Photographers are visual artists. We are often adept at detecting visual nuances and seeing the light, yet when it comes to the subtlety of conversation… well, our listening skills may fall short. I would consider myself to be a decent listener, but I know I could improve my listening skills. So, with that in mind, I set out to find some resources to help us become better listeners, and in turn, better salespeople.
I ended finding twelve articles and resources that each address ways to become a better listener. Many of them bear the same name (i.e. “become a better listener”), but I found each of them to have a few interesting tidbits to make them unique from the others listed here. Besides, repetition is part of learning or improving, right? So, by the time you finish perusing these twelve articles, you should have a good idea of where you can improve your listening skills.
The Top 10 Tips for Becoming a Better Listener
These ten tips by Shale Paul can give you a helpful “place to start” when beginning to practice being a good listener. A technique called “Mind-Mapping” is also discussed; creative types (i.e. photographers) may find this note taking structure particularly helpful.
Hear This: 10 Ways to Become a Better Listener and Change Your Life Forever
Brandon George writes about the difference between active and passive listening. He suggests ten ways you can become a better listener, from simply “being honest” to “analyzing body language”.
Tips on becoming a better listener
Merlin Mann of 43 Folders discusses his listening shortcomings. It sounds awfully familiar — I know I too am guilty of not remembering acquaintances’ names (even though I know them on sight). Mann lists a few of his favorite quotes from around the internet on becoming a better listener.
How to Become a Better Listener
Monika Mundell discusses the art of listening and makes an observation about TV star Larry King’s listening skills. There are some interesting discussions in the comments of this resource, so make sure to peruse those as well!
How to Become a Better Listener
This eHow article makes some good observations about the art of listening, including the practice of clearing distractions from your mind. Another eHow contributor writes a similar article by the same title, with a few different tips: How to Become a Better Listener (2).
Strategies to Become a Better Listener
Kristine Brite discusses some different strategies to become a better listener. She writes, “Listening mindfully means being aware of what you are doing while listening to others.”
Emergency: Sounds of silence–tips to become a better listener
This Workplace 911 article discusses some helpful “listening phrases” that can be adapted to any business. Learn phrases to help you clarify, be neutral, restate, be reflective, and summarize.
6 Ways For You to Become a Better Listener
J. Frank Carr provides some surprisingly fresh insights into the art of listening. When talking with others, we try to empathize with them by sharing our own stories… and sometimes this can backfire. Carr reminds us not to steal the conversation when being a good listener.
Four steps to becoming a better listener
Annette Richmond turns the tables on the art of listening. It’s not just about listening. It’s about communicating! As a creative person, I especially appreciated Richmond’s suggestion to “pay attention to the music. If the words and tone do not agree, he may be sending you a mixed message. Ask questions to find out what he means.”
How to Be a Better Listener
BookRags, an educational website, provides a brief annotated collection of ways to become a better listener. Techniques include repetition and responding in complete sentences.
Become a Better Listener: Practice Active Listening
This article from The Positive Way discusses how to practice active listening. You’ll read about an acronym (CARE) to help you remember how to listen effectively. CARE: concentrate, acknowledge, respond, empathize. While the article is written to help you become a better listener in your personal life, the principles can definitely be applied to your customer service listening skills too.
The art of listening is a skill not easily learned. But, remember: “the most successful people in this world all tend to be good communicators and good listeners” (from How to Become a Better Listener).
Betsy Finn, Cr.Photog., CPP, is a photographer; she is also a contributing writer for 
