Month: June 2020

Are you an Active Listener?

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” Bernard Baruch

To know whether you are an Active Listener is to understand what is Active Listening.

Active listening is when you are talking with someone you pay attention to the conversation and take the time to understand what the person is telling you. Your focus is on what’s being said to you, digest what is being said and if needed ask questions that will give you a better understanding of what you are being told.

Many times we really aren’t listening. While that person is talking we often are formulating an answer before we really understand what the person is trying to convey. By allowing them to finish you have a better idea on what it is that they truly want or need. You also shouldn’t only be listening to the words, but looking at their body language. Really get the feeling of what they are saying.

The last thing you should be doing is simply waiting for the person to finish so that we can do the talking. Waiting to give the sales pitch. This is a clear sign that shows you aren’t listening, or even concerned.

It’s very possible that after listening you can’t help them, and the only thing they get out of the conversation is that you were there for them to talk. Someone to listen to them, listen to their problem. And maybe that is all they needed.

But by listening you have build trust. And people like to do business with people they trust. Trust builds a relationship. Where that relationship goes could be to someplace that ends up benefiting you both.

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As we network we often invite others to have a 1-on-1, either have coffee, lunch or simply a phone call with a person we just meet. This is the time when we should be actively listening. Spend time getting to know them, and then allow them to know you. Build that relationship and see how it grows.

3 Months In

Last week as the Month of May was ending I was reviewing my goals, successes and even the shortcomings of the month. In all it was a good month.

This morning I realized that I began Eastern Shore Connect three months ago at the end of February. The world was much different. Covid-19 was being talked about, but we were still pretty much going on with our lives as usual.

I was attending live networking events where I announced the creation of Eastern Shore Connect. My goal was to have a place where businesspersons on Maryland’s Eastern Shore could come together to share ideas.

In person Networking events throughout the region was one of those goals. That quickly changed in Mid-March. We were asked to stay at home unless our work outside of the house was essential. In person meetings of just about every type came to a halt.

On the Facebook group shortly after it opened, but before the Stay-in-Place request, I was asked if I would be doing Video Meetings. It really wasn’t in my original plans, but a seed was planted.

All of a sudden that seed began to grow and I began the Weekly Eastern Shore Zoom on Thursday at Noon around the first of April. These have been successful and will continue.

During those first few weeks of Covid-19 Stay-in-Place I passed along business information that I received. I wrote a couple of pieces and posted here. Articles for Networking and Marketing was always in the plan, but it got pushed aside.

Here we are. The first week of June. The associated Facebook group has been doing well. I know that many don’t use facebook, nor social media in general. That’s ok. It was part of the reason I created this site. But after the initial first few week I began to focus more on Facebook and less here. In short I neglected the site.

One of my goals is expand the site. One of those is to post at least one piece of information per week. To make Eastern Shore Connect a site that is a useful place for business on MD Eastern Shore and its surrounds (Delaware, Annapolis etc) to follow.

I am open to ideas, so if you have any please let me know at ESConnect@ShoreToBeFun.com.

Thank You
Steve Atkinson