Three Powerful Tips To Help You Be A Better Active Listener With Paraphrasing

If you had to learn only one active listening technique

, then paraphrasing should be at the top of your list. You can use it again and again in a conversation without sounding like an idiot. In fact, used properly paraphrasing will show that you are a "great listener" and will help you quickly establish rapport with friends, family, and sales prospects.

In this article, I will show you how to save yourself after you've zoned out and missed what the other person was saying, what to do if you paraphrase inaccurately, and what kinds of errors to watch out for.

First of all, a quick definition- what is paraphrasing? Paraphrasing is repeating the exact same ideas expressed to you, but in your own words. If you can, it will help to write down the main points while listening. If that is not an option, you're just going to need to stay alert! It's a good idea to interrupt the other party gently if they're going on at length to make certain you're catching everything they're saying. You won't want to have to paraphrase 10 minutes of monolog.

Caught Napping?

Should you find yourself lost in the conversation, you might give the impression that you did not understand them or might seem like you weren't paying attention if you try to paraphrase without enough information. In that situation, try parroting instead. In case you really were daydreaming about running barefoot on the beach, you most likely remember at least the tail end of what they were saying- just parrot that back to them. They'll often feel compelled to explain further or repeat the points prior to that point- giving you a chance to catch up without ever letting on that you had zoned out.

You Aren't Hearing Me!..

Sometimes when you paraphrase, the other party may have to correct errors in your understanding. When this happens, thank them for clarifying the points. However, you're not done. Paraphrase again! Make sure that you truly got everything right. In most cases, they will not mind and will correct you again. I've had conversations where we went through this paraphrasing/correcting cycle at least three times before we were completely on the same page. This commonly happens when the subject matter discussed is highly technical or complex.

What If Someone Is Paraphrasing You?

The most common errors in paraphrasing are errors of omission, addition, and interpretation. In case you are being paraphrased, keep your ears pricked for these errors.

in omission, you leave out a significant detail. In addition, you add something that the prospect never said. It's just like the game "telephone" where the last person to get the message almost always has a hilarious deviation from the original. Finally, in interpretation you don't add or omit anything, but you put your own spin on what the person said. You should be careful about that, because it could annoy the other person.

Now you know how to extricate yourself from potentially embarrassing situations if you're ever caught not paying attention or making a mistake in your paraphrasing. You also know what the three most common paraphrasing errors are- so, if you're ever listening to someone paraphrasing you, you know what to watch out for to make sure nothing was misunderstood.

by: adamvfoaol

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