Given all the listening we do, you’d think we’d be good at it. Statistics show otherwise. According to Forbes.com, we remember only 25 – 50% of what we hear. That means when we talk to our boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, we’re really hearing anywhere from 2 ½ to 5 minutes of the conversation. But fine-tuning your listening skills can be very beneficial to your marketing efforts. The better you listen, the better you’ll understand what the customer has to say about your product or your strategy — and the better marketing outcomes you’ll ultimately achieve.

Dr. Steven Berglas, former faculty member of the Harvard Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and now a coach to entrepreneurs and executives, offers some valuable tips on using what he calls “active listening” as a business tool. He offers an antidote to what he calls “selective” listening (or hearing only what you want to hear). Active listening involves using your eyes as well as your ears — making a conscious effort to hear not only the words a person is saying but, more important, trying to understand the total message that’s being said.

Stay open minded. Try to suspend your pre-conceived notions — and avoid putting words in people’s mouths.

Beware “defensive diagnoses.” Snap judgments save time, which is why we like them. But don’t jump to conclusions. And don’t listen defensively, letting your deep-seated insecurities about what the person may be saying — or not saying — get in the way.

It’s not a popularity contest — or a game of one-upmanship. You don’t need to dominate the conversation or burnish your image during it. And don’t feel like you need to formulate a good comeback as a defense to what the person is saying.

Slow down. As a business entrepreneur, you’re a doer — your innate bias is toward action. But that can also mean that your version of active listening amounts to hearing someone’s initial remarks, assuming you’ve understood the gist and then immediately missing the rest.

Finally, listen with empathy. Try not to put too much of yourself into what’s being said. Instead, pay attention to the experience, including the speaker’s non-verbal communication. Is the person’s posture rigid or relaxed? Does he/she maintain eye contact? Is the individual trying to hide true feelings?

In short, the key to mastering the art of listening is to learn how to reduce what gets in the way of your ability to truly hear — and embrace — what others are trying to tell you.

And the better insights you get, the more successful your marketing and product development efforts will be.