Believe It

As you enhance your speaking and listening skills, keep in mind that God gave you one mouth and two ears for a reason. Constantly talking without taking time to listen to others is not only aggravating to the speaker, but it limits you, too. When you talk, you say only what you know; when you listen, you learn what others know.

More than 20 years ago, I decided to attend my first Toastmasters meeting in an effort to become a more confident speaker in front of my peers at work. Today I speak to audiences of thousands, and I still use the fundamentals of public speaking I learned then: Establish good eye contact, maintain a relaxed demeanor, speak clearly, and express the appropriate emotions and enthusiasm to convey ideas.

To enhance her sales, my friend Beverly took a course called Assertive Listening. Every evening after class, she went home and practiced her new skills. Whenever her child spoke, Beverly would ask a probing question to get more information. With her husband, shed repeat what he said to show him that she heard clearly before shed respond. To her surprise, as Beverly practiced better communication, not only did her sales pick up, but she also improved relations with her family.

Effectively being able to communicate with others is essential to your success. From your business and career to your interpersonal relationships, you have to know how to balance speaking and listening, as too much of one or the other will prove to be hindrances to your communication skills.