Have you ever seen a great communicator in action? They seem
to be able to talk to anyone on any topic and everyone they
speak with enjoys the conversation. These great
communicators use their verbal charisma to open doors to all
manner of opportunity; business, career, social, or whatever
else they set their mind on. Ever wondered how they do it?
They use what I call the Secret Weapon of Great
Communicators.

You may be wondering what this secret weapon is and how you
could be using it to your advantage. I have good news for
you. The secret weapon is something that you can use to
rapidly open doors in your own life and it is easily
learned.

The secret weapon consists of several components, the first
of which is to develop the habit of taking a genuine
interest in other people. Once you do this you will discover
that most people are interesting in one way or another. Some
have had interesting experiences in their life, others have
a fascinating job or hobby, still others have thought
provoking theories or knowledge. If you approach others with
genuine interest and an open mind you may be amazed at how
rewarding it can be.

The second component of the secret weapon is to develop the
skill of leading with questions.

Listen to average people in conversation and you will soon
notice that they speak in statements. The most common
statements you will hear from a speaker are those that are
complimentary to themselves and those that are critical of
others. However if you listen to a good communicator you
will find they he or she asks a lot more questions. They
understand that the person who asks the questions controls
the direction of the conversation.

The third component is to actively listen to what the other
person is saying. Have you ever watched people in
conversation? It is a great way to learn what works and what
doesn't. My father taught me that if you take the time to
observe a person in conversation then you will discover a
great deal about who they are and what makes them tic. I
discovered that you can also learn a lot about their
listening skills, or lack of them as is more often the case.

Most listeners are not fully focused in the present moment
so they miss what is being said. Perhaps their mind is
wandering to something that happened earlier of to something
that they are going to do later. If they are really bad
communicators then they are probably focusing on what they
are going to say next and not hearing a word of what the
other person is saying.

A good listener focuses on what is being said and they do
two things to let the other person know that they are
listening. Firstly they ask questions that allow the other
person to expand on what they are saying and secondly they
make reinforcing statements.

Developing the three components that constitute the great
communicators secret weapon will help you build a powerful
network of contacts who will be happy to help you achieve
your goals. You may be amazed at just how many great
opportunities will open to you. It is well worth the effort.