When I was learning NLP in the mid 1980s I had two areas of study that I couldn't get enough of. Learning people's metaprograms and their values got me jazzed. To this day, these are my favorite elements of NLP to share with others. People don't simply listen to people who're smart or have a breadth of knowledge in a specific area. People listen when they know how much you care.
Most people define caring, in part, as being unconditionally accepted by another person.
People will not truly listen to us until we show them how much we care. As you listen to other people talk, learn to see things from their point of view. You don't have to agree with people to accept them as a person. You can respect their opinions and completely disagree with them. You can show empathy without having to agree or compromise your beliefs or integrity.