Learning How Not To Listen

[Nazreen]

There's a separate thread discussing the topic of Learning To Listen (http://www.businessadviceforum.com/showthread.php?t=1277). This is the exact opposite of that thread. Why would I want to learn how not to listen, you would ask. Let me tell it in a form of a story, a real story in fact. A couple of months back, my mom and I were doing some shopping and came across a crowd listening to a salesman selling a mop. The man threw some dirt on the floor and proceeded to use the wet mop to wipe it clean. He told us that it was so easy to use it, blah blah blah... and it's selling at a bargain price of S$11, he claims that the original price is $30. As an additional incentive, if you buy two he'll give it at a price of S$20 and you save S$2. My mom was quite impressed and asked me if I want to share with her and buy two mops. When I got back home, I was so happy to show my husband the mop and quite proud of myself because I was able to buy it at a bargain. When I tried to demonstrate it to my husband, I couldn't even move the wet mop on the floor. It's totally worthless!!! That scamming salesman was using it in a slippery surface when he did the demo and we never saw him again the next day when we wanted to return it.

In business, learning to listen is a very good skill to have. At the same time, learning how not to listen is equally as important to prevent us from being scammed. One advise that I can give on how not to listen is "When Something is too good to be true, it usually is.".

Do you know of other tips on how not to listen? Kindly share them here.

[Kay]

I was reading a book about Warren Buffett, the famous investor, and it talked about how anytime a Berkshire Hathaway company's managers suggested buying another when he was looking to expand his group, he made them come to his office and explain why.

He didn't want to see the stats or get it on paper. He wanted the men to sit in front of him, look him in the eye and tell him why it was a good proposition. It was the body language and the stumbling over questions and fudging answers he wanted to see because that told him more truth than any report. He didn't want to judge by listening alone. Smart man.

[scifi]

Well Sometimes it is more than necessary to ignore some conversation Or it would be better to say that to understand hidden meaning behind the conversation or far better to say that don't take decisions on show off be merely seeing it, use your brain too to analyse the situation!!!
As Mahatma Gandhi has said, Don,t listen bad, Don't speak bad & Don't see bad...This is called three monkey's principle...!!!

[Nazreen]

He didn't want to see the stats or get it on paper. He wanted the men to sit in front of him, look him in the eye and tell him why it was a good proposition. It was the body language and the stumbling over questions and fudging answers he wanted to see because that told him more truth than any report. He didn't want to judge by listening alone. Smart man.

There are a lot of things that you won't know while just talking to people on the phone or through exchanging of emails. Warren Buffet is very wise in asking to meet Berkshire Hathaway managers in person.


Or it would be better to say that to understand hidden meaning behind the conversation or far better to say that don't take decisions on show off be merely seeing it, use your brain too to analyse the situation!!!

Using our brains to sift through the information that we hear or see everyday is really a good tip. Without knowledge and without being critical and wary, we would fall victim to all sort of misinformation and scams.

[Nazreen]

I would guess that we should also remain skeptical and be wary of even professional and experts of their particular fields. Just take a look at the example of Bernie Madoff trading scam.

Bernie was considered as an elite manager because he showed investors that his investments are always outperforming the market almost all the time. In this case, this is impossible to achieve and too good to be true again.

Read this article - Learning from Bernie Madoff: Avoiding Trading Scams (http://www.learningmarkets.com/index.php/200812151116/Forex/Forex-Trading-Strategies/learning-from-bernie-madoff-avoiding-trading-scams.html).

[Kay]

There are a lot of things that you won't know while just talking to people on the phone or through exchanging of emails. Warren Buffet is very wise in asking to meet Berkshire Hathaway managers in person.


So true. I really was impressed by him even more once I read it. If anyone's thinking of buying it, you may be interested in a review I wrote of the book that I just published a few days ago. It's called Pilgrimage to Warren Buffett’s Omaha: (http://www.cuckleburr.com/book-review-pilgrimage-to-warren-buffetts-omaha-a-hedge-fund-manager-dispatches-from-inside-the-berkshire-hathaway-annual-meeting-by-jeff-matthews) A Hedge Fund Manager’s Dispatches from Inside the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting by Jeff Matthews. Buffett's a fascinating man.

[Fergal]

I purchased "The Snowball (http://www.amazon.com/Snowball-Warren-Buffett-Business-Life/dp/0553805096)" about Warren Buffet yesterday, looking forward to starting to read it, I'm sure that anyone could learn a lot about business from reading about him.

[Kay]

Let me know how it is, Fergal! I enjoyed mine and heard it was a lot different from The Snowball. I sent Jeff Matthews a note saying I'd reviewed it and he sent me back a really nice email saying I'd captured the heart of it. Made my day. :)

[Nazreen]

I've just read your review on the book Pilgrimage to Warren Buffett’s Omaha and you've just sold me Kay. I've already added it to my must-read books.

Might also add in The Snowball to that list. :)

[Kay]

I've just read your review on the book Pilgrimage to Warren Buffett’s Omaha and you've just sold me Kay. I've already added it to my must-read books.

Might also add in The Snowball to that list. :)

Well, thank you ma'am! I think you'll enjoy it Nazreen. :) It really is amazing how much the people there band together. There's shareholders that have become millionaires many times over because they bought into Berkshire Hathaway when he took it over way back in 1965.

In case anyone's wondering, today a single share of Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=BRK-A) will set you back $94,324.00. Yes, that's ninety four thousand dollars a share.

I should have known something was up the year my husband said all he wanted for Christmas was a single share in one company. :rolleyes: