Collector U, LLC is an AR Logix, Inc. Company
www.ARLogix.com
1.855.ARLOGIX
Good Listening Skills
This information is not to be construed as legal advice. Legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. Although
we attempt to provide up-to-date information, laws and regulations often change. We make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the
accuracy or completeness of this document.
For legal advice, please consult an attorney.
Stumbling Blocks to Good Listening
Researchers have identified some stumbling blocks to good listening. They include:
1. Daydreaming. Filling extra listening time with our own thoughts, dreams, and fantasies.
2. Listening for facts only. Listening only for what is irrefutable and refusing to consider
what is offered as opinion, speculation, or the personal feelings of the speaker. Facts
usually make up only a small part of what is being said. Combat this by including the
speaker’s thoughts and opinions in your analysis of the problem and learning to “read
between the lines” through listening to the speaker’s tone of voice, rate of speech, and
volume.
3. Judging the speaker prematurely. We may reject the speaker before he/she’s uttered one
hundred words, based merely on what he/she looks like, the sound of their voice, or
manner of speech. This practice quickly builds a wall that blocks out the meaning of the
speaker’s words.
4. Emotional reaction to what is being said. Anger or highly emotional reactions come
about when we concentrate on the words and their relation to ourselves rather than on
what is causing the speaker to become so emotional. Self-focus instead on speaker-focus
detracts from good listening. If you give in and respond in anger, not only are you being
unprofessionally, but you have considerably lessened your chances of PIF and have
created agitation within yourself that will affect your next calls.
5. Writing down everything the speaker says. Note-taking can be helpful unless you are
attempting to write down every word as it is spoken. Since nobody can write as fast as
words are spoken, your focus shifts from the speaker’s words to the activity of writing,
and listening suffers.
Collector U, LLC is an AR Logix, Inc. Company
www.ARLogix.com
1.855.ARLOGIX
Keys to Good Listening
As you have just read, good listening brings its own rewards. Listening effectively helps you
discover what the debtor is thinking and provides clues for you to use for receiving PIF. By
adhering to the following guidelines, you will become more successful and productive at
collecting payment from patients.
1. Limit the amount of talking you do. You cannot talk and listen at the same time, so
confine your side of the conversation to short, appropriate questions and comments that
help steer it toward your objectives.
2. Learn to think like the debtor. Their problems and needs are very important to them, and
their thoughts are real and relevant to the collection situation and your chances of PIF.
3. Ask questions based on what the debtor is saying. Through proper questioning
techniques, you can maintain control of the conversation and steer it in the direction you
want to go.
4. Do not interrupt. Even if there is only silence (remember the psychological pause), the
debtor may be thinking of what they want to say next and your interruption can cut into
their train of thought. Most people rush to fill a sentence because it makes them
uncomfortable, yet this may be when the most valuable pieces of information are
provided.
5. Concentrate. Focus your mind on the conversations and tune out office distractions and
extraneous thoughts.
6. Take brief notes. Be selective in what you write down and use abbreviations as much as
possible. All you need are the important points, not the entire conversation.
7. Listen for ideas, not simply words. Often times, patterns will start to develop. Listen for
overtones and subtle voice inflections that tell you more than the words do. The way
something is said can be more important than the words used.
8. Make an occasional response. The acknowledgement that you are there by using
agreement words lets the debtor know that you are still listening to what they are saying.
9. Turn off all personal thoughts. Conceal your personal concerns and worries into the back
of your mind so that you can concentrate entirely on the debtor and their problems. It is
Collector U, LLC is an AR Logix, Inc. Company
www.ARLogix.com
1.855.ARLOGIX
impossible to think of more than one thing at a time. If you are thinking of anything
besides the debtor, then you may not be doing your job.
10. Prepare before you pick up the phone. Have a general idea of what you are going to say,
what your objective is, and how to rephrase your ideas to the debtor and their
circumstances.
11. React only to the response given by the debtor, not to the debtor themselves. It is
important that you remember not to take comments that are made to you personally.
Often times the debtor is not really frustrated with you, but rather frustrated with the
situation. However, you must still be able to terminate any conversation that you feel is
derogatory or demeaning to you.
12. Do not jump to conclusions. Listen to the entire explanation before making comments,
asking questions, or giving advice. Be careful that you do not mentally jump in with
unwarranted assumptions.
13. Practice listening. Practice your listening skills with family, friends, co-workers, and
other people that are close with you. Your practice will pay off by enhancing your ability
to hear what people are really saying, not just the words that are being spoken. In turn,
you will also see an improvement in your interpersonal relationships and an enhanced
feeling of appreciation towards you.