The 5 Steps to Being an Active Listener

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Has this ever happened to you?

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You're at an event and

you're talking to someone.

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Your like sharing your thoughts or

maybe a personal story and you realize

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the other person, isn't fully present.

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I their lack of attention is obvious.

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They've got a distracted

gays or perhaps absent nods.

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They're glancing around the room or worse.

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They take out their phone and

check it while you're talking.

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It feels like your words

are falling on deaf ears.

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And your frustration mounts, as you

recognize that the other person is

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completely disinterested or preoccupied.

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Or perhaps it's been the other way

around, perhaps you've been the one,

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not listening to somebody at an event.

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The essence of communication lies in the

mutual exchange of ideas and emotions.

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And when the listener isn't

invested, it undermines the entire

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purpose of the conversation.

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Like why are you having it anyways?

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Welcome to episode 180

6 of this shit works.

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A podcast dedicated to all

things, networking, relationship

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building and business development.

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I'm your host, Julie Brown.

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Speaker author and networking coach.

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And today I'm giving you five steps

for active listening that you can

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start using today for better and

more meaningful conversations.

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Okay.

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We can all agree.

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It is fucking annoying when we are

talking to someone and we know that

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we don't have their full attention.

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We know that they're

only kind of listening.

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But would we notice if we were

doing it to someone ounce?

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Like I said, effective

communication requires genuine

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participation from both parties.

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And when someone fails to

contribute their attention, it

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undermines the entire exchange.

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It can literally sink you're networking

conversations, not just networking

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conversations, all of your conversations.

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So before we get into the nitty-gritty

of how to be a more active listener,

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let's first take a moment to understand,

like, what is active listening anyways?

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Well, Active listening is more than

just hearing the words it's about

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fully engaging with the speaker.

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Understanding their perspective and

responding in a way that demonstrates

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that you're being attentive.

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I think you probably already

know, but why does this matter?

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Especially in the context of networking?

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Well, networking is all about building

meaningful connections and active

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listening is the secret sauce.

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That can take your networking

skills to the next level.

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Let's break down how you can become

a master at active listening and

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leverage it to transform not just

your networking experiences, but all

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of your conversations going forward.

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Ready.

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Okay.

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Step one, put away those fucking

distractions in our hyper-connected world.

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It's easy to get distracted by mostly our

phones, to be honest, but also the hustle

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and bustle of what's happening around us.

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When you're engaged in conversation,

especially in a networking

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setting, make a conscious effort

to put away those distractions.

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Keep your phone in your bag.

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Or in your pocket and don't

constantly look at your iWatch

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every time it buzzes, just let it

buys and don't pay attention to it.

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Give your full attention to the

person you're speaking with this.

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Not only shows respect.

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But it allows you to absorb the

information more effectively.

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Step two.

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Make eye contact.

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Eye contact is a powerful nonverbal cue

that communicates your focus and interest.

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It creates a connection between you and

the speaker, making them feel valued.

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Now I'm not saying you need to

steer intensely into their eyes.

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Don't be fucking weird, but

maintaining a comfortable level of

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eye contact can make a significant

difference in how your communication.

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Is perceived.

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Step three.

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Nod and provide feedback, show that you're

actively engaged in the conversation by

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nodding your head and using verbal cues.

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Like I see that makes sense.

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Or like me and theoretically yes.

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Or same girl, same.

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This not only encourages

the speaker to continue.

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But also signals that you're

genuinely listening and you're

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processing what they're saying.

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Step four.

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Paraphrase and ask clarifying questions.

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Don't just passively listen, actively

engage with what the person is saying.

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You're not cutting them off.

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You're paraphrasing what the

speaker has said and actively

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demonstrating your understanding.

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But this also encourages a

deeper level of communication.

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It shows that you are invested in

the conversation and interested in

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gaining a more thorough understanding.

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And step five.

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Be mindful of your body language.

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Yeah.

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Your body language speaks volumes.

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Open and welcoming gestures, convey

warmth and receptiveness while closed

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off body language can create a barrier.

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We all know this.

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So be mindful of your posture, not

just your posture, but your facial

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expressions and your gestures.

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Uh, welcoming and open demeanor

will make that networking experience

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more positive and more memorable.

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Okay.

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Got those five steps wound 2, 3, 4, 5.

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Now let's talk about how active listening

can transform your networking efforts.

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When you truly listen, you

gain a deeper understanding of

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the people you interact with.

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This understanding goes beyond surface

level information and allows you to

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identify common interests, which I talk

about all the time on this podcast.

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Shared goals, perhaps

you have shared goals.

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Potential areas for collaboration, it

builds trust and rapport, and, you know,

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that's just essential for establishing

those meaningful connections that we're

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all trying to achieve additionally

active listening can help you stand

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out in a crowd like in a world where

everyone is vying for attention,

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being the person who sits back and is

a great listener can set you apart.

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People appreciate being heard.

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And they are more likely to remember

someone who took the time to listen to

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them and to understand them than the

person who just talked to the entire time.

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So.

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Active listening.

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It's not just communication skill.

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It's your super power that can

transform your networking experiences.

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Again, here.

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We're just like real quick recap, putting

away distractions, making eye contact,

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providing feedback, paraphrasing,

being mindful of that body language

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and truly engaging with others.

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You're not going to enhance just your

networking skills, but you're going

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to create authentic and meaningful

relationships that can propel your career.

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And your personal growth.

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Okay.

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Onto the drink of the week, which

has nothing to do with listening, but

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everything to do with the fact that

tomorrow is leap day, February 29th,

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which only happens every four years.

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So this week, the cocktail

is the leap year cocktail.

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The Savoy cocktail book states.

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This cocktail was created by

Harry Craddick for the leap year

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celebrations at the Savoy hotel

in London on February 29th.

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1928.

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It is said to have been responsible

for more proposals than any other

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cocktail that has ever been mixed.

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Well, I don't know about that, but

I love me a good cocktail backstory.

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Here's what you're going to need.

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Two ounces of gin, a

half ounce of grim and.

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A half ounce of sweet vermouth

and a dash of lemon juice.

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Pour all of those green ingredients

into a cocktail shaker though

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with ice shake for 10 seconds or

so until it's frigging cold and.

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straight into a chilled cocktail glass.

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Twist a piece of lemon peel

over the drink for a garnish.

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All right, friends.

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That's all for this week.

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If you like what you heard

today, please leave a review

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and subscribe to the podcast.

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Also, please remember to share the podcast

to help it reach a larger audience.

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If you want more, Julie

Brown, you can find my book.

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This shit works on Amazon

or Barnes and noble.

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You can find me on

LinkedIn at Julie Brown PD.

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Just let me know where you

found me when you reach out.

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I am Julia Brown underscore BD

on the Instagram, or you can just

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pop on over to my website, Julie

Brown pd.com until next week.

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Chairs.