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The Big 3 (brand, business & leadership) Blog

Networking tip 17: Verbalise your listening

In my last blog I talked about the importance of listening. To follow on from there...

When really interested and engaged, you should follow up on the speaker’s statements. This shows that you are listening with intent. Note that such comments are not interruptions! If well chosen, they should have a number of beneficial effects:

They encourage the speaker to continue: “I can’t believe that you coped when [insert unbelievable situation] happened. Tell me more!”

They subtly flatter: “That’s so impressive. Personally, I could never jump out of an airplane at 12,000 feet. Sometimes I need a glassful of wine just to get into one!”

They suggest that you empathize: “Gosh, that’s awful—the first and only time I was rushed to the hospital with an injury, I fainted before I got there.”

They provide openings for questions: “How on earth did you manage that without any support?”

And if none of these are appropriate, you can at least acknowledge that you’re taking it all in with the occasional comment, “Gosh . . . amazing . . . Tell me more!”