Top 12 Quotes About Listening (Part 3 of 4)

One great thing about listening is that it is never outdated, it is never a bad idea, and it will always be important when dealing with people.  Okay that was three great things, but I was on a roll.  Now I present to you the words of two dead guys and a rhyming mystery…

Part 3: Quotes 6-4

6. “Man’s inability to communicate is a result of his failure to listen effectively.” – Carl Rogers (1902 – 1987; was an influential American psychologist and among the founders of the Humanistic approach to psychology)

Comment: Vince’s favorite quote! [See our Team page for more about Vince.]  Coming from Carl Rogers, this quote carries a lot of weight.  Rogers was immensely interested in human issues and focused much of his work on the understanding of “the personal nature of the human experience” (via the Wiki page).  He understood the importance of listening in a conversation and I’m going to go ahead and say he considered effective listening to be NECESSARY when communicating.  Read the quote again… it’s, like, sooo obvious.  I’m also reminded of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, in which Habit 5 is ‘Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood’ – gotta know who you’re talking to before you start talking.  ListenLogic can help you do just that.  Customizable campaigns allow a company to listen effectively to and improve communication with a specific audience.

5. “A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something.” – Wilson Mizner (1876 – 1933; was an American playwright, raconteur, and entrepreneur)

Comment: Although somewhat of an eccentric weirdo (he robbed churches when he was young and was later addicted to opium while trying to balance a gambling den and combat laziness), Mizner has been described as “an idol of low society and a pet of high.”  Throughout his life, he flowed through many social circles and dabbled in various odd-ball jobs, such as ballad-singer and roulette-wheel fixer.  Mizner was like that annoyingly cool guy in high school physics class that acts like he has no idea what is going on, but really he’s been taking notes the whole time… he knows what’s up and he’s collected the information for his own benefit.  By never missing an opportunity to listen, Mizner played his cards right and was eventually hired by Warner Brothers.  ListenLogic helps companies discover what they need to know to be successful in the future.

4. “The easiest way to sell is to listen not to tell.” – Unknown, but come on, it rhymes! (this quote is actually a favorite saying of my father’s and he thinks he may have gotten it from a sales class he took taught by Charlie Brennan – so there’s at least some credit)

Comment: Extra! Extra! This just in! People Love To Talk About Themselves! Ask the right questions and you’ll eat up the answers.  And remember that most of the time you don’t even need to ask; give them a chance and they’ll never shut up.  Plus, when you listen you show interest and attention – two more things people love and two reasons why someone might decide to give you a little love in return.  Get on their good side as soon as you step in the door by giving them the floor while you practice your listening skills.  ListenLogic’s platform automates this process on the web and provides real-time results with deep searchable insights.

I hope you’ve been learning some new things in these posts.  Don’t miss the final part in my series of Top 12 Quotes About Listening!  I’ll let you in on some real-life industry secrets from real-life people who’ve been there, done that, forgoed the t-shirt and earned more money instead!