The Top Three Listening Mistakes VA’s Make in an Interview
You may have noticed an emphasis on your interview listening skills, in my “6 Super Coaches Tell All” seminar last week. Why are VA listening skills so important to a Coach? Why is the lack of those abilities such a deal breaker? You’re not a coach, you’re a VA. So why does it matter?
Simply put: In order to become certified as coaches, they must learn many high level listening skills in coaching school. So they are particularly sensitive to it when they notice a lack of listening skills.
I know, because I was a mentor coach for four years at an accredited coaching school. I taught them those very listening skills. I teach them to my clients too, when appropriate.
The good news is, you don’t have to learn those same skills just to talk to a coach. You only need to learn three basic ones, which I cover in the post: “VA’s: Shine in an interview with 3 top listening skills.”
But first, it’s helpful to know what not to do. So let’s take a look at that.
Mistake #1: Waiting for your Turn
Have you ever been sharing something with a friend, and when you stopped to take a breath, she (or he) jumped in with a comment or an opinion? That’s because they already had something they wanted to say, and instead of fully listening to you, they were just waiting for you to stop so they could have their turn.
This is something we all do at one time or another. But there are times when it pays to be aware and avoid that faux pas, such as in an interview with a potential coach client.
Mistake #2: Talking about Yourself
I can hear some of you protesting on this one: “But I’m supposed to talk about myself, aren’t I? That’s why they’re speaking with me. To find out more about me, right?
Not exactly.
Although the coach may want to take a minute to chat about you or the weather to connect in the beginning (see “Connecting,” ) he is not there to find out about you.
She is there to find out how you can benefit her: How can you help her grow her business? How can you help her make more money, work less, take away what she dislikes doing, and allow her to do more of what she enjoys? (See “Getting the Scoop,” )
Another form of talking about yourself is called “level one listening”. That’s when one person shares something, and instead of responding to that person, you respond with a similar story about yourself.
Again, we do this all the time with our friends. It’s common in everyday conversation. But it’s not the most effective way to communicate in an interview situation with a coach who is looking to see if you two are a good “fit.”
Mistake #3: Making Assumptions
Another common communication mistake is assuming we know how the other person thinks or feels, because we think or feel that way. This pesky little tendency gets us all into hot water at one time or another.
People all grow up with different experiences, values, and ways of looking at the world. The same exact sentence can be written on the blackboard, and one person will interpret it completely differently than another.
So it’s a good rule of thumb to never assume you know how another person feels about or views anything, especially in an interview. When in doubt, or even just for good measure, ask.
To learn more about listening in an interview, see “VA’s: Shine in an interview with 3 top listening skills.” – coming soon.
