The last word on the subject of relationships is the importance of listening. Every good salesperson knows that listening is often far more critical in making sales than talking. By listening to prospects, the salesperson learns about his or her prospective buyer’s hopes and dreams, problems, and needs. The salesperson can then tailor the sales presentation to focus precisely on how the product or service can help. As buyers people are far more interested in the benefits than the features of the product or service. Use the following quiz to determine your listening power. Are You A Good Listener? Score yourself on these personality traits to determine how effectively you listen. Use a scale of 1-10 with 10 being outstanding and 1 being poor. Rating : Attributes: ____ 1. I usually find other people genuinely interesting ____ 2. I am curious about what makes people tick and enjoy learning more about them. ____ 3. I think listening is generally easy and comes naturally to me. ____ 4. I empathize with the speaker. ____ 5. I am not distracted by things going on around me when I am listening to someone. ____ 6. I attempt to minimize distractions and interruptions when the environment is within my control (in my home or office, for example). ____ 7. I make it a point to maintain my composure and never let my emotions run away with me when I am listening to another person. ____ 8. I ask friendly question to encourage others to talk more. ____ 9. I am not embarrassed or intimidated when I don’t fully understand something; I simply ask them to explain. ____ 10. I try to focus on the central point of the conversation. ____ 11. I restate important point to make sure I understand key issues. ____ 12. I try to create a non-threatening environment to encourage open discussion. ____ 13. I smile and not when others speak to let them know I am interested in what they have to say. ____ 14. I force myself to focus on what the other person is saying even if I don’t find it particularly interesting. ____ 15. I do not let my mind wander or think about what I will say next when someone is talking to me. ____ 16. I maintain eye contact in a conversation. ____ 17. I am very conscious of my body language and make sure I am in an open and accepting position when I listen. ____ 18. I observe the other person’s body language and consider it an important part of the communication process. ____ 19. I do not try to anticipate what someone will say next and complete their sentences for them. ____ 20. I do not interrupt when others are speaking. ____ 21. I never say “let me finish,” or make similar statements when someone interrupts me. ____ 22. I do not raise my voice to drown out or overpower my companion’s comments. ____ 23. I am not judgmental about others. ____ 24. I don’t make up my mind about a subject until I’ve heard all the facts. ____ 25. I always try to be the kind of listener I would like to have as a listener. ____ Total Score To Score: Add up the total of all your scores and rate yourself as follows: 225-250 You are a saint. Canonization will probably occur during your lifetime. 200-224 Start shopping for a new wardrobe. You will soon be everyone’s favorite dinner quest. 175-199 You are a pretty good listener, one with whom your friends and associates enjoy conversing. 150-174 You are a better than average listener, but your attention drifts. Work on it. 125-149 You are about average. You think about what you are saying or plan to say about as much as you listen. 100-124 You are catching less than half of what is being said. Are you napping? Have a cup of coffee and get back in the game. 99 and below Either you are a very harsh critic or yourself or it’s time for serious action. Use your ‘below’ questions on this quiz as a guide to help you strengthen your listening skills.