Today’s world is filled with distractions, both offline and online. Capturing people’s attention is more challenging than ever. However, there are small behaviors you can do to make someone listen.
Whether it’s a smile or learning to be more engaging, here are tiny actions that speak volumes and make it more likely that others will be drawn to you. Keep reading if you’re tired of feeling ignored or want to capture people’s attention effectively.
1. Make Eye Contact
Making eye contact has multiple benefits. It shows others you’re engaged and confident listening to them. Ultimately, this can help you build trust and mutual respect. If you take the time to listen to someone, they’ll most likely do the same.
2. Smile Genuinely
Would you approach someone who looks mad? It depends on the person, but odds are you’d most likely want to avoid someone upset. By smiling genuinely, you welcome others to approach you or to feel safe with you approaching them.
Aside from the many health benefits that smiling has, it can also help you build stronger relationships.
3. Use People’s Names
According to research, people love talking about themselves. This isn’t difficult to understand; you can use it to your advantage. During a social interaction, mention someone’s name and watch their reaction.
More often than not, people will listen when you mention their name. Use someone’s name the next time you’re trying to make an important point.
4. Listen Actively
Hearing and actively listening aren’t the same. If someone listens to you while doing something else, you’ll probably feel unheard and have to repeat yourself multiple times. Not saying much is a great way to get others to listen to you.
Actively listening to someone will make them feel heard and more receptive to your words.
5. Speak Clearly
When you speak, be sure to speak clearly. If you mumble or look away while talking, others won’t be able to hear you. Speak loud enough to be heard, look in the direction of the person you’re speaking to, and be confident in what you’re saying.
6. Maintain Good Posture
Good posture can signal confidence and help you speak clearly. Often, your body language communicates for you. For example, constantly looking away during a conversation can make someone feel like you want to leave.
7. Ask Thoughtful Questions
Small talk is great, but if you want to build strong relationships, you must go beyond surface-level questions. Even if you don’t know someone well, asking thoughtful questions can make them feel engaged and more responsive to what you have to say. To do this, carefully listen to what someone is telling you and ask genuine questions you’re curious about.
8. Give Specific Compliments
Complimenting someone can make you feel good and boost the other person’s confidence. It’s important to be genuine and not give compliments for the sake of doing so. Otherwise, it can create distrust and make people not want to listen to you.
This takes a bit of courage and practice. Start by noticing things you genuinely admire about the people around you.
9. Mirror Body Language
Mirroring someone is a great way to show empathy toward others. For example, if someone is standing up, it’s smart to do the same if you’re able to. It’s a bit more than just copying what someone else is doing; it should feel natural.
However, if you properly mirror someone, it’s a great way to feel connected.
10. Use Gestures Naturally
Using your hands is a great way to engage others. Use gestures and facial expressions that come naturally. Doing so helps make your points clear and emphasize key points. However, your gestures mustn’t feel forced. Otherwise, you may come off as awkward or ingenuine.
11. Be Present and Engaged
When you apply multiple key behaviors simultaneously, you’ll be more present and engaged with others. Ultimately, making others more receptive to what you have to say. For example, actively listen to others as they share their thoughts and maintain proper eye contact.
12. Show Enthusiasm
You may not always be happy, but if you’re enthusiastic about a topic, this emotion can trickle down to others. Because it’s a positive emotion, others will be more receptive to listening to you. They’ll benefit from listening to you because they’ll feel inspired by your words.
13. Practice Patience
Do you find yourself cutting people off as they’re talking? If so, work on practicing the skill of patience. Not having the patience to listen to others warrants others to most likely do the same to you. Respect others’ thoughts by allowing them to express themselves without interruption.
Having patience for others will make them feel comfortable and open to wanting to speak and listen to you.
14. Express Appreciation
Showing appreciation toward others helps build a positive atmosphere and stronger relationships. If the people around you feel motivated or positive about being around you, they’ll be more likely to pay attention when you want to speak. Showing gratitude for other people’s presence and help is the right thing to do, and the people in your life will appreciate it.
15. Respect Personal Space
You can do everything right, but people may still not want to hear you. Often, this isn’t personal — they may be going through a tough moment in their lives. Pay attention to people’s body language and what they’re telling you.
If you notice someone looking away or asking for space, respect their choice. Depending on who is asking for space, you’ll have the chance to speak to them at a later time.