Listen without giving advice. I’m still working on this one! My first response is to help someone solve his/her problem by giving advice. What I have learned to be true is most people just need someone to listen. Recently, I had a business meeting with someone I had never met before, and while driving to the meeting, I began to get a bit nervous.
I have learned and taught that when you are at a loss for words, ask questions. So I began our meeting asking questions, and as it turned out; I spoke probably 5 percent of the time, and the other party spoke 95 percent of the time. After our meeting wrapped up, my colleague said enthusiastically, “I really enjoyed our conversation. I feel like you really understand our needs.” This meeting went on to land one of the largest consulting contracts I have signed to date.