In a digitally-connected world where everything is competing for our attention, sound expert Julian Treasure believes we’re losing our ability to listen.

“Listening is a generous gift,” says Julian. “It’s an amazing thing and it is under threat.”

Julian is an author, entrepreneur and the founder and chair of The Sound Agency, a UK-based firm that advises businesses, worldwide, on how to use sound to increase sales, influence environments and improve customer and staff satisfaction.

“If a retailer makes bad sound, people leave the space earlier than they would, they spend less money and the retailer loses,” explains Julian. “Plus, we lose, as human beings, because we’re in a horrible environment.”

Julian is also one of the world’s most sought-after speakers. His speeches have been viewed an estimated 18 million times online, and his TED talk, How to Speak so That People Want to Listen, is one of the top-50 TED talks of all time. In addition to his book, Sound Business, Julian’s work is published in major media publications around the world.

Julian joined Mike Walter, from London, to share his thoughts on the importance of speaking and listening effectively in the art of communication.