Two Ears and One Mouth

Friday, January 12, 2007 at 01:05pm by William Quisenberry in Innovation

When you read the title above I’m pretty sure you have a good idea where I’m going with this phrase. That’s right, I’m talking about the old saying, “You have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk.”

This quote is real catchy and it seems like something that is kind of funny and cute to say, but really this phrase is very true and its people that don’t understand this quote that sometimes get themselves in trouble.

As an entrepreneur it is imperative to learn the art of communication. Effectively being able to send and receive signals with others concerning your business truly is an underlying factor in succeeding.

Think about it for a second, you need to be able to communicate with partners, suppliers, clients, customers, contractors, with the audience you’re marketing to, prospects, friends, family and the list just goes on and on.

Many corporations have always said that their number one problem is getting their executives to effectively communicate with one another and also with stockholders.

Folks this is a real issue in business and if you can figure out how to become a better communicator you will have a secret key to success that many others around you have been unable to master.

When people think about communicating they sometimes begin to think that means being able to talk well to others. While this is a small portion of effective communication, the biggest factor is LISTENING!

If you don’t learn to properly listen to those who you’re interacting with, then you will never be able to properly decipher their message and come back with a precise and accurate response.

I use to think that when I was trying to close a deal, that I had to talk, talk, talk and talk some more a million miles per hour until I finally wore the prospect down and got them to sign a deal with me.

However this method is quite disturbing to clients and will ultimately make you seem very selfish and unconcerned about their particular needs and wants. When you learn to just shut up, listen and then respond according to your clients request, you will experience much more success at the end of the day.

So don’t always be so quick to run the flapper, put a zip lock on it, sit back, relax and just listen. Remember we have two ears, so let’s start using them instead of carrying them on the side of our heads just for show.

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