Listening skills are a very important part of any effective communication. Without you carefully following what you hear, you will not be able to respond to it effectively. Listening skills can be improved with practice.
Listening is important wherever you are having a conversation with another person or listening to a presentation.
Listening is much more than just hearing. What you have heard should register in your mind.
Closely follow the content and try to understand what is being said. Concentrate hard and do not let your mind wander when you are listening.
One trick to keep focused is trying to anticipate what the speaker says, in advance. When you are having a conversation do not interrupt and talk only when the other person has stopped. It is not only bad manners to interrupt, but also adversely affects your understanding of the subject.
Do not think of what you are going to say next, when you are listening. It is not possible to concentrate on more than one thing at the same time.
o You should try to understand at least the main points of what is being said.
o Try to mentally summarize what you are listening to.
o Try to find out what is beneficial to you from what you are listening.
o Concentrate hard
o Closely focus on the content
o Closely focus on the important ideas
My friend told me, that a person he knew, heard with one ear and let it go out of the other, because there was nothing in between. Do not let this happen.