Chapter Three
Apply Your Best Listening
Skills
Hearing differs from listening


Hearing is a purely physiological activity
Listening involves the physiological
process, but it also involves the
psychological processing of the sounds
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Three factors complicate the listening
process

Internal elements

Environmental elements

Interactional elements
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Internal elements include


Ability to receive the sounds produced by
another speaker
Referents for the sounds being produced
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Environmental elements include

Our individual listening capacity

The presence of noise

The use, or misuse, of gatekeepers
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Interactional elements include

Self-centeredness

Self-protection
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To be a better listener, avoid poor
listening behaviors
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Faking attention

The “wide asleep listener”

Eyes on speaker, mind elsewhere

Automatic nodding
Commit yourself to the conversation
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Changing channels


Tuning out
Switching between the speaker and your
own thoughts
Be patient and listen
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Listening only for facts

Listen for feelings, impressions, and
emotions

Listen for what they are not saying

People buy based on emotions and feelings
Go beyond the facts and words
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Interrupting/Impatience

We want the speaker to get to the point

We interrupt for clarification

We want information immediately
Be patient and wait for the speaker to finish
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To improve listening effectiveness, take
positive steps to better listening
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Solicit clarification

Clarify tactfully

Don’t figure it out on your own

Don’t guess or interpret

Don’t worry about sounding uninformed
Take the time and make the effort to understand
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Use counter-attitudinal advocacy (CAA)

Take the other person’s position

Restate the position that is counter to your own

Defend that position

Ask if your interpretation is correct

If not, try again
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© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Of all the sources of information we
have when dealing with customers,
listening is the most important.
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© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.