The Art of Persuasion (Collection)

Learn to Listen Properly

You’d have thought listening was a basic skill, but how often do you have a conversation with someone where it becomes apparent that you’d both come away from your last discussion on the subject thinking you’d agreed to different things? “But you said you were going to pick up the milk on the way home!” “No, I said I wouldn’t have time, and you said you’d do it....” Well, all I can say is that at least one of you wasn’t listening properly, and quite possibly both.

There are lots of things that can keep you from listening properly. Recognize any of these?

• You’re too busy thinking of what you’re going to say as soon as you can get a word in.

• You go off on a different train of thought sparked by something that’s been ...