3 Tips for Being Listened To

In a world where people have little time to spare and short attention spans, it’s not easy to be heard even when your ideas are good. You have to earn the right to be heard through the give and take process of negotiating with others. The behaviors, habits, and approaches we’ll cover next will set the stage for being heard and listened to in every negotiating situation.

Tip #1: Don’t shoot from the hip. When someone asks for your opinion or position and you are not ready to comment, have the courage to say so. We pay too high a price for expressing ourselves before we think things through. If we are wrong, our credibility suffers and with it our power to influence.

Tip #2: People don’t waste affection on those who habitually resist or say “No” to ideas proposed to them. They reciprocate by rejecting you or not listening when you speak. Criticizers are never appreciated. Those who don’t get in the way and who, instead, help move things along are welcome.

Tip #3: Don’t hope for the best. People will not accept your brilliant thoughts the moment you utter them. Give acceptance a time a chance to work. Having others listen and be influenced takes time and repetition. Be prepared to say what you wish to impart several times at different meetings if you want to increase the probability of acceptance. People are reluctant to give up the “old friends” in their minds for your “new friends” on a moment’s notice. Let “acceptance time” do some of the necessary work in changing their minds.

You have more influence than you think. Today, what captures the attention of others at work are the tools, techniques and trends that will provide a competitive advantage in the race for economic security and survival. Those closest to the frontiers of knowledge who are smart enough to impart it will be the best listened to. Theirs is the power to teach us how to use the new technology and the many applications they give birth to.