Some Signs You Are Truly Listening to a Conversation

When you are talking to a friend or a spouse, you want to know if you are communicating with them. The difference is that communication takes place when there is some feedback. Here are five ways to tell if you truly listen to the person talking to you.

Maintaining eye contact

Maintaining eye contact is one way to show you are paying attention to someone talking to you. It is because you can observe the person’s facial expressions, which helps to understand what they are saying. Maintaining eye contact also helps you to remember what you talked about.

Maintaining eye contact also shows that you are interested in what the person is saying. Eye contact is a non-verbal cue to the speaker to continue talking. However, ensure you are not staring at a person as it could make them self-conscious or uneasy.

In marriage counselling, therapists encourage couples to maintain eye contact in conversations. It is a way of increasing their bond and allows efficient communication through both verbal and non-verbal means.

Asking relevant questions

When a person is talking, and you ask questions about the topic, it shows that you are listening. It tells the person you are talking to that you want to know more about the topic. On the contrary, a person who is not listening will not engage or will ask irrelevant questions.

Asking questions helps improve communication and helps you remember what you’re talking about. Some speakers in a public setting allow time to ask questions. It helps them to know if the audience is listening.

Engaging in the conversation

You will know you are listening if you give short summarizing words as the speaker is talking. It means that you understand what they are saying. You can also paraphrase some things they say to show you relate to what they are saying.

Another way to show you are engaging is finishing sentences with the speaker in a non-formal setting. Although, at times finishing sentences can get annoying. A good listener knows when to give feedback respectfully. These can be in the form of short compliments related to the topic of discussion.

Not interrupting when someone is talking

Letting someone finish what they are saying shows that you are listening. It is important to show attention by allowing a person to finish a topic or a sentence. If you have questions, wait until they give you a chance to ask or until they pause.

You can politely interrupt the speaker if it’s a point you need to add on. However, this should not be done too often; allow the speaker to communicate their point.

Non-verbal cues

Non-verbal cues like nodding and facing the speaker show that you are listening. You can also use facial expressions in line with the other person’s words. When someone is speaking to you, they notice eye and body movements.

They can tell if you are not interested in what they are saying. Not crossing your arms, feet facing the speaker, and eye movements show that you are listening. Non-verbal cues are an honest way someone can tell if the person they are talking to is listening.

When having a conversation, whether it is formal or non-formal, it is important to listen. If you have communication and listening problems, try implementing the few tips highlighted. Contact us to get more tips on effectively communicating with your partner or friend.