How The Art of Listening Pays Off With Real Results

By Lois Tuffin

When people think of a journalist, they often picture you pecking away at a keyboard, asking questions at a press conference, or speaking on a televised panel. However, the primary role of any reporter is to close your lips and listen.

It’s a fine art to clear your mind of your own thoughts and tune in on the words and actions of others. After all, the best questions arose from what you heard and any gaps in the story or logic.

This skill is somewhat lost as people love to jump in with their own opinions and assessments. Most of the time, people think ahead to predict what you may say or they focus on formulating their next point.

But when you listen intently, you hear undercurrents in a person’s voice. You understand what they really want from the conversation and where they have doubts. It takes practice and it is invaluable.

Even though I position myself as a writer and an editor, listening to what a client genuinely wants from a project is key to its success. That goal rarely comes up in a first conversation, especially not the first minutes anyway. You have to know what to ask to open up the discussion.

That saves you from repeated drafts and extra costs. As you know, time is money.

If you want a job done right, you need an attentive editor who can probe into your true intent. That means understanding tone, approach, and your audience. Then you will get exactly what you aimed for.

Let’s talk. Actually, you talk. I’ll just listen.