Listening

It’s easy, everyone does it. Or do they? There are 4 questions that come to mind when the subject of listening comes up. • Is listening a lost art? • Can listening make you a better person? • Will listening honor those who deserve to be honored? • Is listening a way to success?

Is listening a lost art? In today’s world of instant access to communication, information, entertainment and social media listening has become a lost art.

First of all it is an art, it’s not a science, there is not a set of formulas that dictate a successful listening session. It’s an art form because like a painter or a musician, it’s a skill set that becomes better and better the more it’s practiced.

In today’s day and age it is more likely to see a conversation going on between two people sitting across from one another through text messaging on their smart phone than hearing a conversation.

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I experienced this the other day when I was out for some coffee. At one table next to me there was a young couple tapping away on their iPhone, neither one said a word until ten minutes went by and the young lady looked up and showed her iPhone to the young man, she was with and said “what do you mean I don’t understand you?”

On the other side of me was a couple that sat down and started to talk to one another for about 15 minutes. They took turns asking each other questions and listening to the answers. They were animated with hand motions and great big smiles and they were paying close attention to one another and never spoke over one another. Watching this couple made me realize that this was not their first conversation and that they had the art of listening down pat.

Can listening make you a better person? Active listening can absolutely make you a better person. What I mean with the phrase “active listening” is the act of blocking out all other distractions around you and giving your undivided attention to the person you are listening to.

What this does is eliminates missing anything that is being said and sets you up to ask great questions to find out or learn more.

Will listening honor those who deserve to be honored? The other advantage of “active listening” is that it does in fact honor anyone who is the recipient of this kind of listening. When a person is listened to like this, they are more likely going to tell you what is really inside of them. They feel special that someone would care enough to pay that close attention to what they are saying. They feel flattered and respected.

Is listening a way to success? I have found that whether you are selling to a client or trying to sell an idea to one of your children, you will be served best by listening. In a sales situation, the better you listen (employ active listening) the more likely your client will tell you what it would take to make the sale. Now I consider that a great key to successful selling! If you think about it, we

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don’t have to be a salesperson to be selling. The person who goes to their boss for a raise in pay is selling. A parent who is teaching their child something or who doesn’t want them to do something is also selling.

Teaching your children the skill of active listening is one of the best success skill sets that you could pass on to your children. You could say that you can listen and hear yourself to success!

Aim High!

George Madiou Publisher and Co-founder www.TheNetworkMarketingMagazine.com

George Madiou is a full-blooded Entrepreneur, complete with validating credentials, Degrees in Marketing and Management from SUNY and NYU (could ya guess he's a native New

Yorker!) To date George has owned over 30 businesses, and says they varied from wildly successful to outrageous learning experiences. Among other successful ventures George has achieved high pin levels in two different network marketing companies.

George loves the thrill of teaming up with great people and seeing projects come to life and that passion is responsible for this magazine getting off the ground. George partnered with his good friend John Milton Fogg and here we all (and we includes you the reader) are, making

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history happen.

George lives in a small town named Boca Raton, Florida. He says "If this isn't Heaven, I know that God at least vacations here." Without question, the joy of his life is his family. He and Debbie are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. They have two great young adult children, Sara and David.

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