Do you find yourself thinking of what you want to say before the person you're having a conversation with even finishes their thought? Same, lately I have been working on being a more active and empathetic listening so I wanted to share with you some tips on how you can be a better listener to deepen connections and strengthen relationships.

In this episode I discuss:

• Changing your mindset- instead of listening to respond seek first to understand and then to be understood
• Eye contact and facial expressions- maintain eye contact 70-80% of the time, any more than that and it's creepy, any less and they will feel as though you're not listening. Be aware of your facial expressions and make sure they're appropriate
• Signal you're listening- nod your head, throw out a mhmm or yeah every now and then so the person you're talking to knows you're engaged. Be aware of your body language so you don't seem closed off
• Ask clarifying questions- as who, what, when, where, why and how questions; for example, "who is 'they'?" or "when was this?" or "what did you say next?"
• Paraphrase for understanding- when they finish talking paraphrase what they said back to them to make sure you're crystal clear on what they said and how they meant it

The most important part of being a good listener is the follow up. It means so much to people when you're not only engaged in a conversation but remembering the details and following up with them later shows that you truly cared about what they had to say. Take notes if you have to, I promise it will mean the world to someone if you follow up with them.

FREE Goal Setting Guide

Daily Planning Notepad