Listening From The Heart

On last night's Millionaire Mastermind Roundtable Conference Call I spoke about Listening from the Heart. I wanted to make sure that if you were unable to make our FREE Conference Call (which we hold every Monday night at 7:30 pm PST at 646-519-5800 pin code 6195#) that you would still have the opportunity to benefit from the information presented.

Through my experiences of training and coaching and finding my way through this game we call life... I have come to understand that the fastest way to build a relationships is to truly care about the other person. This is true for both your personal, business or professional life. Perhaps just by listening from the heart is the best way to demonstrate that you care.

Heck, when I was growing up I did so much more listening than I did talking. Actually...let me rephrase that...I hardly ever talked and just about always listened! I was bit of a shy girl however it taught me some very valuable lessons. It allowed me to go beyond the words, to watch peoples mannerisms, their energy change, it allowed me to develop a sense of who they are and where they were coming from...just by listening to them.

So what is listening from the heart and how the heck do you do it?

Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever witnessed or perhaps yourself been involved in a conversation when only one person was actually present in the conversation?
For Example: You are on the phone with a friend, colleague or client, talking about something you are very passionate about and you get the feeling or perhaps you even hear then typing up an email or just waiting for a time when they can interrupt you so they can talk about whatever it is they want to talk about?

Now how did that instance make you feel? Did you loose a little bit of respect or trust for that person?

Now let me give you another example.
You are on the phone or in person talking about something you are very passionate about and while you are speaking you see that the person is looking you in the eyes, you can feel their sincerity and their connection with you and when it is their turn to speak...not only were they able to reflect back to you some of the points you had just mentioned but perhaps they can offer a similar situation that happened to them which tells you they were really listening.

So how will this information serve me or serve you?
This information will serve you in many ways. It will allow you to build deeper, stronger and more meaningful relationships with not only your family, friends and loved ones but also your clients, co-workers and business partners. It will allow you to connect on another, deeper lever. Listening from the heart is another form of connecting and whether you are in a sales environment or not, relationships are still being developed. It is up to you how deep you want to take them. Do you want a bunch of superficical relationships or do you want more meaningful ones? Do you want to walk into a room and know every ones name and only be able to comment on their attire that evening or how the weather has been or do you want to be able to engage in a conversation, perhaps even pick up where you left off because you listened with your heart and made a deeper connection? You and you alone must take 100% responsibility for the way things are if you don't like where you are at then make the decision right now to change them.

So if one of the most basic human needs is to be heard and understood and to have a connection with others...How in the world to do you give this gift of Listening from the Heart to others?

In other words, what must you do next for peak results?
1. First, you will want to shift your focus from your own thoughts to what the other person is saying. Listen with an open heart. Listen beyond what the words are that they are saying and listen to their feelings, their needs and their energy so you can truly understand the speaker.

2. At the same time you are giving 100% focus to the speaker, quiet your own internal dialogue (that talk that goes on in your head as we try to multi-task or think about what we are doing after the call such as picking up the kids or meeting up with someone for coffee).

3. Express interest by using body language, making eye contact, and sitting in a receptive posture (no arms crossed or slouching deep in your chair).

I would like to take this opportunity to challenge you all to choose one phone call a day to truly listen and understand the speaker on the other end of the line.

Also for the next 24 hours, avoid giving solutions or attempting to just fix a situation. Instead, support this person you are speaking with in finding their own way, this will build their confidence and increase accountability.

And lastly, practice listening from the Heart with a family member each and every day and see how positively they respond back to you! I guarantee you will see a shift in your relationship...one for the better.

With that in mind I want to thank you all for being here and connecting with me through this blog. I look forward to speaking with you in person and feel free to comment and give me your feedback as well.

Until then, Take Care!
Shay