For more than 45 years, sports fans have listened to the baritone voice of sportscaster Pat Summerall on both television and radio. His name is synonymous with some of America’s greatest sporting events, including the Super Bowl and The Masters Golf Tournament.

Younger viewers probably don’t remember that Pat Summerall was a former professional football player himself. His 10-year career ended in 1961, following four seasons as a place-kicker and tight end for the New York Giants.

When Pat hung up his cleats, he entered the world of broadcasting as sports reporter on a New York radio station. Anxious to master his new trade and not be lumped in with the new wave of “ex-jocks” entering TV and radio, Summerall sought the sage advice of one of TV and radio’s master interviewers, Art Linkletter.

At the time, Linkletter was the host of the long-running House Party program that featured interviews with children. Linkletter advised Summerall that they key to interviewing wasn’t what the interviewer said; it was how well the interviewer listened. “It doesn’t have anything to do with what you’re thinking, you have to listen to them to understand what they have going in their minds.
That same advice plays to a sales audience just as well. Successful salespeople don’t focus on themselves and what they want to say. Instead, they listen carefully to their prospects and clients to find out what issues are going on in their minds. As Linkletter so appropriately stated, “If you don’t listen closely, you’ll be in trouble.”

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