Hi ,

Hope you are all set to have an amazing September. And to help you do this, I am going to ask you a really important question. “How well are you listening to the people in your life?” I just asked myself the very same question after reading this email…

“Recently in one of our Super Service meetings, a colleague said, ‘I think I should treat others the way they would like to be treated, (not the way I would like to be treated).’ I liked that, because it reminds me of the need to listen carefully to others.”

What a great reminder for those times when you are listening to someone and wondering when they’ll stop talking just so you can add your 2 cents! And you’re so wrapped up in what you want to say that you’ve actually stopped listening. You start thinking… “When will they stop talking…don’t they know I have a great point that will really help them.”

The problem is, and you’ve heard this from me before, when we think we know what the person is saying, when we assume we know what they want to hear, we stop listening and miss everything. Remember, words count for only 7% of how we communicate, so we can’t rely on just hearing the words.

We have to actively listen to the person who is talking. What is their tone of voice telling you? What is their body language saying? Are they using their hands a lot; do they seem frustrated or happy? Practice being in the moment, and focus on the person, rather than jumping ahead of yourself and wondering when it’s your turn to talk.

This month, practice treating others how they really want to be treated. Spend time actively listening and being present with the people in your life. We already know how we want to be treated let’s now take the time and focus on what others want.

All the very best.

Jeff

P.S. To read “Using Your Personal Power to Sell” an article I wrote for the Software Sales Journal please follow this link.

Jeff Gee’s Motivational Blog

Also, take a look at my new blog and let me know if there is a topic you would like me to talk about.