We’ve all learned about the importance of polished and professional speaking skills, but what about listening skills? Why do so many people crave the company of a good listener?

Simply put, because most people are terrible at listening. People tend to spend more time evaluating what the speaker is saying or mentally composing their responses than they do actually listening.

The fact that so few people are good listeners means that people who do possess this rare skill set have some advantages. Here are six: