For decades I’ve been writing books on decision making in the buying process. I’ve trained many thousands of people around the world in my Buying Facilitation® process. I’ve written a NYTimes Business Bestseller, an Amazon Nifty Fifty, over 1000 articles, and a blog that has received many awards over the years. But I’ve never written a self help book. And now, as I face retirement and seek a nice mountaintop to sit on, I realize I have one more book in me: Did You Really Say What I Think I Heard? and I’m writing it to make a difference.

As many of you know, I have Asperger Syndrome which shows up for me as a unique ability to unpack communication skills. The ability to unravel unconscious choice to make it conscious has been part of my training and writing in the sales field for the past 25 years.

But I now want to make a difference that goes beyond the sales industry and into the heart of what I consider to be a universally frustrating problem: we don’t have the skills to hear each other accurately. And in my new book I’m making it possible for everyone to listen to hear the intended communication – without bias.

WE’VE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO LISTEN

We’ve never been taught how to listen – it’s just assumed we know how. Why? We actually only hear a fraction of what is being said to us and make up the rest in our heads. We lose jobs, relationships, success in relation to how well we can avoid biasing what we hear. We actually make our major life choices according to our listening skills: we feel uncomfortable with those outside our ‘tribe’, living, working, and loving with those who speak in a way we comfortably listen.

And, more astounding, there are no books on the inner process, the ‘HOW’ to have listening choices. There are commercial and trade books on Active Listening, and Persuasion. And a few listening courses teach basics of attending to the person speaking. But no books have been written that break apart the filters and biases, the triggers and habits and assumptions, which will allow any reader, any person, in any walk of life, living anywhere in the world, the ability to recognize where they need to add choice, and learn new skills to communicate authentically with anyone.

Using my unique skill set, Did You Really Say What I Think I Heard? breaks down the entire process of listening into replicatable, learnable pieces, with assessment tools and exercises to enhance the learning process for those who really want to get into it. And it’s a funny book. And just a bit snarky.

Contact me with questions about how to hear others without biases or how to train your team. Let’s make ‘hearing what’s intended’ the new buzz phrase. Because if we all can hear what’s intended, we can make a huge difference in the world.

Sharon-Drew Morgen | 512-457-0246 |