5. Benefits of Good Listening Always take full responsibility of your communication with customer. Accurate Listening - Allows for an accurate exchange of information which is critical for you to serve the client properly Reduced Misunderstandings - Helps eliminate misunderstandings, increasing client satisfaction with your services and enhancing their perception of your competence Increased Rapport - Improves trust and rapport and maximizes the probability of getting referrals in the future. Clients feel you understand them, it creates greater trust Differentiation - Since most people are poor listeners, good listening skills will make you stand above the crowd
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7. Does the speaker perceive that he/she is being understood? Test Yourself: Are you an effective listener?
8. Know your Obstacles Only about 60% of spoken information is accurately received. Reasons the information doesn't get through could be The speaker is unclear or not specific enough causing you to make assumptions You are not paying attention due to lack of interest in the subject matter You are busy formulating a rebuttal to something the speaker said previously Important: By necessity, most accountants are reasonably proficient at the first. Since they rely heavily on information the customer provides, they listen carefully to get the facts straight. Many accountants are not as good at creating the perception that they are receiving the information. This causes them to lose rapport with their clients.
9. Be An Active Listener Most miscommunications are the result of poor listening, not poor articulation. Most people are passive listeners. Passive listening allows misunderstandings to go undetected Even when information is received and understood, the listener fails to acknowledge it Neither do they verify that the information received is what the speaker intended to say This can cause the speaker to feel he/she is not getting through Taking 100% responsibility for communication requires you to be specific and articulate in your own speech, and to actively facilitate the quality of the other party's communication when you are listening. This facilitation is known as Active Listening.
10. The human mind is compulsive about answering questions. When you are asked a question, your mind instinctively begins searching for an answer, even if you decide not to give a verbal answer. Your friend in need: Questions
11. Key to Taking Control of A Conversation The person asking the question is in control. Even though the other person is speaking, he/she is speaking about a subject of your choosing The purpose of communication is the effective exchange of information You must strike a balance between a conversation that is a wandering stream of consciousness and one that is an interrogation
12. Ask Frequent Relevant Questions Good communication is a very simple process where you listen carefully to the content and then ask questions that seek clarification, verification, motivation or specificity. Clarification - Those you ask when there seem to be inconsistencies or when you are not sure you understand what the person is trying to say. Clarifying questions reduce the amount of ambiguity Verification - Questions you ask to verify that the information has been correctly received. Always verify that conclusion from the speaker's point of view before you assume your deduction is obviously correct Motivation - Help you understand the reasons why people act and they give you insight into how they are likely to behave in the future Specificity - People tend to speak in generalities. They assume you will get the whole idea if they give you the general idea. Ask them to be more specific.
13. There are a number of ways to acknowledge the speaker, create rapport and improve the quality of your communication Acknowledge the Speaker
14. Listening Checks When the speaker is speaking you should give both auditory and visual signs that you are listening Often the speaker will ask for acknowledgments by saying "you know?" or by giving you a look. At this time it is particularly important to respond Use listening checks frequently with your clients It will improve your relationship and increase rapport Important: Listening checks are statements rather than questions. After the statement is made, the speaker will either confirm that you have understood the message or try to clarify it.
15. DON’Ts & DOs Don't Get Defensive Don't Make The Client Wrong Don't Use Absolutes Do Encourage Appropriate Interruptions Use An Open Body Language
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