How to improve your active listening skills in trade shows?

Active listening is a technique essential to establish a linkage of quality with a shopper, a Prospect or any other Person in front.

It is not limited to simply overhear, but involves a total attention and an ability to perceive nonverbal signals.

This approach makes it possible to favouring one login plus Significant, by going beyond a simple interaction.

Les trade shows can also be incredible opportunities to establishing contacts learn more about your market and build new relationships.

In this article, we are going to teach you how to improve your active listening skills at events so that you can: Maximize your time and your efforts to get the better results.

What is active listening?

Active listening is the process during which you listen to your interlocutor in a conscious, by reacting to his words, by Observing his body language and by adopting an emotional state of mind adapted to that of your interlocutor.

Therefore, it is not not only to hear What the person is saying, but of understand its viewpoint, his preoccupations And its motivations.

This involves asking questions, thinking about what has been said, and clarifying where necessary.

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Why is active listening important?

Here are 5 stats:

• The human being passes the The majority of his life communicating and 40% of his time is devoted to listening.
  When we listen to someone, we barely use 25% of our maximum mental capacity.
  
  
• The longer the conversation, the less information we remember.
  After 10 minutes of listening, we no longer retain only 50% of what is said.
  After 48 minutes, this number goes down to 25%.
  
  
• Non-verbal communication (the posture, the facial expressions And the Tone of voice) delivers 93% of the message while only 7% are not transmitted through words.
  
  
• Our mental ability to listen Is good Superior to our ability to speak.
  For 125 words spoken per minute, we can actually listen to (and think of) about 400 words.
  
  
• We don't Remember that 17% to 25% of what we listen to on average.

Source: HelpGuide.org

How can you improve your active listening skills?

We can summarize the behaviors to have for better active listening by The rule of the three A's :

• Attitude 😊 : It's about how you approach the person you're talking to. To be a good active listener, you should always keep a open mindset And a positive attitude — even if you don't agree with what he's telling you.
  
  
• lookout 🤔: you have to stay fully focused in conversation and shun any form of distraction.
  Put your phone away, put yourself in front of your interlocutor, to make sure yoube present physically AND mentally for your interlocutor.
  
  
• Adjustment 🤗 : You always need you Adapt to lyrics of your interlocutor. Don't try to steer the conversation or bring it to something you know about. Leave your interlocutor Guide you, this will allow it to open up better.

The benefits of active listening

In a commercial setting

En Listening actively, a professional can optimizing its communication techniques And better responder to the needs of his interlocutor.

In a framework commercial, it can transform A simple chat in one opportunity fruitful, especially in finding Expectations of Prospect And in work On a offering adapted.

One Empathic listening thus helps to build a solid report, key of the successes in professional relationship.

And, insofar as communication is the pillar of human relationships, active listening is a essential competence To be mastered in all situations — whatever they are Personal or professionals.

In a professional salon

In a saloon, for example, a good Active listening makes it possible to better understand the expectations of visitors and thus to refine the presentation of a product or service.
La installation Of this communication technology can also improve thework environment, by establishing a climate of trust Within a team.

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En Management, it helps to better manage the skills Of earners and to avoid some mistakes linked to a bad valuation needs.

The American psychologist Carl Rogers and Elias Porter have shown that theEmpathic listening plays a fundamental role in communication.

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It goes through elements like the reformulation, attention to nonverbal signals, and the avoidance of bad habits like Mute the speech.
In fact, snip Someone in their thinking prevents a productive exchange and limits profits of a conversation.

For Develop your ability to listen, it is not enough to be silent; it is also necessary to understand the message transmitted, respect the silences, and avoid all judgment premature.

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La vocational training in Active listening Allows you to work on your offer, to optimize your commercial approach, and of you stand out from the competition.

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Practicing this skill every day brings positive impact, as well in the professional relationship only in interpersonal communication.

En first place, good listening therefore allows you to discover something of the unexpected, of refining its valuation needs and develop your active listening skills For a action more effective.
This plays a key role in the successes in the long term, because a Active listening well controlled is a element Essential of world of communication and business.

And many more...

• Discover of new opportunities and prospects that you might not have considered before.
• Better understand your market : By listening carefully to the needs And the concerns of others, you can better understand your market and find ways to improve your business.
• Development of new ideas : By listening to the ideas and opinions of others, you can develop new ideas and perspectives that can grow your business.
  
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How can you improve your active listening skills at trade shows?

The acquisition of this skill can take time but it is essential to work on it since communication is the pillar of human relationships.

STEP 1: Get ready in advance ⏳

Before attending a trade show, take the time to Define your goals and the types of people you want to meet. You can also prepare a list of relevant questions to help guide the conversation.

Example of objective: Talk to 20 people and get 4 appointments to deepen the discussions.

Example of relevant questions:

• What are the exciting projects you are currently working on and how does your business plan to deliver them?
• How can you imagine a collaboration between our businesses that would benefit our customers and strengthen our professional relationships?
• Do you have recommended reading materials or resources to stay up to date in our field?

STEP 2: Be attentive and focused 🤔

Try not to Don't let yourself be distracted by other people or events around you.

Stay focused on the conversation at hand and make sure the person feels listened to and respected.
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Tips : Keep eye contact with the person you're talking to to build engagement and emotional connection.

And put your phone in your pocket!

STEP 3: Ask for clarification 👋🏻

Asking for clarification generally ensures that your interlocutor Develop the words previously said and therefore to have a better understanding of the situation.

STEP 4: Paraphrase 💬

User of the paraphrase allows you to reassure your interlocutor that you understand what he is saying to you and to make explicit Everything he could have Implicitly said.

NB: You can use the Mirrorring method through Criss Voss Which consists of repeat or rephrase the Last 3 words or sentences spoken by your interlocutor in order to show him that you are listening carefully and to clarify your understanding of what he said.

In practice, when your interlocutor finishes a sentence or an idea, you can also use sentences like”So if I understand correctly...” or”You mean that...” etc.

STEP 5: Ask open-ended questions ❓

One Open question is a question that cannot be answered with yes/no.

They are essential in the active listening process because they encourage your interlocutor to develop their response and thus improve communication.

Ask open-ended questions to encourage the person to talk about their needs, interests, and concerns.

Avoid closed-ended questions that require a short answer. This will help strengthen the relationship and show that you are a valuable partner.

Examples:

• Can you tell me more about what you are looking for in a professional partner or business?
• How would you describe your experience so far in your business/industry?

STEP 6: Take notes ✍🏻

Take notes during the conversation for you Remember important points.

It will help you better yourself prepare for follow-up and to remind you of the conversation in the future.

NB: With our application Cardynale, you can recontact the various people with whom you exchanged your contact details knowing what the conditions of your meeting and your conversations were.

Indeed, you can contextualize your encounter (who, where, when?) and add notes to remind you of the conversation with your interlocutor.

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STEP 7: Show empathy 🤗

Empathy, it's not telling someone not to get upset or sharing a similar experience in order to make them feel better.

Sometimes it's not even trying toprovide a solution to his problem.

Empathy is simply Be there for the person, make him understand that we understand his problems.

It's about To comfort the person, and that improves the trust between you.

Tips:

• Put yourself in the other person's shoes: try to understand the person's emotions and feelings by imagining how you would feel in their situation.
• Be sincere: if you are not sincere, it will be noticeable and your attempt at empathy will be perceived as false or manipulative.
• Express your understanding: Use phrases like “I understand that this must be hard for you” or “I'm sorry you're going through this.”
• Use facial expressions and gestures to show empathy, such as nodding or smiling.

STEP 8: Summarize the words said ✏️

Like the paraphrase, summarise is a great way to Make sure you understand what the person you're talking to said.

It is not necessarily a question of reformulating in your own words, but of repeat the essential points of your conversation.

STEP 9: Avoid interruptions ❌

Avoid interruptions and wait for the person to finish speaking before asking questions or giving feedback.

Let the person speak at least 3 minutes without interrupting.

STEP: 10 Show gratitude 😊

Thank the person for taking the time to talk to you and for sharing useful information.

Let the person know that you Appreciate his time and expertise.

Tips: Don't say thank you in the wind, always add a reason behind it!

STEP 11: Follow the people 🤝

After the trade show, send an email or a message thanking the person for the conversation and for express your interest For a possible collaboration.

It can help strengthen the relationship and to maintaining contact.

Tips: Thanks to the Cardynale app, don't forget the person you talked to.

Use the notes to remember your conversation and thus send a more personalized message to your interlocutor by discussing your last topic of discussion.

Why is it important to improve your active listening skills at trade shows?

When you attend a trade show, you often meet a lot of people and it can be Hard to remember of all the conversations you've had.

If you are not attentive and focused, you may wasting time talking with people who don't fit your purpose or missing out on important opportunities.

By improving your active listening skills, you can avoid these problems and be more effective in your interactions with others.

You can better understand the needs And the expectations people, ask relevant questions, and establish stronger relationships.

Conclusion

Active listening is a essential skill to succeed at trade shows professionals.

By following the steps above, you can improve your active listening and establish stronger relationships with the people you meet.

By being attentive, asking relevant questions, and showing interest, you can Maximize your time and your efforts to get the better results.