The ability to communicate always tops the list of critical skills required to succeed. Every aspect of building a business or a team is reliant upon employees throughout your organization being able to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.

Throughout our educational experiences, we are taught to speak, read, and write. Unfortunately, very few people receive any formal training in the art of listening – the most critical of all communication skills.

Research indicates that during a manager’s typical day s/he spends more than 45 percent of the time listening. In fact, surveys have indicated that the most successful executives spend 50 to 60 percent of their day listening to others. Moreover, during a sales interaction, it is recommended that a sales professional spend 80 percent of the time listening to the customer. Now, think about your own experiences with salespeople. How many do you know who actually do that?