Do you remember when you were a little boy or girl sitting in pre-school or kindergarden listening to your teacher read a story to you?  Imagine what that was like.  You were probably sitting with your legs crossed on the floor, your arms folded in your lap, or you were leaning forward with your arms on your legs.  Your mind was totally concentrated on your teacher.  Everything she said was golden.  You were so engrossed in the story that your mind was right there IN the story with the words.

Can you imagine how wonderful you would make someone feel if you had that same concentration when they were telling their story?  Can you imagine how special they would feel?  You would be able to really hear the words that were being said and feel the emotion.  Now, I do have to agree that some people don’t know how to communicate with the spoken word very well, but just a small amount of interest makes a difference.

Next time you meet with someone at a networking event, or at the grocery store, or Borders, or on a one-on-one, remember the feeling you had when you were totally engrossed in the story your teacher was telling you.  Give them the same quality listening skills you once knew when you were 4 years old.