A message that sounds clear and concise to you doesn’t guarantee your listeners have the same level of clarity.
• Ask others whom you can trust to continuously give you feedback to ensure you are leading in a way that influences others to follow.

2. Your listeners don’t respond to your emails and texts as frequently or as quickly as you would like.

Are your email messages too long and confusing? Are your text messages one continuous paragraph? Are your messages written in Morse code? Would you respond to your email messages?

• Before you hit “send,” double-check your grammar and spelling.
• When in doubt, hang up the email and pick up the phone to minimize the risk of miscommunication and to save time.

3. You’re frequently interrupted.

Your listeners may be interrupting you because you take too long to get to the point, you never pause and/or it is difficult to follow you.

• This week, focus on getting to the point while adapting your message to your listeners’ expectations.
• Pause to listen and give others time to speak. Influence Monday to Monday® involves saying less and listening more.

If you still get interrupted, consider this a gift. This may be a friendly reminder to get back on track or adapt your message to your listeners’ expectations.

4. You often run out of time.

A well-crafted message requires key points in getting your listeners to take action. If you run out of time before you can share these with your listeners, they don’t have the critical information they need to be influenced.

• Identify your listeners’ needs ahead of time, as well as what is most critical for them to know to take action.
• Always prepare for 20 percent less time than you will be given to make sure you respect your listeners’ time.

 Drop me a note to share how you will commit to apply the action steps above. Tag me on my Facebook page.

This week’s blog is an excerpt from my new book, Influence Redefined…Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday®, available TODAY!

Click here for a complimentary chapter of my latest book “Influence Redefined”

What Achievers Read

The Potential Principle: A Proven System for Closing the Gap Between How Good You Are and How Good You Could Be, by Mark Sanborn

 If you missed one of Stacey’s previous blogs or tips, visit her online.

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