I watched Tom Hanks in an interview about the making of "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," the story of Mr. Rogers. Mr. Hanks is 63 years old and widely recognized as one of the very best in his profession. Two things struck me during the interview. First is that Tom talked about how he is continuously learning and working on himself. Second is what he learned during this film. He said that in studying the beloved Fred Rogers, he learned to practice listening more. He said he's now trying to live by the acronym, WAIT, why am I talking?

In sales, as in life, listening trumps all. There is a beautiful axiom that says most people would rather talk to a wise man than listen to one. It's true. We are verbal critters and often feel that if everyone would just shut up and listen to us, things would be better. Just remember, that's what they're thinking too. Most of us want to be well-liked, well-respected, and well-thought of. WAIT is the path. Think about someone you like and respect. They likely make you feel good about yourself. It's also likely that you feel understood when you're with them; that they "get you." While they may compliment you from time to time, if you think about it, the primary reason you like and respect them is that they listen to you and therefore make you feel valuable. This is the gift you can give with WAIT. There is nothing more important to your fellow humans than to feel precious and valuable, and the wonderful perversity of it is that by listening and making them feel valuable, your value soars.