Guilyne, thanks for sharing your personal experience with us. It's great awareness to have and it looks like you have a plan moving forward. Let us know how your listening limits improve based on this.
Dr. Jean Norris
Tina, great approach and it sounds like it has been working out for your team.
Dr. Jean Norris
Sometimess we can limit our listening skills if we are distracted while talking on the phone with a prostect. Dont surf the web, have music too loud our be typing. If they hear it you are going to lose that person. Learned this the hardway.
I think closing the door a bit would keep external noise to a minimum, but in our office even if we are in a meeting we get phone calls, recently our director put into effect the policy of not forwarding inquirys to us when we are with a prospect. thats helped tremendously.
Tina, that is a great point. So tell me, what is your plan to overcome this challenge?
Dr. Jean Norris
I have found that I am easily distracted, we have a busy Admin office, with an open door policy, that is a major challenge for me.
Katie, that is a great point and it does take time. It sounds like you are aware of these limits and know that practicing will improve them immensely. Good luck.
Dr. Jean Norris
I am still new to the position, so I am trying to remember how to answer questions or proceed in the way I am being trained. I keep thinking about the next question or how to respond to the what the person is saying that sometimes, I lose what the person is actually trying to tell me. I have other distractions like the phones and co-workers or students walking past my office. I have moved my computer screen so that people walking past my door isn't as distracting. I know that when I get more comfortable in the position, my training will be second nature and I can fully listen to a student.
Daniela, this is great insight. Now that you have this awareness, I wonder, what is your plan to start to overcome this?
Dr. Jean Norris
I found moments where I feel like I know exactly what an individual wants but then at the end was just making an assumption, I tend to put some of students in categories depending on where they are and where they are going.
That is a great idea Gary. Sometimes we do lose focus but asking questions or clarifying what you heard can help get you to re-focus on the student.
Dr. Jean Norris
Michelle, thank you for your honesty. This awareness seems like it has helped you create a solid plan moving forward. Keep us updated with your progress.
Dr. Jean Norris
Laura, thank you for sharing this. Your thoughts here show great awareness and it will allow you to create a plan to overcome those listening limits.
Dr. Jean Norris
Focus on your prospect's voice and if you wander then stop to ask a question or recap something you just heard. This will allow a re-start and opportunity to get back on track.
I can admit that I multi-task at times. Little things like an email popping up on my screen or a new lead calling takes the focus off the student that is in front of me. Now I make sure my computer screen is off when I am speaking with a student. I also keep my information sheet in front of me so that even if a call does come in, when I get off the phone I don't call the student by the wrong name. I try to put myself in the student's shoes and refrain from making them feel as if I am not listening to them.
I think this is an area of weakness for me as well. By using some of the tool in this training, I feel more equipped to change this "habit". I've learned some ways to be more prepared for dealing with challenges and realized that by being more direct about delving into challenges I will be less "afraid" of them and better ready to address them to see if I can aid in the student overcoming them.
Gary, thanks for your insight here. By re-capping, you are also checking for your understanding to make sure you heard what the student was trying to communicate.
Dr. Jean Norris
Roberta, this is great awareness. Plus, it sounds like you have come up with a great plan to move forward. Keep us updated on your progress.
Dr. Jean Norris
If having any difficulty with focusing on listening then stop and re-cap to prospective student to engage again. Ask some pertinent questions to what you have heard and get the conversation going again.
I know I limit my listening at times when I allow external noises to distract me, lobby noise, phones, etc. I can overcome this by being totally focused on the prospective student which will allow me to ask more suited "open" questions to ensure clear communication as well as understanding.
