7 Active Listening Tips to Get People to Like You
During the summer at our Midwest summer camp, it’s relatively easy to connect with new and old friends–mostly by just being yourself, but sometimes by being intentional about using good socializing techniques, like the good, active listening techniques below.
Here are some good tips from a former FBI agent about how you can get people to like you by active listening. The summary below (from the folks at Barking Up the Wrong Tree), with the full article available at this link.
Active Listening
- The single most important thing is non-judgmental validation. Seek someone else’s thoughts and opinions without judging them.
- Suspend your ego. Focus on them.
- Really listen, don’t just wait to talk. Ask them questions; don’t try to come up with stories to impress.
- Ask people about what’s been challenging them.
- Establishing a time constraint early in the conversation can put strangers at ease.
- Smile, chin down, blade your body, palms up, open, and upward non-verbals.
- If you think someone is trying to manipulate you, clarify goals. Don’t be hostile or aggressive, but ask them to be straight about what they want.