"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."

— Stephen R. Covey

Have you ever watched an interview wherein the journalist appeared to be just waiting for their turn to ask pre-determined questions rather than genuinely respond to what the speaker or interviewee just said? You probably have, and it probably felt awkward and a bit frustrating.

You see, one of the greatest joys of human interaction is to feel heard and understood. If you are the type of person who can make someone feel that, you have a really great chance at making a good impression on a prospective client. It's a crucial first step in getting them to hire you for your services.

In his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, best-selling author, businessman, and educator Stephen Covey mentioned active listening as one of the 7 important habits:

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"

When you use empathetic listening to genuinely understand a person, it compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to be influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, and positive problem-solving.

In the context of communicating with potential clients, this gives you an edge. It's not difficult for a client to entrust their business with you if they feel that you genuinely understand and care about their problem.

Do you like what you are reading so far? Then tune in to our next episode of FLIP Chat & Chill to learn more about communicating with prospective clients.

If you are already confident with your technical skills but not with communication, this show will be a great help for you. Come and join us on Monday, Nov 18 at 5 PM as we talk about:

"How To Sound Confident and Competent When Communicating with Potential Clients"

See you there,