Today I was on a call with Rosie Cavero, a marketing and business strategist in Chicago. In the course of our conversation we were talking about sales and she said:
“Listen more, speak less!”
We were talking about sales, but this applies to job search, business consulting, and sales… even parenting and personal relationships!
You’ve heard the phrase “you have two ears and one mouth,” meaning listen twice as often as you talk.
There are many benefits to listening more and speaking less. In a sales situation, the more you let the prospect talk the more you learn about their real needs and challenges. And, once the sale is made, the less you talk, the less likely you are to talk yourself out of a sale.
This is true in a job search, interview, networking, etc.
My objective is not to suppress your need to communicate… rather, it’s to help you be more effective by communicating through listening.