A good listener’s face does half the talking.

Listening is not silent, even when you say nothing. Eyebrows, a nod at the right moment, the small change when something surprises you: all of it tells the person to keep going and that they are landing. A blank face reads as boredom or judgement whether or not you meant either, and people shorten their story in response.

Watch somebody you find easy to talk to and notice what their face is doing. Then let your own react rather than holding it still, which is what most people do while concentrating. If you are on a call with no camera, the same job falls to small sounds.