The Value of Listening

Actually, it often feels more valued to be listened TO than to listen, doesn't it? I mean there are few things more frustrating than not being listened to. Are you paying attention? I mean it! Nah, only kidding.

Have you ever been in a store and you tell someone who works there what you want and they try to give you something totally different? Because they're not listening! And what do you do? Well, first you attempt to restrain yourself from strangling them from all the frustration you feel, adn then you calmly attempt to explain yourself again. Or you ask to talk to someone else. Which works on occasion, depending on the caliber of workers at the particular store.

Of course, it's easier to listen to someone if they are actually interesting. So if you want to be listened to, attempt to be interesting and you'll improve your odds.

When someone is passionate about somehting, it often doesn't matter what the topic is because their enthusiasm is so engaging.

For example, I had a conversation with my sister today. My sister is a pretty good listener, I have to admit. She uses active listening techniques, and all that. (I wonder if she is even aware that she does that?) You know, paraphrasing what you just said, asking clarifying questions, wrapping up a conversation with a summary or a key point or a reminder who is bringing the potato salad to the family event, that sort of thing.

She started asking me about my work. And when I began to tell her about it, she did something really interesting.

SHE LISTENED.

She asked me questions to clarify. For example, while I was on the phone with her, my Alexa ranking jumped to about 101,000 (thank you loyal readers!!!! See, people really DO want success!). She had never heard of Alexa and wanted to know all about it, and what the heck it meant to be at 101,000 and why I was shrieking with delight to have that kind of rank.

I can't tell you how good it felt to be LISTENED TO, that intently. I mean what I'm doing--sharing my success secrets and assisting people by challenging their thought patterns--this is what I am passionate about.

But nobody wants to talk about me, you know? It's all about the information and what they can do with it, and that's fine. The success stories are what drives me--how people take the infomration I provide in this forum, and through my coaching (and success products, coming soon!) and how they apply that info to their lives to create dramatic, positive changes--I LOVE hearing about that!

But nobody wants to talk about me, and how I hone my craft.

Until today!

Today was a very long day--I got tons accomplished, but pretty much worked non-stop all day. We are about to launch The Success Method: 9 Simple Steps to a Life That Makes Sense and there is much to do. So it was a great boost to get to talk about everything I've been doing to ensure the success (pun intended) of this breakthrough product.

So my question for you today (although I am reluctant to stop talking about ME now, but of course I do want to maintain my loyal and growing fan base!) is this:

Who deserves to have you listen to them today--really LISTEN? Who's day can you make by giving them your undivided attention and your riveted interest in what they're up to?

HEre's a hint: get them talking about their PASSION...then it will surely be interesting and you won't have to fake it!