This happens all time and sadly very few are prepared to reveal their ignorance and get clarification. You will have come across this at seminars.

I remember discussing an IT issue with a former colleague and after two hours wondering why we could not progress. The penny suddenly dropped when I realised that his understanding of a key definition was at variance with mine and if we had understood and resolved variance earlier we would have saved two valuable hours.

It is so important to be clear on what you are trying to communicate and ‘listening’…

Hearing and listening are two very different things. Master listening and you will perceive more.

Listening is part of skill used in communication that we often take for granted. We are not taught to listen but we can easily fall into trap of failing to concentrate, drawing our own conclusions too soon, hearing what we want to hear by filtering message through our own experiences and prejudices.

We need to maintain interest with an open mind and respond to what we hear in a meaningful manner. We need to be constructive with our responses, seek clarification and contribute positively.

As we only take in 30% of what we hear so it’s important to be attentive. I find I am able to listen very well on telephone because I am less likely to interject (being an enthusiastic listener!!!) so I think carefully about what is being said before I make a response.

Other people's articles interest me for two major reasons. 1. I'm a copywriter, so I use them as an information resource to write my own articles. 2. I market my writing services on internet, so I'm always seeking out exciting new business relationships. Articles speak volumes about an author's intelligence and integrity. If I like what you write, I may do business with you as well as pass your good name along to others who can use what you offer.

Some articles meet my criteria for being "expert-level," and others don't. Trust me, I'm not only one out there who's judging. Position your articles at top of your category and increase your credibility a thousandfold! Read on for some helpful article-writing tips.

1. Use active voice. Move your audience to action with action words. This means eliminating forms of verb "to be" in all their wishy-washiness. Is, am, are, was, were: these sad excuses for verbs will weaken your message and put your audience right to sleep. Replace them wherever possible with action verbs, and make your message pop!

2. Direct reader. Lately I've come across articles where author tells reader what they 'could' do. What a lame way to offer advice! Which of these sentences motivates you: "You could start your own affiliate program" or "Start your own affiliate program"? People want to be told what to do; not what they can, could, should or might do. Take a firm stand, and give your reader a direction to go in!