Your Lake of the Ozarks Mortgage Lender: Are You Really Listening?

Friday, January 23, 2015

Are You Really Listening?

Active listening is a very important part of business relationships. By being a good listener, you're demonstrating respect to everyone in a conversation. It also helps ensure you are receiving complete details and clarity of the message. Whether you're communicating over the phone or in person, these 6 active listening strategies will keep you tuned in to the conversation!

1. Power Down.

Don't let technology distract you while you're trying to listen. Email pop ups and cell phone notifications disrupt the conversation and distract both you and the speaker. Put your phone on silent, close your laptop and turn your desktop monitor away from you. Your messages will still be there when your conversation is over.

2. Sit Up.

How you physcially carry yourself carries through into your energy and attentiveness. Be sure to have good posture, sit up straight and give the speaker your full attention. If you are on the phone, consider standing up to be more alert and attentive.

3. Don't Interrupt.

Hold your clarifying questions until the speaker is done rather than interrupting the conversation. If you get the speaker off track, you may miss something important he was planning to say. Jot down your questions instead, so that you don't forget. They may even get answered along the way.

4. Cue You are Listening.

Simple verbal cues like "uh-huh" and "okay" show the speaker that you are still present in the conversation and not just zoning everything out. If you are in person, an occasionall nod goes hand in hand with making eye contact.

5. Summarize Key Points.

When the speaker is done, summarize his or her key points to show that you were actually listening. State with, "What I'm hearing you say is..." or "If I'm understanding you correctly..."

6. Clarify.

Ask questions that provide additional details about a situation. You can also clarify what actions or outcomes the speaker anticipated by having the conversation with you.

Active listening is something that I, your Lake of the Ozarks mortgage lender strives to do. I will listen to your financing needs and discuss home loan options or refinancing at the Lake of the Ozarks with you. I'm committed to working with you every step of the way!

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