Multitasking and Active Listening – Can you do both?

The term multitasking has its roots in the computer industry. The premise is that a computer can complete several tasks or processes simultaneously. While a computer processor may seem to be multitasking; in actuality it is not. As stated by Charles J. Abate, “Computers are inherently linear in their operation and can perform only one task at a time.” (March/April 2009 issue of NEAtoday)

What about human multitasking? Can we perform multiple “processes” requiring thought simultaneously or do we “toggle” between the various processes and lose focus?

Professional sales is a communication process. Whether you are building trust and rapport, persuading, or negotiating, we sell through interaction and communication. Many sales professionals believe that the key to selling is the perfect pitch or presentation. While our outbound communication is important – our ability to listen, learn, and understand is a critical skill set.

Active listening and multitasking simultaneously is virtually impossible. Linda Stone, a multimedia pioneer, coined the phrase “continuous partial attention.” This is a good descriptor of how our listening ability is impacted when faced with either distractions, attempting to listen to multiple things simultaneously, reading or writing (typing) when some is speaking with us.

For some sales people, active listening is difficult. They are more comfortable talking and even when they are not talking – they are thinking about what to say. Since they are focused on thinking – not listening, often key buying clues or critical information is missed. The result is ineffective communication and could be a lost opportunity.

In order to really listen, there are a few key steps to focus on.

Did I hear what the person said?

Did I understand what the person said?

Active listening enables the sales person to stay focused on both of those key steps.

Here are a few pointers on becoming a better listener.

Give your full and undivided attention to the person who is speaking and whenever possible make eye contact. If you are speaking with someone on the telephone, avoid distractions and the temptation to multitask with email or texting.

Clear your mind and focus on both the hearing and understanding steps in active listening. Be mindful of distractions and the temptation to let your mind wander.

Don’t interrupt the speaker. No one appreciates being interrupted; when you do interrupt someone you are sending the following message: “I am not listening and even if I was – I don’t care enough to keep listening.” A pause to gather your thoughts and respond thoughtfully is better than an interruption or not listening to the full message being delivered.

Clarify and confirm. Use the breaks in the conversation to confirm what you heard and clarify what you understood. Trust and rapport are built through this process and confirmation is critical to demonstrate your listening skills and abilities. Asking follow on and follow up questions and testing your understanding are very powerful and simple ways to prove you are listening.

Provide nonverbal feedback – nodding, appropriate facial expressions, and maintaining eye contact are important for listening. Research tells us that over 90% of communication is not the actual spoken words. Speed, tone, volume, and body language all contribute to the overall message. If we are looking out the window rather than focused on the person speaking, it is likely that we will miss key information.

The verdict on human multi-tasking may still be out. There are those that will talk about generational differences as well as gender differences. However, it is clear that to actively listen, focus and concentration is absolutely required.

“To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is essential to all true conversation.” Chinese Proverb