Stop talking. If you want to hear what someone has to say, you have to be silent.
Block out the distractions and really concentrate on what the other person is telling you. Don’t let your mind wander.
Fine-tune your senses. You can glean a lot of information from tone, delivery, body language and surroundings.
Maintain eye contact.
Really hear what the person is saying, instead of thinking ahead about how you are going to respond or about how you’ve had a similar experience. It’s not about you.
Instead of taking notes, just listen—carefully.
Repeat back some of the points you are hearing to verify and clarify.
Ask open-ended questions because these elicit a more descriptive response.
Give cues—both visual and auditory—that you are following what the other person is saying.
Don’t be afraid to follow up when necessary.
