Chapter Three Apply Your Best Listening Skills. Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 2 © 2011, 2008,...

Chapter Three

Apply Your Best Listening Skills

Customer Service, 5ePaul R. Timm 2

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Quote for the Chapter

“No man ever listened himself out of a job.”

Calvin Coolidge




Objectives

1. Know the difference between hearing and listening.

2. Know internal, environmental, and interactional factors that complicate the listening process.

3. Assess your own listening skills and set goals for improvement.

4. Avoid five particularly ineffective behaviors that inhibit effective listening.

5. Employ four simple, positive approaches to enhance your active listening.




The Way It Is…How Can You Help Me?

Try Listening!




Doesn’t Anybody Ever Listen?

It’s easy to hear what the customer says, but great customer service begins with great listening skills.




Poor Listening = The #1 Communication Problem

Of the four basic communication skills Reading Writing Speaking Listening

One is not formally taught




The difference between The difference between listening and hearinglistening and hearing

Hearing is a purely physical activity

Listening involves the physiological process




What Are Your Listening Habits? How often do you find yourself relying on these ten bad listening habits?

Pg. 42




Listening Style

People-oriented Content-oriented Action-oriented Time-oriented




People-Oriented

show a strong concern for others and their feelings get their energy from others and find much meaning in

relationships seek to understand the life stories of others focus on emotions, be empathetic and use appeal to

emotion in their arguments may seem vulnerable and will use this to show that they

are harmless. can find problems when they become overly involved with

others may associate so strongly with others they do not see

limitations and faults may be drawn into unwise relationships may be seen as intrusive when they seek to connect with

others who are not so relationship-oriented




Content-oriented

interested more in what is said rather than who is saying it or what they are feeling

assess people more by how credible they are and will seek to test expertise and truthfulness

focus on facts and evidence and happily probe into detail cautious in their assessment seeking to understand cause-and-effect and sound proof

before accepting anything as true look for both pros and cons in arguments and seek solid

logical argument can run into trouble when they ignore the ideas reject information because it does not have sufficient

supporting evidence




Action-oriented

interested first on what will be done, what actions will happen, when and who will do them

seek 'so what' answers in their questions and look for plans of action

like clear, crisp descriptions and answers that are grounded in concrete reality

like structure, bullet-points and numbered action items can be impatient and hurry speakers towards conclusions critical of people who start with the big picture and

talk in ideas or concepts appear overly concerned with control and less with the

well-being of other people




Time-oriented

have their eyes constantly on the clock organize their day into neat compartments and will

allocate time for listening, though will be very concerned if such sessions over-run

manage this time focus by talking about time available and seeking short answers which are to the point

may constrain and annoy people who are focused first on people elements and want to take as long as is needed




What Contributes to Listening?

Internal elements

Environmental elements

Interactional elements




Internal Elements Affecting Listening

1. The words or sounds used by the message source must be received by the hearer.

2. The words need to make sense.




Environmental Elements Affecting Listening Our individual listening capacity

The presence of noise

The use, or misuse, of gatekeepers




Individual Listening Capacity

Too MUCH information

Too little information




The Presence of Noise




The Use or Misuse of Gatekeepers Gatekeeper: one who previews incoming information to determine if it is appropriate to the needs of the person the message is aimed at




Interactional Elements Affecting Listening Self-centeredness

Self-protection




Effects of Self-Centeredness Upon Listening We sometimes listen just long enough to formulate our counterargument.




Effects of Self-Protection on Listening

Listening Habits to AvoidListening Habits to Avoid




Stop Talking

You can never become a better listener till you aren’t disciplined to be quiet until others have expressed their thought fully.




Prepare to Listen

Decide to set aside time so that you can focus on listening

Mentally disconnect from other matters playing on your mind




Avoid Faking Attention

The “wide asleep listener”

Eyes on speaker, mind elsewhere

Automatic nodding

Commit yourself to the conversation




Be Patient, Defer Disagreement Changing channels

Tuning out

Be patient and listen




Listen for More than the Facts Listen for feelings, impressions, and emotions

Listen for what they are not saying

People buy based on emotions and feelings

Go beyond the facts and words




Bite Your Tongue before Interrupting We want the speaker to get to the point

We interrupt for clarification

We want information immediately

Be patient and wait for the speaker to finish




Do Men and Women Listen Differently?

Men Communicate to:

Compete with others Dominate themselves

Says “mm hum” I agree with you

Women Communicate to:

Build bonds Be supportive Be sympathetic

Says “mm hum” Listening but doesn’t necessarily agree with the speaker




To improve listening To improve listening effectiveness, take effectiveness, take positive steps to better positive steps to better listeninglistening




Reinforce the Customer with Positive Nonverbal and Verbal Cues




Solicit clarification

Clarify tactfully

Don’t figure it out on your own

Don’t guess or interpret

Don’t worry about sounding uninformed

Take the time and make the effort to understand




Minimize the Number of Gatekeepers (whenever possible) Avoid sending an intermediary to get a story for you

Avoid requesting that someone tell his or her story to your assistant and let that person synthesize the information for you




Try counter-attitudinal advocacy (CAA) Take the other person’s position

Restate the position that is counter to your own

Defend that position

Ask if your interpretation is correct

If not, try again




Take Notes

Listening Game




Of all the sources of Of all the sources of information we have when information we have when dealing with customers, dealing with customers, listening is the most listening is the most important.important.

Chapter Three Apply Your Best Listening Skills. Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 2 © 2011, 2008,...

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