Why 'Listen and Learn' Is a Consultant's Mantra (actually, for me, it's all about listen, learn, and then tell them how you're going to do something about what' you've learned...so you have to listen)

I know that some of you reading are consultants, so if I'm preaching to the choir, you can tune me out. However, for the rest of you, stay tuned.

At the end of the day, we're all consultants in some way. We advise our customers, we advise our boss, we advise our co-workers; the list goes on. At every turn, we can't damn well advise someone if we've not first asked - shutup - and then listened to what it is that they have to say. I find that in my consulting role (not the corporate gig) and in my corporate role, this ensuring that people feel that their input matters is a universal concern of both customers and associates, and that need cannot be taken lightly.

Here's seven reasons, from the article, why listening should be your top skill:

-- Listening demonstrates interest.
-- Listening streamlines the sales cycle.
-- Listening streamlines the sales cycle.
-- I can make a real-time course correction.
-- I can make more money.
-- It creates chemistry.
-- I might become a U.S. senator.

[via StartupJournal]