Communicating
At Work

By Tony Alessandra, Ph.D. and
Phil Hunsaker, Ph.D.

Reviewed by
Katie Nelson,
Marketing Director
Denman & Company, LLP

In the world of marketing, it is listening that delivers the best results.

Convinced you are a good listener? Before you scroll on, consider... You may be a good listener, but are you an active listener? Active listening is a premeditated act. You hear and understand not only the facts, but the context and the emotions behind the words. Active listening is a highly disciplined approach to communication.

Research shows we take in slightly more than 7% by words, 38% by tone of voice and more than 55% from body language. How the speaker presents him/herself reveals far more than the content of what is said.

Ineffective listening is one of the most frequent causes of misunderstandings, mistakes, and lost clients. People view poor listeners as socially unacceptable, from merely preoccupied or disinterested, to self-centered and boorish.

One of the biggest problems in listening is failing to focus on the other person’s point of view.

Are you a poor listener?

In their book, Communicating at Work, Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dr. Phil Hunsaker identify listeners by four types:

The Non-listener does not hear the speaker at all. Easily recognized by their blank stare and nervous mannerisms, this individual will fake attention while thinking about something else. He/she wants to do most of the talking, constantly interrupts and must have the last word. Considered a know-it-all, these individuals are seen as insensitive and non-understanding.

The Marginal Listener hears the words, but not the meaning and intent. Too busy preparing what to say next to listen to what is being said now, this type is easily distracted by his/her own thoughts and outside environment. He/she evades difficult or technical discussions, and tends to listen only for the data and bottom line, not the main ideas. Marginal listening is dangerous because there is enormous room for misunderstandings, errors and problems. The speaker may be lulled into a false sense of security that he/she is in fact being listened to and understood.

The Evaluative Listener actively tries to hear what the speaker is saying, but isn’t making an effort to understand the speaker’s intent. He/she evaluates the message strictly on the basis of the words said, totally ignoring the message conveyed by the speaker’s vocal intonation, body language and facial expressions.

This individual tends to be a logical listener, but is still more concerned about content than feelings and is emotionally detached from the conversation. He/she is good at deciphering the verbal element, words, facts, and statistics, but lacks the sensitivity, empathy and true understanding that come from being able to understand the vocal and visual elements.

Evaluative listeners believe they understand the speaker, but the speaker does not feel understood. This is the level of listening that people employ in most everyday conversations.

The Active Listener focuses on understanding the speaker’s point of view. This is the most comprehensive and powerful level of listening. It is also the most demanding and tiring requiring a deep level of concentration and attention on thoughts and feelings of the speaker as well as the spoken word. Active listening requires suspending our own thoughts and feelings to give attention to the message and intent. It is also the job of the listener to send verbal and nonverbal feedback indicating what is being said is really being absorbed.

Why is listening even more important today? Listening to clients, respecting what they have to say and responding intelligently, is the ultimate defense strategy in building and maintaining your reputation. More than ever our industry needs to take extra care to listen, respect, respond and communicate with integrity and honesty. Make sure your strategies include listening defensively for critical issues and hot buttons. Monitor the issues closely and know what is at the top of your client's mind.

“It is a luxury to be understood.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson.) Make sure your marketing efforts include this service.