Communication Skills - Active Listening Techniques

By the Kison Team
  1. Use Listening Responses: An occasional "yes," "I see," "uh-huh," shows the customer you are listening and compels him or her to continue speaking.
  2. Prepare in Advance: Remarks and questions prepared in advance, when possible, free your mind for listening.
  3. Ask Questions: If you're not sure you understand everything the customer says, or feel you may have missed a point, ask him or her to repeat what they said. If you don't clear it up now, it may balloon into misunderstanding and embarrassment later.
  4. Reflecting Phrases: When you want a customer to elaborate on a point, pursue the thought by using a "reflecting phrase" such as "you said," "you mentioned," "you indicated before," or "you described." After repeating the statement, follow through with a question beginning with who, what, where, when, why or how to gather additional information if required.
  5. Limit Your Own Talking: You can't talk and listen at the same time. It is more important to let the customer talk and find out what they want, rather than tell them everything we know.
  6. Recap: Review the main points discussed and agreed to. This will ensure that you and your customer are in agreement on all decisions.