Listening Tops the List of Must-Have Communication Skills for Success in Selling

Listening well improves business results, including sales. Consider these findings:
A study of 267 leading U.S. businesses found that upgrading team members’ communication effectiveness is associated with a 30% improvement in the organization’s market value.
Fortune 500s lose an estimated $15,000 per employee per year due to miscommunication. This adds up to over $50 million in annual losses.
In the average SMB, about 17.5 hours per week are spent on clarifying miscommunications.
In the average SMB, $420,000 is lost each year due to productivity losses resulting from miscommunication.
Only 13% of U.S. workers strongly agree that senior managers in their organizations communicate effectively.
IN 2010, approximately 11 million business meetings took place every day in the U.S. That’s over 3 billion per year! Significant portions of meetings are spent on repetition due to poor listening.
Poor listening skills are at