Behaving like a good listener and adopting such habits in routine improve your behavioral skills. Listening skills are prominent part of life and recommended for leadership that is empathetic, responsive as well as attentive. Whenever you are involved in a discussion, argument or simply in a conversation, everyone tends to pay great attention to ability to speak and listen.

Either you are taking a class or taking a workshop, speaking skills are highly desirable, especially in case of public speaking. But what about listening? It is equally essential to speaking. Here are some tips to be a good listener and these ideas will help you to improve your listening skills:

Make eye contact

Whenever you engage in a conversation or indulge in communicating with people try to make eye contact. As it is a basic and must have steps to be a listener. Good eye contact indicates interest in the discussion and related person as well.

Be present

Many a time it happens that you are physically present even maintaining a good eye contact with the person but your mind has been lost somewhere. So, with the eyes & mind open you should be present. If your brain is thinking about something else then it will replicate the least interest, in the conversation you are involved. If anyone noticed you that you are not present then you have to handle the risk of being scolded & offended.

Don’t reflect that you are ready to respond

You may be ready to respond to overall talk but never give a sign or facial expression that you are ready to respond. It shows that you are no longer listening so avoid these habits.

Wait to respond

When a conversation is going on then have focused on it. After finishing the ongoing talk wait for 2 minutes for the speaker so you can determine that he has finished with his thoughts & ideas. This practice is important when you are talking on a phone because you can’t note facial expression of the speaker.

Let them finish first

If you & other person begin to speak at same time then make an excuse and say “sorry, you continue please”. Such behavior indicates you are paying attention & respect to the person and these interests show you are a good listener too.

These basic ideas will help you to establish good listening habits and you will become an improved person with useful skills which are important for you.