The ability to listen well is the basis of any successful communication. Ron Kaufman, guru of customer service and team building, once left a very big tip for a concierge that exceeded his service expectations while he was a guest at the boutique hotel. Why? When Kaufman asked how he could get some books delivered to Singapore, the concierge had passionately researched on how to get the postal done and gave a two-page note detailing the answers to a seemingly simple question. The note described what postal options were available and the cost for each option. The legendary service was only possible because the concierge took the time to listen to the guest's needs. The concierge listened to what was desired and in the conversation he discovered that Kaufman had time to wait for a more detailed result so the employee took it upon himself to provide more than a mere answer such as "The postage amount is £32.50, sir."  

Listening can do more than just provide great service to your customers and increase brand loyalty. You can practise listening in all aspects of life and even be known as a great conversationalist just because you paid attention! Dale Carnegie, a famous inspirational author wrote in his book How To Win Friends & Influence People that the easy way to become a great conversationalist is by being a good listener and encouraging others to talk about themselves. He narrated a story about a time when a botanist he met in a dinner party used the words "most stimulating", "most interesting conversationalist" and "hearty in approbation and lavish in praise" to describe Carnegie. This was despite the fact that Carnegie was not a botany expert. The author did no more than to give rapt attention to the botanist for hours, keep silent when the other party spoke and pay genuine compliments to show he acknowledged what was being said.

These are just two success stories on how effective listening as part of daily communications may help you in life. Listening can also be used as a tool to create happier workers and better satisfy your boss' wants and not just do what is required. Vice president of human capital in Great Eastern Life Assurance, Jimmy Tan, agrees that good listening skills are vital to being a successful career development manager, company counsellor or personal coach. "Good listening skills are part and parcel of being an effective manager and with the current business emphasis on work-life balance, it is only logical that the people-in-charge have the ability to counsel staff and show empathy when employees approach them to discuss personal problems." Tan stresses that as a manager, by showing you listen and empathise, you are not giving the impression that you can be pushed around, in fact, it shows that you have the ability to relate better with staff and in the long run achieve employee loyalty. "Simple gestures such as making eye-contact, giving positive body language, paraphrasing and showing genuine interest towards the background story of the employee you are speaking to, can in turn, lower staff turnover and reduce costs," adds Tan.  

Do more than just listen:

• Give positive body language
• Ask questions to help him or her along
• Paraphrase
• Show gratitude that they were able to open up to you
• Keep the secret

Source: Association of Women for Action and Research