Avoiding the Six Traps of Ineffective Listening in Short Sales
Most people don't realize that effective listening isn't something that comes naturally. In fact, many real estate agents are too busy working Short Sales that are never going to close to begin with because of something they didn't hear or recognize in the very beginning when talking to the homeowner. Knowing what the homeowner is really telling you in the qualification stage of the Short Sale process is initially one of the most important steps in the beginning. It's something you need to practice. To see whether you yourself could use some improvement in this skill, see how many of the following "traps" you fall into when you're listening to somebody.
1. The Quick Trigger Trap
Letting a single word-usually a negative word like "foolish", "immature", etc.-produce an emotional response that sweeps your attention away from the conversation.
2. The Wishful Thinking Trap
Instead of hearing what a person is actually saying, hearing what you want to hear, and supplying your own interpretations.
3. The Mind Drift Trap
Allowing your mind to drift away from the conversation, possibly because you're thinking of something else.
4. The Forest for the Trees Trap
Paying so much attention to each detail communicated that you lose sight of the overall message.
5. The Words Only Trap
Paying attention to the words alone and not to other communication cues, like gestures, tones and hesitations that often reveal more than words.
6. The Jump to Conclusion Trap
Making a snap decision on what you think somebody means, rather than paying close attention to what is actually being said.
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