Listen Up!

“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie the Pooh

Listening is one of the most important skills you can learn. Top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. It is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. It is different than hearing. It is actually receiving the message being given by the person who is talking. In the midst of business, good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes and an increased sharing of information that can lead to more referrals.

In the midst of a social event or mixer, good listening skills also has benefits including making people feel connected to you because they feel listened to and, more importantly, you will be remembered among the crowd. One way to practice this skill is at our monthly mixer at Caspian Services on Wednesday, June 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your two hours.

Many people freeze up walking into a crowded event. They don’t know what to say.  They think they do not have anything interesting to say. First things first: smile. Be the friendly face in the crowd. Smiling puts others at ease and will draw people to you. If no one approaches you right away, there is usually that one other person who is also there alone and looking for someone to converse with.

Then you can use the obvious as conversation openers: Who you are, what you do, the nice weather we have been having, etc., but the thing you want to do is create a foundation for further conversation. Best ways to do this are: 1) Come prepared. Before you walk into an event, make sure you are prepared. Have business cards ready and think about a few interesting facts about your business and about your life that you could share. When someone asks, “What’s new?” don’t ever say, “Not much. Same old thing.” Respond with recent successes, and something, that will make you seem more intriguing.  2) And of course listen. Active listening greatly contributes to creating positive energy between you and the other person. People don’t feel heard these days. If you make each person feel sincerely heard, then you’ll make a good impression. Whatever you do, make sure you meet and thank the hosts of any event.

The host of our next business mixer is Caspian Services, Inc.  They have over 10 years of experience and have over 300 projects completed. You can visit their website at www.caspianservices.net to find out more about them or you can join us for the CV Chamber mixer they are hosting on June 12. The mixer will be in the upstairs courtyard of their new offices in the Hollywood Production Center Building at 401 N. Brand Blvd., second floor.  There will be free parking at the Hollywood Production Center that you enter on Orange Street. This mixer is going to have food, refreshments, a DJ, prizes and great networking, along with the chance to speak to the Caspian Services team about your website or marketing needs. They will also have a regulation craps table and Blackjack table with dealers. Participants to the mixer will each get $200 in funny money. At the end of play, we will tabulate the chips; the top three winners will receive prizes.

At this mixer we will also be delivering scholarships to four well deserving local seniors who will be attending college this fall. Hope you join us at this mixer on June 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Important dates: June 12 – CV Chamber business mixer at Caspian Services.

Please contact our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957/ crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

  julia rabago