Why should I listen to you?

In general, everyone has something they want to say or communicate.

People tend to think their comments are important, sometimes more important than what other people are saying.

But what's the point of talking if nobody listens?

Here are some simple, yet important, rules to follow when communicating with the people around you, whether face-to-face or through social media.

1. Listen

You need to understand the current thread(s) of conversation before you try to jump in with your own thoughts.




Not sure what to pay attention to when listening to a conversation?


My infographic here may help.



You don't want your contribution to be redundant, unnecessary, or maybe worst of all, a conversation-stopper.



Don't bee that person who keeps talking without having anything to add.




The other members of the audience will be more likely to appreciate your opinions if they seem well thought out and relevant.

2. Engage

Now that you have a good grasp of what the conversation is about, you can share your opinions, right?

Slow down!

You should never blurt out your opinions and then walk away from the conversation. 

To begin with, you spent the time to understand the conversation, so you should be interested in where it goes and what conclusions are arrived at.

Secondly, people will lose respect for you and your opinions if you don't respect them and what they have to say.

Give the other members of the conversation a reason to listen to you by listening to them, processing what they said, and responding thoughtfully.

A little common courtesy goes a long way here.

Let's look at an example: The McWhopper.

Burger King recently wanted to enter the conversation centering around Peace Day, which is the United Nations' declared day of ceasefire and non-violence.

Now, engaging with an event like this can often be costly for companies, especially if their products do not directly relate to the main theme of the event.


However, Burger King wanted to use its large presence to help increase global awareness for Peace Day, and proposed a day of peace between its own brand and the the competing brand of McDonalds.

[ The official proposal and design for the "McWhopper" burger can be seen on this beautiful Tumblr website -> http://mcwhopper.com/ ]

McDonalds turned down Burger King's proposal, and that could have very easily been the end of this campaign.

But Burger King listened to its audiences and where the conversation was going, and realized there was a huge base of support for this idea of peace between competing food brands on Peace Day.

They have since opened the invitation up to all restaurants and brands which are interested in joining the conversation.

Whether a Peace Day burger is created and sold, or remains an idea, Burger King did a great job of spreading awareness of Peace Day and opening the conversation up to more global brands who otherwise may not have even considered taking part.

Communicating is a two-way street.

Remember to listen actively so you understand how to best interact with the conversation, and then stay engaged until the end.


Hungry for a Peace Day Burger,
The Purple Writer