1. Allow a prospect sufficient time to finish a thought. Don’t be too quick to jump in with a response.
   
   
2. Echo key comments back to garner more information. If a prospect makes a statement that you don’t fully understand or may have a deeper underlying meaning, use what the individual just said and pose it back in the form of a question: “You think our cardiology department could be stronger? I’m interested in hearing more of your thoughts in that regard.”
   
   
3. Practice listening. Conduct an occasional practice listening session with other development colleagues to test each other’s comprehension levels and interpretations of what was said. There are online listening exercises as well offered to improve one’s listening skills (www.esl-lab.com).

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