Posted on: 26 November, 2001
Author: Gloria Reibin
This time it was Tom Hanks' ... hosts a show called "Inside the Actor's Studio," ... week features an ... with a well known actor. No,you won't see the latest dirt hovering around t This time it was Tom Hanks' turn.Bravo hosts a show called "Inside the Actor's Studio," whicheach week features an interview with a well known actor. No,you won't see the latest dirt hovering around their sexuallife, or hear about their fight with the director. Insteadyou'll learn their insights on the craft of acting.The Audience consists of students -- future writers, actorsand directors -- currently enrolled in the Masters Programat the New School in New York City.You can watch the show a hundred times with a hundreddifferent actors. When asked by the moderator "What is theone piece of advice you can give to our students here?, theyall say the same thing. "Listen."Listening is the key to success for the actor, the director,the writer.Listening, too, is the key to success for the marketer.Listening is the key to success for the human being."You convert yourself from a person who is pretending,"Actor Hanks said "to a person who honestly is." Doesn't thisremark apply to all areas of life?What exactly is listening? Is it a function of the ears? Howmany times have you had to ask "What did you say?" tosomeone after the sound waves left their mouth, swept acrossthe room or telephone and pounded on your eardrums? Isn'tlistening the function of the mind?The actors will tell you that when they listen with theirminds, they'll respond in a different and spontaneous way tothe other actors lines even though they already know whatthose lines will be! Listening involves taking in the face,the body, the environment of the other person. Yes, itincludes "listening" to body language.More than one actor on the program like to tell storiesabout Jack Nicholson, a master at inducing spontaneity inhis co-workers. No scene is ever played the same twice --even though his lines remain word for word.Shirley MacLaine told about a scene in "Terms of Endearment"where Jack plays her neighbor. She knocks on his door; heopens it. Simple enough. But everytime she knocked, Jackwould make sure that something unexpected would happen. Onetime he opened the door with a woman hanging onto hisshoulder.Directors need to listen (and that includes watching) theiractors. They need to be attentive to everything happening onthe set. They need to know when something is right and worksand when something goes wrong. They need to listen to theirphotographer, their lighting people, their crew. Gooddirectors sprouts eyes and ears in every part of their body.Writers couldn't write without listening -- listening to theway people talk, the language they use, their gestures,movement. All that is a part of listening.What about the marketer? You've already heard, I'm sure,that you need to fill your customer's needs. How can you dothat unless you listen to them?"The most important secret of salesmanship is to find outwhat the other fellow wants, then help him find thebest way to get it." Frank Bettger said in his classic book,"How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling."Listening is the key to being a successful person. Peoplelike to talk about themselves, but they want someone to hearthem.All creative people, all successful people listen, also, totheir inner voice. It's the inner voice that takes thecumulative effect of all that outer lifetime of listening,makes sense of it and tells them how to respond, what actionto take.Doesn't it seem reasonable that if you put your attention onothers, help them fulfill their needs that your inner voicewill be prepared to fulfill your own?Here's a few things you can do to improve your listeningskills.1. Close your eyes. Spend a few quiet moments just beingwith yourself. It's a good idea to do this before you startany new task for the day, before you make a phone call,send an email, or write an ad.2. Each time you pick up the phone, whether to answer it ormake a call, remind yourself to stop and listen to the otherperson.3. After contact with another person, write down all thethings they said to you. Were you really listening, or wereyou waiting for a break in the conversation so that youcould speak? Do you find you weren't sure what they said?You will probably start writing reams as you practice theart of listening.4. After you've met a person face to face, write down whatyou remembered about them, their behavior, what they wore,how their facial expressions changed, their body language.Before long, you will develop a lifelong habit of listeningthat will win you friends, enhance your enjoyment yourenjoyment of life and, need it be mentioned, fatten yourwallet.You'll no longer have to remind yourself to:"Shhhhh. Listen!" Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com