Practice Plan Area Manager, Gary Nelson, shares the benefits of listening with interest.
Recently, I had the joy of sitting waiting for my flight back home to Belfast after a visit to Head Office.
Now, when I’m in an airport lounge having completed the cycle of check in and security, I do like to find a place of peace and quiet to read whilst waiting for the inevitable delayed flight announcement; and yes, it came as expected.
So, I had found my little quiet place and begun to read. As is often the case, the little quiet spot slowly got filled by people. On this occasion it filled with two guys who clearly worked in sales.
The laptops were cranked open, the headsets were put on and they both began to start their Zoom calls with what I assume were, their customers.
In the 15 or so minutes I endured their chat before getting up and moving to the next quiet spot, it became apparent that all they wanted to do was get out as much information to their customers as quickly as they could to gain, what I assume was, an order or an increased sale.
In the 15 minutes I learnt all about paper sizes, quantities, packing, new technology, new designs, price issues etc.
Now, I’m not blaming any of these guys, they clearly have a job to do, and an airport is not the easiest place to deliver a sales call or pitch for business.
But as is often the case, you learn, or are reminded of things you have learnt, each and every day.
Yesterday I was reminded of the term Be Interested Not Interesting
The world is a busy, time-poor place and it’s all too easy to want to get your information out there as quickly as possible without listening and being genuinely interested in the other person.
One of my dad’s favourite sayings is: “Two ears and one mouth son”
You have twice the amount of listening ability than you do of talking.
One of the greatest ways of adding value to your patients, your teams, and the people around you, is simply by being interested in them.
Genuinely being interested and genuinely listening. It’s just an observation in an interesting world.
And NO by the way, neither guy managed to get an order. I’m guessing perhaps their customers didn’t feel listened to.
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